Kick against the pricks
Encyclopedia
To kick against the prick is a quotation generally held to be from the Bible
which refers generally to being stubborn or resistant to authority to the point of self-harm
and specifically to being resistant to the will of a god. Luke
reports that Jesus
said it to Saul (later renamed Paul).
During the time of Jesus, many people were farmers and used oxen to till the soil. A prick, or goad
, was a pointed shaft sharpened to a point on one end, much like a metalworking prick. This was held up to an ox by the driver in such a way that if the ox turned in the wrong direction, it would get pricked. Sometimes an ox would attempt to kick the irritant away, which would only drive it in deeper.
The phrase likely did not originate in the conversation between Jesus and Paul; it is probable that it was part of the wider literary tradition of Greco-Roman civilization.
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
which refers generally to being stubborn or resistant to authority to the point of self-harm
Self-harm
Self-harm or deliberate self-harm includes self-injury and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology...
and specifically to being resistant to the will of a god. Luke
Luke the Evangelist
Luke the Evangelist was an Early Christian writer whom Church Fathers such as Jerome and Eusebius said was the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles...
reports that Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
said it to Saul (later renamed Paul).
During the time of Jesus, many people were farmers and used oxen to till the soil. A prick, or goad
Goad
The goad is a traditional farming implement, used to spur or guide lifestock, usually oxen, which are pulling a plough or a cart; used also to round up cattle. It is a type of a long stick with a pointed end, also known as the cattle prod. Though many people are unfamiliar with them today, goads...
, was a pointed shaft sharpened to a point on one end, much like a metalworking prick. This was held up to an ox by the driver in such a way that if the ox turned in the wrong direction, it would get pricked. Sometimes an ox would attempt to kick the irritant away, which would only drive it in deeper.
The phrase likely did not originate in the conversation between Jesus and Paul; it is probable that it was part of the wider literary tradition of Greco-Roman civilization.