Do You Know that the Idiom ‘Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’ has a Biblical Origin?

If you say that you are stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea, you mean that you are facing two equally unpleasant options.

This saying has most likely originated from the Bible. According to the Bible, the punishment for sinners comes in two forms — either damnation which alludes to the devil or drowning in the water which suggests the sea. The meaning of this phrase is synonymous with another phrase — “Between a rock and a hard place”.

Let’s see an example —

“I am stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea; Either I resign from the job, or I relocate to the new city they are sending me.”

Both these choices — resigning from the job and relocating to a new city — are repugnant to me, unacceptable to me but I am forced to make a choice between them.

Now, let’s discuss the first idiom — Come hell or high water.

This idiom also comes from the Bible. It is believed that ‘hell’ and ‘high water’ in this phrase are allusions to ‘’the devil’ and ‘the deep blue sea’ respectively; both of which are formidable obstacles.

Thus, if you do something come hell or high water, you do it no matter what happens, despite all obstacles. You do it regardless of any difficulty or problem.

Let’s see an example —

“I am coming to your wedding come hell or high water.”

It means no matter what happens, I will attend your wedding.

I hope you found this story interesting. If you did, buy my full course on Udemy or watch it for free on Skillshare by signing up here. This course covers nearly 380 idioms with their origins and backstories.

Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.