from on high

English[edit]

From Heaven, from above.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 1:78:
  Through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited vs,
- 1819, Reginald Heber, The Missionary Hymn‎^[1]:
  Can we whose souls are lighted
  With Wisdom from on high,
  Can we to men benighted
  The lamp of life deny?
- 1984, New International Version (Bible translation), Psalms 18:16:
  He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.
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.