no rest for the wicked
English
Etymology
From the Book of Isaiah verses 48:22 and 57:20-21, originally Hebrew. First attested in English in 1535, in Coverdale Bible of Miles Coverdale.[1] Quoted in biblical sense for centuries, humorous secular sense popularized from 1930s, particularly due to use as title of popular Little Orphan Annie strip by Harold Gray in 1933.[1]
Proverb
- (literally) Eternal torment in hell awaits sinners.
- 1535, Miles Coverdale, Coverdale Bible, Book of Isaiah 57:20-21:
- 20: But the wicked are like the raginge see, that ca not rest, whose water fometh with the myre & grauel.
- 21: Eueso ye wicked haue no peace, saieth my God.
- 20: But the wicked are like the raging sea, that cannot rest, whose water foams with the mire & gravel.
- 21: ? you wicked have no peace, says my God.
- 1535, Miles Coverdale, Coverdale Bible, Book of Isaiah 57:20-21:
- (humorous) People who are wicked must work harder than normal people.
Usage notes
Primarily used today for mild comic effect,[1] meaning “one must work (particularly because one has been lax)”, as in Annie usage.
Translations
people who are wicked must work harder