Bible Verses That Inspired Presidents

Teresa Neumann : Jan 22, 2013
Dana Guthrie – The Houston Chronicle

Call them ceremonial, telling, or even prophetic, they are—if nothing else—intriguing.

In a recent Houston Chronicle publication, reporter Dana Guthrie compiled a list of various Bible verses that US Presidents used in their inaugurations.

Call them ceremonial, telling, or even prophetic, they are—if nothing else—intriguing.

George Washington, for example, opened his Bible at random to Genesis 49:13, which reads: "Zebulon shall swell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, and his border will adjoin Sidon."

Abraham Lincoln's Bible was also opened randomly to three different Scriptures: Matthew 7:1, Matthew 18:7, and Revelation 16:7.

In light of 9/11, it is interesting to note that at George W. Bush's second inauguration his family Bible was opened to Isaiah 40:31—"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint."

This year, in commemoration of the Emancipation Proclamation passed during Lincoln's presidency—of which the film depicting that momentous occasion is also the nominee of numerous academy awards—President Barack Obama used Lincoln's Bible.