som fan läser Bibeln

Swedish

Etymology

Based on Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13 where the Devil tempts Jesus by citing the Bible.

Compare with Danish som Fanden læser Biblen.

Adverb

som fan läser Bibeln ("the way the Devil reads the Bible")

1. (idiomatic) in a way that (deliberately) misinterprets, distorts, or subverts the meaning of a text to suit one's own goal or point of view
   • 1854 October 16, R. R., “Högsång eller Hymn [Pean or Hymn]”, in Fäderneslandet‎^[1], page 3:

     Fader Bergstedt! Läsare man säger Du har warit; du har läst som fan läser bibeln, hwad din andakt wäger ser nu hela sta'n!

     Father Bergstedt! A reader they say You have been; you have read like the Devil reads the scripture, what your church service weighs the whole town now can see!

   • 2012 October 5, Oskar Forsberg, “EU bluffar om snuset [EU is bluffing about snus]”, in Aftonbladet‎^[2]:

     Man tar de bitar som passar ens syften. Man kan läsa forskningen som fan läser Bibeln, säger professor Tony Axell, som genomfört studier om snus för EU:s räkning.

     They take the pieces that suit their purposes. You can read the research as the devil cite the scripture, says Professor Tony Axell, who conducted studies on snus on behalf of the EU.

   • 2021 March 8, Jacob Sandgren, “Anders Knape läser min text som fan läser bibeln [Anders Knape reads my text as the devil cites the scripture]”, in Dagens Samhälle‎^[3]:

     Att vara ödmjuk verkar dock inte ligga för honom. I stället läser han det jag skriver ”som fan läser bibeln”.

     However, being humble does not seem to matter to him. Instead, he reads what I write "like the devil cite the bible".

References

• August Strindberg (1989) “Ordförklaringar [Glossaries]”, in Birger Liljestrand, editor, Samlade Verk 1. Ungdomsdramer I‎^[4] (in Swedish), page 257: “"Har du hört fan citera Bibeln?" jfr det bevingade uttrycket läsa som fan läser bibeln efter bibelns berättelse om hur Jesus frestades av djävulen, som åberopade skriftens ord och tolkade dem som han ville (Matteus 4:1-11 och Lukas 4:1-13) ― "Have you heard the devil quote the Bible?" cf. the winged expression to read as the devil reads the bible after the bible story of how Jesus was tempted by the devil, who invoked the words of scripture and interpreted them as he wished (Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13)”