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REFERENCE

O ye of little faith

idiom
Meaning

A gently mocking rebuke to someone who doubts or lacks confidence.


Origin

The phrase is Jesus's recurring reproach to his anxious followers in Matthew's Gospel. At 8:26 he says it while calming a storm the terrified disciples are sure will drown them; at 14:31 he says it to Peter, who begins to walk on water and then sinks the moment his nerve fails.

In both scenes the rebuke is affectionate rather than harsh — an exasperated fondness for people who panic just when they might have trusted.

The archaic King James ye keeps the phrase firmly in quotation marks, and in English O ye of little faith is now used almost entirely playfully, to tease someone who doubted an outcome that turned out fine after all.

Examples
SIMPLE

See? It worked out. O ye of little faith.

CONTEXTUAL

You doubted I could fix it, but here it is, running perfectly — O ye of little faith.

COMPLEX

When the risky launch went off without a hitch and the doubters fell silent, she leaned back with a grin and delivered a single, satisfied O ye of little faith to the whole disbelieving room.

The Life & Teachings of Jesusconnected storiesSee all Biblical origin →

The Gospels and the Sermon on the Mount.

  1. 01

    the salt of the earth (idiom)

    Good, honest, dependable people who lack pretension.

  2. 02

    a wolf in sheep's clothing (idiom)

    A dangerous or hostile person who hides behind a harmless, friendly appearance.

  3. 03

    cast the first stone (idiom)

    To act self-righteously in accusing another person, believing oneself to be blameless.

  4. 04

    go the extra mile (idiom)

    To make an extra effort; to do a particularly good job.

  5. 05

    turn the other cheek (idiom)

    To accept punishment or injury without retaliating.

  6. 06

    the blind leading the blind (idiom)

    A situation in which someone incompetent is guiding others who are equally incompetent.

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