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Far be it from me

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Far be it from me'?

A disassociation from something – ‘God forbid that I should… ‘ [do that thing].

What's the origin of the phrase 'Far be it from me'?

From the Wycliffe’s Bible, 1382, Genesis 44:17:

Josephe answerde, Fer be it fro me, that Y thus do.

The expression also appears in the later King James Version, 1611, Samuel 20:20:

And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.

The history of “Far be it from me” in printed materials

Trend of far be it from me in printed material over time

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Far be it from me

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