The Idle Bible
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An edition of 1809, in which "the idole shepherd" (Zech. xi, 17) is printed " the idle shepherd." In the Revised Version the translation is "the worthless shepherd.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Idle Bible” mean?
An edition of 1809, in which "the idole shepherd" (Zech. xi, 17) is printed " the idle shepherd." In the Revised Version the translation is "the worthless shepherd.
Is “The Idle Bible” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.