Our American Stories

How a Bible Verse Became One of America’s Most Famous Metaphors

September 21, 2026·7 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1630, John Winthrop and hundreds of Puritan settlers crossed the Atlantic hoping to build a new community in New England. Before they arrived, Winthrop delivered a warning. Their success or failure would not go unnoticed. Drawing on the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, he told his fellow settlers, “We shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.”Robert J. Morgan, author of 100 Bible Verses That Made America, shares how a biblical image carried across the Atlantic became one of the most enduring phrases in American life. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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