from on high

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

[edit]

Prepositional phrase

[edit]

from on high

  1. From Heaven, from above.
  2. From people with power or authority.
    • 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “chapter 3 (Manchester Insurrection)”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book I (Proem):
      For the rest, that the Manchester Insurrection could yet discern no radiance of Heaven on any side of its horizon; but feared that all lights, of the O’Connor or other sorts, hitherto kindled, where but deceptive fish-oil transparencies, or bog will-o’-wisp lights, and no dayspring from on high: for this also we will honour the poor Manchester Insurrection, and augur well of it.
    • 2010 January 27, Matt Taibbi, “Populism: Just Like Racism!”, in True/Slant[2], archived from the original on 2013-01-19:
      The whole point of America is that we are all supposed to be our own masters, never viewing anyone as being by birth or situation inherently better or more capable than ourselves, and so the notion of relying upon some nebulous class of investment bankers to “channel opportunity” from on high strikes me as being un-American.