Here's something I've wanted to do since Ron came up with the Movie Calendar (and reminded of it by Jeffrey's new Timeline project): How about a concordance of scripture references in film? I'm thinking of specific verses, not whole books or stories.

I suggest a listing by Book, Chapter and Verse, with each film title indicating whether the reference is mentioned shown on screen (as on a sign or a tombstone) or quoted in dialogue.

(I don't have a list at hand, but a quick google search found a reference to Colossians in The Wedding Crashers - an auspicious beginning, especially since it was a $20 bet over which passage would be read.)

Genesis
Genesis 1:1 - Left Behind (2000) - quoted
Genesis 1:27,31 - The Sixth Day (2000) - quoted with chapter/verse on title cards
Genesis 3:20 - Flaming Star (1960) - quoted
Genesis 9:27 - Mississippi Burning (1988) - chapter/verse referenced, not quoted
Genesis 24:60 - Rebecca's Daughters (1992) - quoted with (incorrect) chapter reference (reference given is Genesis 26, no verse)

Exodus
Exodus 8:2 - Magnolia (1999)- chapter/verse cited on placard in studio audience
Exodus 20:13 - Menace II Society (1993) - quoted with chapter and verse reference
Exodus 21:24 – Dead Man Walking (1995) – quoted

Leviticus

Numbers
Numbers 26:55 – Norma Rae (1979) - quoted

Deuteronomy

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

1 Samuel
I Samuel 2:30 - Chariots Of Fire (1981) - quoted

2 Samuel

1 Kings

2 Kings

1 Chronicles

2 Chronicles

Ezra

Nehemiah

Esther

Job
Job 1:21 - Now, Voyager (1942) - quoted
Job 21:17 – Chisum (1970) - quoted

Psalms
Psalms 4:5 – The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - quoted
Psalm 22:1 - Naked (1993) - quote with swearing (see also Matt 27 and Mark 15)
Psalm 23 - Pale Rider (1985) - quoted
Psalms 32:5-7 – East of Eden (1955) - read from the Bible, with partial reference
Psalms 99:9 - The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995) - quoted with chapter and verse
Psalm 139:18 - Inosensu: Kôkaku kidôtai (2004) - quoted with chapter reference


Proverbs
Proverbs 11:29 - Inherit the Wind (1960) - quoted with book reference
Proverbs 12:22 - The Client (1994) - quoted, with correct chapter/verse reference after one character attributes to Psalms


Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 1:9 - The LadyKillers (2004) - quoted
Ecclesiastes 7:13 - Gattaca (1997) - title card quote w/ chapter and verse
Ecclesiastes 11:9 - Platoon (1986) - Title card quote with book reference

Song of Songs
Song Of Songs 4:5 - The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971) - quoted with chapter/verse reference
Song of Songs 5:10-16 - Once Upon A Time In America (1984) - quoted

Isaiah
Isaiah 40:15,17,23,28,29,31 – Chariots Of Fire (1981) – read from Bible with partial reference
Isaiah 53:5 - The Passion of the Christ (2004) - quoted on title card, w/ chapter reference
Isaiah 53:7 - The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) - quoted

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel
Ezekiel 18:5,7-9,13 – The Merchant of Venice (2004) – quoted

Daniel

Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Jonah

Micah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Zephaniah

Haggai

Zechariah

Malachi

Matthew
Matthew 5:29 - Deadly Blessing (1981) - quoted
Matthew 5:39 - Guys and Dolls (1955) - chapter/verse reference
Matthew 6:12 - The Merchant Of Venice (1994) - quote is paraphrased
Matthew 6:24 - - A Man Escaped (1956) - quoted
Matthew 7:7 – When Will I Be Loved (2004) - quoted
Matthew 10:36 - Breaker Morant (1985) - quoted with reference
Matthew 16:26 - Inherit the Wind (1988) - quoted
Matthew 27:46 - Naked (1993) - quote (with added swearing) (see also Mark 15)

Mark
Mark 13:35 - Shawshank Redemption (1994) - quoted with reference
Mark 15:34 - Naked (1993) - quote (with added swearing) (see also Matt 27)

Luke
Luke 1:42 - Not Of This World (1999) - spoken in voice-over at beginning of film
Luke 2:49 - Salesman (1969, USA) - quoted
Luke 3:10 - The Year Of Living Dangerously (1982) - quoted, referenced to Luke
Luke 17:21 – Chariots Of Fire (1981) – quoted

John
John 3:4,7-8 - A Man Escaped (1956) - quoted
John 9:24-26 - Raging Bull (1980) - quoted with reference on title card
John 3:4,7-8 - A Man Escaped (1956) - quoted (no reference, but Christ's conversation with Nicodemus cited)
John 3:16 - King of the Ring (1996) - verse reference, not quoted
John 8:12 - Shawshank Redemption (1994) - quoted with reference


Acts

Romans
Romans 12:21 - Man on Fire (2004) - quoted w/ chapter and verse

1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 13 - Andrei Rublev (1969) - quoted
1 Corinthians 13 - The Mission (1986) - quoted
1 Corinthians 13 - Three Colours Blue (1993) - quoted
I Corinthians 13:11 - The Crying Game (1992) - quoted
I Corinthians 13:11 - Hackers (1995) - quoted, with chapter/verse reference
1 Corinthians 13:13 - Nuns on the Run (1990) - quoted with reference

2 Corinthians

Galatians
Galatians 6:7 - Never Die Alone (2004) - paraphrased quote

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians
Colossians 3:12 - The Wedding Crashers (2005) - reference used in dialogue

1 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy

2 Timothy

Titus

Philemon

Hebrews

James

1 Peter

2 Peter

1 John

2 John

3 John

Jude

Revelation
Revelation 6:7-8 - Pale Rider (1985) - quoted
Revelation 6:8 – Tombstone (1993) - quoted
Revelation 7:12 - Ghostbusters (1984) - reference
Revelation 13:18 - The Omen (1976) - chapter & verse quoted on title card
Revelation 16:17 - The Hunt for Red October (1990) - read from Bible
Revelation 18:2 - The Devil's Advocate (1997) - quoted with chapter reference

NOTE: References in RED are for a direct reference to a Bible passage, whether quoted or not, which mentions at least a book and chapter if not chapter and verse.

Scripture MIS-Quoted:

Ezekiel 25:17 - Pulp Fiction (1994) - mis-quoted by Jules
(no reference) - The Prophecy (1995) - mis-quoted by Thomas Daggett, citing St. Paul: Even now in Heaven there are Angels carrying savage weapons.
Revelation 23 - The Prophecy (1995)


Film Titles taken from Scripture:

East of Eden - Gen. 4:16 "...Cain...lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden."
(Possibly refers to Gen 3:24 "...he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword...")
The Hiding Place - Psalm 32:7 "You are my hiding place..." (and other references)
The Quick and the Dead - 1 Peter 4:5 "Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead." (and other references)

Titles with Biblical Allusions:
The Hiding Place - Psalm 32:7 "...You are my hiding place...
The Pale Rider - Rev 6:8 "...a pale horse! Its rider ..." (KJV)

In the Also-Ran category:
A Man Escaped - The subtitle of the film is "Le vent souggle ou il veut," which is "The wind blows as it listeth" - John 3:8 "...The wind bloweth where it listeth..."

Oooh, this is sweet!! Entries will range from ridiculous to sublime. Love it.

Corinthians 13 came up in something I watched recently. And then there's the bogus scripture in Pulp Fiction. I'm also thinking of several graveside scenes, which usually quote from various liturgies, but which in turn are often derived from scripture: I think that's the case in The Princess & The Warrior, for example. And once we think of liturgy, I wonder what's being read during the christening sequence in The Godfather?

This'll be fun! But now I've got to come up with some actual passages!

Exodus 8:2 - Magnolia - chapter/verse cited on placard in studio audience
("And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs")

Ezekiel 25:17 - Pulp Fiction - (mis)quoted by Jules
(The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you.)

You want to include documentaries? The Eyes of Tammy Faye and others which include religious personalities probably have lots of scripture quoting. Hell House?

Anything that is feature length is fine with me, including documentaries -- even short films -- if they are notable. (My main interest would be the use (or misuse) of scripture in artistic expression and pop culture, and less on educational applications, if that helps.) Ideas/suggestions welcome.

I'm guessing we don't want general references to scriptures? For example, in Inherit The Wind;

"You believe Joshua made the sun stand still? So you also believe at that time the sun went around the earth? No? Then it must have been the earth he made stand still. Have you ever pondered what would naturally happen to the earth if it stood suddenly still? Don't you know it would have been converted into a molten mass of matter? Don't you care?"

He doesn't cite the specific verses, or quote them. But we want either a quote or at least a partial reference?

Speaking of graveyard scenes, the scene in The Exorcism of Emily Rose actually has Tom Wilkinson spelling out the "Xth chapter, Yth verse" -- whichever verse it is that talks about working out your salvation in fear and trembling, if memory serves. That was one line that rubbed me the wrong way, because it felt so footnote-y.

Yes - a clear reference to a specific passage: a chapter/verse "address" or a direct quote (including a misquote, as with your Pulp Fiction reference) -- something that would appear in quotation marks.

What about titles that are Bible references? Pale Rider or Inherit The Wind or East Of Eden?

Good question Ron -- how about a footnote, similar to the movie calendar in which you list Passover, Superbowl Sunday, etc? At the bottom of the list we could include titles that are a clear reference to a Biblical phrase.

Also, I like the way the movie calendar uses red to denote the actual date shown on screen, so I'll plan to do that here with references that are shown or specified, too. (eg. "1 Cor 13:13 says..." would count along with a sign that shows a reference.) Sound okay?

Job 21:17 – Chisum (1970) - quoted

Billy the Kid: I made you a promise, Mr. Tunstall. Now I'm making myself a promise. It says in the Bible, "The candle of the wicked shall be put out."

Okay, that suggests another idea. The master list can just list the reference, film, and whether/how it's quoted or referenced, and maybe people can also include any other data (context, character, whatever) in their post to the thread? Like I did with Chisum. Just a thought. Might help anybody wondering whether a particular scripture reference makes the movie worth tracking down or not. If I was preaching on "Seek and ye shall find," I'd probably be wasting my time tracking down a copy of "When Will I Be Loved" for a possible film clip, whereas DEAD MAN WALKING might have more to offer on "an eye for an eye"...

Matthew 7:7 – When Will I Be Loved (2004) - quoted

Ford Welles: "I'm a mentor. I'm not a hustler. I'm a conduit, I'm a circuit. Listen... Listen to me very carefully. My whole mission on this planet right now in relation to you is to introduce you to yourself. You know that. You're a deeply sexual human being. You have major erotic power. The easiest thing, and the most selfish, would be to convince you to lend yourself to one person, even if that one person was myself. That would be suffocating to you, and ignoble of me. That's what a hustler would do, and I refuse to hustle. I'm looking to lead you down the path of Ovid and Sappho, D.H. Lawrence, Edna Saint Vincent Millay, to say nothing of the whole hip-hop revolution. It's the path of the Bible: "Seek and you shall find. Know thyself".

Exodus 21:24 – Dead Man Walking (1995) – quoted

Prison Guard: You know how the Bible says, "an eye for an eye"?
Sister Helen: Know what else it asks for? Death as a punishment for adultery, prostitution, homosexuality, trespass upon sacred ground, profaning the Sabbath and contempt of parents.
Prison Guard: l ain't gonna get in no Bible quoting with no nun because l'm gonna lose.

Psalm 32:5-7 – East of Eden (1955) - read from the Bible, with partial reference

Adam Trask: [Giving Cal the bible to read] Start at the fifth verse. Verse five.
Cal: "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah."
Adam: Go on.
Cal: "Six."
Adam: And I suggest a little slower, Cal. And you don't have to read the verse numbers.
Cal: "For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee. And surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Selah. Seven."
Adam: Not the numbers, Cal.
Cal: "Thou art my hiding place, thou shalt preserve me from trouble, thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. Eight..."
Adam: You have no repentance! You're bad!

Revelation 16:17 - The Hunt for Red October (1990) - read from Bible

Poltical Officer Ivan Putin: [Reading from a book belonging to Ramius, quoting the Bible] "And the seventh angel poured his bowl into the air, and a voice cried out from heaven, saying: 'It is done.'" A man with your responsibilities reading about the end of the world....

John 9:24-26 - Raging Bull (1980) - cited on title card

Title card:
So, for the second time, the Pharisees summoned the man who had been blind and said:
"Speak the truth before God.
We know this fellow is a sinner."
"Whether or not he is a sinner, I do not know,"
The man replied.
"All I know is this:
Once I was blind and now I can see."
John IX, 24-26
the New English Bible

Revelation 6:8 – Tombstone (1993) - quoted

Johnny Ringo: It's quoted in the bible, Revelations: "Behold the pale horse. The man who sat on him was death, and Hell followed with him.”

Numbers 26:55 – Norma Rae (1979) - quoted

Reuben Warshowsky: On October 4, 1970, my grandfather, Isaac Abraham Warshowsky, aged eighty-seven, died in his sleep in New York City. On the following Friday morning, his funeral was held. My mother and father attended, my two uncles from Brooklyn attended, my Aunt Minnie came up from Florida. Also present were eight hundred and sixty-two members of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers and Cloth, Hat and Cap Makers' Union. Also members of his family. In death as in life, they stood at his side. They had fought battles with him, bound the wounds of battle with him, had earned bread together and had broken it together. When they spoke, they spoke in one voice, and they were heard. They were black, they were white, they were Irish, they were Polish, they were Catholic, they were Jews, they were one. That's what a union is: one... Ladies and gentlemen, the textile industry, in which you are spending your lives and your substance, and in which your children and their children will spend their lives and their substance, is the only industry in the whole length and breadth of the United States of America that is not unionized. Therefore, they are free to exploit you, to cheat you, to lie to you, and to take away what is rightfully yours - your health, a decent wage, a fit place to work. I would urge you to stop them by coming down to room 207 at the Golden Cherry Motel, to pick up a union card and to sign it... It comes from the Bible – according to the tribes of your fathers, ye shall inherit. It comes from Reuben Warshowsky - not unless you make it happen.

Psalm 4:5 – The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - quoted

Warden Samuel Norton: I believe in two things: discipline and the Bible. Here you'll receive both. Put your trust in the Lord; your ass belongs to me. Welcome to Shawshank.

Maybe a special section for bogus scripture? Along with Pulp Fiction, there's this one

The Prophecy (1995)

Thomas Daggett: Years later, of all the Gospels I learnt in Seminary school, a verse from St. Paul stays with me. It is perhaps the strangest passage in the Bible, in which he writes: "Even now in Heaven there are Angels carrying savage weapons."

*

Or at least, I can't find it!

Revelation 7:12 - Ghostbusters (1984) - reference

"Do you remember something in the Bible about the last days, when the dead would rise from the grave?"
"I remember Revelation 7:12..."
"Judgment Day."
"Every ancient religion has its own myth about the end of the world."
"Myth?"

Luke 2:49 - Salesman (1969, USA) - quoted

Sales seminar leader: There are many people who know the Bible. There are many people who can quote from the Bible. But you're somewhat different. You know the business....
"Whist ye not that I am about my Father's business?"

Isaiah 40:15,17,23,28,29,31 – Chariots Of Fire (1981) – read from Bible

Eric Lidell: My text this afternoon is taken from Isaiah Chapter 40. “Behold, the nations are as a drop in the bucket, and are counted as the small dust in the balance... All nations before him are as nothing, They are counted to him less than nothing and vanity.... He bringeth the princes to nothing, he maketh the judges of the earth as a vanity.... Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not, neither is weary. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no strength he increaseth might... But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

I Samuel 2:30 - Chariots Of Fire (1981) - quoted

A competitor hands a note to Eric Lidell just prior to his race:
Mr Liddel, it says in the old Book, “He that Honours me I will Honour.”
Good Luck – Jackson Sholz

Since Ron mentioned Pale Rider, there are a couple of quotes in the film: Ps. 23 and Rev. 6:7-8

Luke 17:21 – Chariots Of Fire (1981) – quoted

Eric Lidell, preaching: "You came to see a race today, to see someone win. It happened to be me. But I want you to do more than just watch a race. I want you to take part in it. I want to compare faith to running in a race. It’s hard, requires concentration of will, energy of soul. you experience elation when the winner breaks the tape. Especially if you got a bet on it. But how long does that last? You go home, maybe your dinner’s burnt, maybe you haven’t got a job. So who am I to say believe, have faith, in the face of life’s realities. I would like to give you something more permanent, but I can only point the way. I have no formula for wining the race, everyone runs in their own way, or his own way. And where does the power come fruom to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, Behold the kingdom of god is within you. If with all your hearts you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me. If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race. Cheers. Thanks for coming."
(25:40)

Biblical references to running a race include Psalm 19:5, I Corinthians 9:24, II Timothy 4:7, Hebrews 12:1

What's the scripture on the tombstone at the end of THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE?

'Breaker Morant' - doesn't he request Mt 10:36 on his headstone?

John 3:4,7-8 - A Man Escaped (1956) - quoted

Pastor: Don't blame yourself. You couldn't have stopped him. He couldn't wait anymore.
Fontaine: Why? Out of hopelessness?
Pastor: Too much hope for a new life.
F: A new life?
P: Maybe that is what Christ meant. "Ye must be born again..." I wrote it down for you. His words to Nicodemus.

(Next scene, Fontaine at cell window, reading to neighbour:)
F: Nicodemus said: How can a man be born again when he is old? Can he enter his mother's womb and be born? Jesus said: Marvel not that I said ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth. Thou knowest not whence it cometh...

(The subtitle of the film is "Le vent souggle ou il veut," which is "The wind blows as it listeth")

Matthew 6:24 - - A Man Escaped (1956) - quoted

Fontaine quotes this to Jost, with reference to wearing part of the uniform of the Germans, but claiming to be part of the Frence Resistance

Referenced, but not cited directly - a reach...

Matthew 6:12 - The Merchant Of Venice (1994) - reference

Portia's famous speech references the Lord's Prayer;
"The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.

Ron wrote:
: Psalm 32:5-7 – East of Eden (1955) - read from the Bible, with partial reference
: Cal: "Thou art my hiding place, thou shalt preserve me from trouble, thou shalt
: compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. Eight..."

Wouldn't the "Selahs" be part of the quotation?

BTW, I saw this film for the first time a couple weeks ago, and was amused to hear this passage quoted in a film where one of the two or three biggest stars was Julie Harris ... who, 20 years later, would star in ... The Hiding Place.

Ron wrote:
: What's the scripture on the tombstone at the end of THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE?

As per my earlier post, "whichever verse it is that talks about working out your salvation in fear and trembling, if memory serves."

Ezekiel 18:5,7-9,13 – The Merchant of Venice (2004) – quoted

In the prologue to the film, a monk proclaims this text from a boat on a Venetian canal, inciting a mob to attack some Jews: "If a man is righteous, and does what is lawful and right... if he has not exacted usury nor taken any increase, but has withdrawn his hand from all iniquity and executed true judgement between men and men, if he has walked in my statutes and kept my judgements faithfully, then he is just and shall surely live... But if he has exacted usury, and taken interest, shall he then live? No he shall not live. If he has done any of these abominations he shall surely die, says the Lord our God."

Darrel,

Does either quote include the reference (chapter and verse)?

Ah yes, indeed! Changed...


Nifty. And I suppose the title of THE HIDING PLACE itself is a scripture reference...

Is "The Quick and the Dead" purely from the Apostle's Creed or is it scripture?

BibleGateway.com pops up with three references from the KJV:

Acts 10:42
And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead...

2 Timothy 4:1
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

1 Peter 4:5
Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

Does the reference to "Mark III no. 11" (the model of the Nebuchadnezzarin The Matrix count?

I don't think so.

Genesis 3:20 - Flaming Star (1960) - quoted

Sam 'Pa' Burton: [at Neddy Burton's funeral] One thing from the bible she liked. "And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living." To me, Neddy, you were the mother of all living. You were life itself. God... just one thing... take care of this woman. Amen.

1 Co 13 is read in The Mission

This topic has been moved to the better-suited "Film Awards, Festivals, and Lists" forum...

Lukie 1:42 - Not Of This World (1999) - spoken in voice-over at beginning of film

Jesus' Sermon on the Mount admonition against building on sand is referenced in 'Millions' - oh, and St. Peter offers his own spin on the Feeding of the 5000 in this film, also.

Luke 3:10 - The Year Of Living Dangerously (1982) - quoted, referenced to Luke

"What then must we do?" - Billy Kwan asks this of Guy Hamilton, and refers both to John the Baptist and Tolstoy

I Corinthians 13:11 - Hackers (1995) - quoted, with chapter/verse reference

Emmanuel "Cereal Killer" Goldstein: When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. What? It's Corinthians one, chapter thirteen verse eleven.

Romans 12:21 - Man on Fire (2004) - quoted w/ chapter and verse

Sister Anna: Do you ever see the Hand of God in what you do?
Creasy: No, not for a long time.
Sister Anna: The Bible says, "Do not be over come with evil, but overcome..."
Creasy: But overcome evil with good."
Creasy: [in spanish] That's Romans Chapter 12 Verse 21.
Creasy: I am the sheep that got lost, Madre.