mantle

a role or responsibility

take up the mantle; take up someone’s mantle

to take over the responsibilities, duties, or authority of another

—After the president lost the election, we all wondered who would take up the mantle of leadership for his political party.

God spoke to the people in Israel and Judah through prophets. One of those prophets was Elijah. While Ahab was still king of Israel, Jezebel, the queen, promised to have Elijah killed. Elijah ran away in fear. God came to the prophet to encourage him, telling him to choose Elisha as his companion and the one who would take over his work after he was gone. When Elijah found Elisha, he put his cloak, or “mantle,” on him.

Later, at the end of Elijah’s ministry, when God was ready to take him into heaven, Elisha followed Elijah to the Jordan River. Elijah struck the water with his cloak, causing the river to part, and the two crossed on dry ground. Elijah asked Elisha what he could do for him before he left, and Elisha asked to receive a “double portion” of Elijah’s spirit. When a chariot of fire from God carried Elijah away, Elisha

picked up Elijah’s cloak [took up also the mantle of Elijah—KJV], which had fallen off him, and went back and stood on the shore of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen off Elijah, hit the water with it, and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he hit the water, it divided and Elisha crossed over. (2 Kings 2:13,14)

From that time on until the end of his life, Elisha served as God’s prophet, proclaiming God’s message and performing miracles by God’s power.

an evil, immoral woman; a scheming, manipulative woman
—Those who call my wife a jezebel are simply intimidated by her beauty and power.

After King Solomon died, his son, Rehoboam, became ruler of Israel. Ten of the twelve tribes of Israel rebelled against Rehoboam, but two tribes remained loyal to him. Thus the nation was divided into two kingdoms: The ten tribes in the north continued to be called Israel, while the two in the south were called Judah.

Over the years, the two kingdoms were each ruled by a series of kings. Some followed God, but most did not. One of the most wicked was a king of Israel named Ahab, who married Jezebel, a foreigner. Not only did Jezebel lead Ahab and many Israelites to worship the god Baal, she also killed many of God’s prophets and had a man murdered so her husband could take his property.

There had never been anyone like Ahab, who was firmly committed to doing evil in the sight of the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel. (1 Kings 21:25 NKVJ).

Ahab was followed as king by his two sons, the second of whom was killed by Jehu, who became the new leader of Israel. Jehu came to the city where Jezebel was so that he could confront her.

When Jezebel heard the news, she put on some eye liner [painted her face—KJV], fixed up her hair, and leaned out the window. (2 Kings 9:30)

Some eunuchs looked out as well, and Jehu called up to them to throw her down. They did so, killing her.

To call a woman a jezebel has long been considered an insult, especially when the term painted jezebel is used, as it also includes the meanings of “a sexually promiscuous woman” or “a prostitute.” But some today admire Jezebel and use her name to represent “a strong, confident, independent woman.”

the isolated world of scholars who cannot relate to the uneducated
—The university scientists tried to tell the farmers how to grow their crops, but the farmers told the scientists to come down from their ivory tower and see how actual farming is done.

Solomon wrote the Song of Solomon about his love for a woman who becomes his wife. In it, he describes his beloved as a beautiful lady, though he sometimes uses comparisons that sound rather strange to our ears today:

Your neck is like a tower made of ivory [tower of ivory—KJV].
Your eyes are the pools in Heshbon
by the gate of Bath-Rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon
overlooking Damascus. (Song of Solomon 7:4)

In 1837, Charles-Augustin Sainte-Beuve wrote a poem, “Thoughts of August,” in which he says that another poet lives as if he is in an “ivory tower,” going to bed before noon. Since then, “living in an ivory tower” has taken on the meaning of being so caught up with scholarly activities that one is out of touch with the common man.

to not punish someone for wrongdoing
—I know why that boy turned out bad. That’s what happens when you spare the rod.

One of Solomon’s proverbs is about raising children:

The one who spares his rod hates his child [He that spareth his rod hateth his son],
but the one who loves his child is diligent in disciplining him. (Proverbs 13:24)

Here, spare means “to not use,” and “rod” is a stick used for spanking, with the rod representing discipline.

A well-known phrase is similar to the first half of this verse, Spare the rod and spoil the child. It first appeared in the poem Hudibras, written by Samuel Butler in the 1600s.

Another well-known phrase that come from Proverbs is a gentle answer turns away wrath (or a soft answer turneth away wrath). It comes from Proverbs 15:1:

A gentle response turns away anger [A soft answer turneth away wrath],
but a harsh word stirs up wrath. (Proverbs 15:1)

And pride goeth before a fall (or pride goes before a fall) comes from Proverbs 16:18:

Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall. [Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.]

something that has both positive and negative aspects
—Becoming an adult is a double-edged sword: It brings a lot of freedom but a lot of responsibilities, as well.

Most of Solomon’s proverbs are collected in the Book of Proverbs, which contains the following caution:

My child, be attentive to my wisdom,
pay close attention to my understanding,
in order to safeguard discretion,
and that your lips may guard knowledge.
For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
and her seductive words are smoother than olive oil,
but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword. (Proverbs 5:3,4)

Here the important quality of the sword is that its two edges are extremely sharp. But in modern usage, two-edged has become double-edged, stressing the sword’s ability to cut in two directions.

help others without expecting something in return
—Giving money to feed children in Africa is my way to cast my bread upon the waters.

One of the proverbs in Ecclesiastes is the following:

Send your grain overseas [Cast thy bread upon the waters—KJV],
for after many days you will get a return. (Ecclesiastes 11:1)

Some think that this verse is talking about charity, that if you give generously you will be rewarded. Others think that it is about putting grain on ships to sell in faraway ports. While risky, this can bring great profit.

Today, the first part of this verse is often used by itself, which is why no return is expected.

a problem that spoils something that is otherwise good
—We are so glad that my brother will be here for the holiday. The only fly in the ointment is that he can’t stay longer.

Ecclesiastes includes several of Solomon’s proverbs. One of them uses a vivid picture to show that good judgment can be ruined by a little bit of foolishness:

One dead fly makes the perfumer’s ointment give off a rancid stench [Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour—],
so a little folly can outweigh much wisdom. (Ecclesiastes 10:1)

everything is a repetition of what has come before
—Teenagers think their clothing styles are unique and original, but they remind me of what we had when we were kids. It just goes to show you, there’s nothing new under the sun.

Though the author of Ecclesiastes doesn’t give his name, he calls himself a preacher, son of David, and king of Israel, and most believe that the book was written by Solomon. The main topic of Ecclesiastes is Solomon’s quest for meaning in life, which, he writes, often seems pointless and full of repetition:

All this monotony is tiresome; no one can bear to describe it:
The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever content with hearing.
What exists now is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done;
there is nothing truly new on earth [there is no new thing under the sun—KJV]. (Ecclesiastes 1:8,9)

He finds that life is full of highs and lows, with each happening at its proper time. This idea that there is a right time for specific activities is found in today’s phrases for everything there is a season and everything has a season. They come from a poetic passage, written by Solomon, which begins,

For everything there is an appointed time [To every thing there is a season—KJV],
and an appropriate time for every activity on earth:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4)

And later, Solomon observes that there is no guarantee that the most qualified people will have success:

the race is not always won by the swiftest [the race is not to the swift—KJV],
the battle is not always won by the strongest;
prosperity does not always belong to those who are the wisest,
wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning,
nor does success always come to those with the most knowledge—
for time and chance may overcome them all. (Ecclesiastes 9:11)

From this we get the race is not always to the swift, which today usually means “you don’t have to be the most skilled to succeed, so don’t give up.”

In the end, Solomon decides that following God is the thing that brings meaning to life:

Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
because this is the whole duty of man.
For God will evaluate every deed,
including every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13,14)

a seemingly impossible decision that has to be made between competing alternatives; a wise decision that has been made in response to a seemingly impossible choice
—When Joe’s mother realized she was allergic to his dog, Joe was faced with the Solomon’s choice of moving away from his family or giving away his beloved pet.

After Solomon became king of Israel, God told him in a dream to ask him for whatever he wanted. The new king described himself as a small child ruling over a huge number of people, and said,

So give your servant a discerning mind so he can make judicial decisions for your people and distinguish right from wrong. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours. (1 Kings 3:9)

Pleased with Solomon’s request, God responded,

Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies, I grant your request, and give you a wise and discerning mind superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you. (1 Kings 3:11,12)

A ruling made by Solomon gives an example of his wisdom: Two prostitutes, who lived together, came to him. Each had given birth to a son, with the two boys born a few days apart. One night, one of the babies died, and each woman claimed that the living infant was hers. In response, Solomon asked for a sword and said,

“Cut [Divide—KJV] the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other!” The real mother spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were aroused. She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!” But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him! Let them cut him in two!” The king responded, “Give the first woman the living child; don’t kill him. She is the mother.” When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected the king, for they realized that he possessed supernatural wisdom to make judicial decisions. (1 Kings 3:25-28)

There are several figures of speech that come from this story: A very wise person can be called a Solomon and can be said to have the wisdom of Solomon or the judgment of Solomon. And the phrases cut the baby in half and split the baby are used, such as in court decisions, to say that a wise compromise was made in a difficult disagreement. They can also be used to say that a compromise is impossible, as in “you can’t split the baby.”

to die, to come to an end
—Now that we have email, I’m afraid that hand-written letters will go the way of all flesh.

Before King David died, God told him to make his son Solomon the new ruler of Israel. Near the end of his life, David spoke to Solomon:

I am about to die [go the way of all the earth—KJV]. Be strong and become a man! Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you by following his instructions and obeying his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. (1 Kings 2:2,3)

For David, “to go the way of all the earth” was the same as “to go the way of all people.” Both meant to die.

In 1609, an English translation of the Bible by Gregory Martin and other scholars from Oxford University was published. It is called the Douay-Rheims Bible. It is this version that first translated David’s words as “I am going the way of all flesh.”