whirlwind

reap the whirlwind

To suffer the negative consequences of one's actions. This phrase originated in the Bible. If you don't do your homework now, you'll reap the whirlwind when you have to take your final exam.

See also: reap, whirlwind

sow the wind and reap the whirlwind

Prov. to start some kind of trouble that grows much larger than you planned. (Biblical.) our enemy has sown the wind by provoking this war, and they will reap the whirlwind when we vanquish them.

See also: and, reap, sow, whirlwind, wind

reap the whirlwind

LITERARY

If someone reaps the whirlwind, they suffer now because of mistakes that they made in the past. Note: To reap a crop such as corn means to cut and gather it. The Government refused to tackle the problem at the time and it is now reaping the whirlwind. Note: This expression comes from the proverb sow the wind and reap the whirlwind and people sometimes use other parts of the whole expression. The Prime Minister is now reaping the economic whirlwind he helped to sow. Note: This is a quotation from the Bible. It refers to the punishment of the Israelites for disobeying God: `For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.' (Hosea 8:7)

See also: reap, whirlwind

reap the whirlwind

suffer serious consequences as a result of your actions.

This expression alludes to the proverb they that sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind , which is taken from Hosea 8:7.

1998 Spectator A [political] party that thought all it had to do to keep Scotland happy was deliver devolution is instead reaping the whirlwind it sowed in the Eighties.

See also: reap, whirlwind

(sow the wind,) reap the ˈwhirlwind

(especially American English) suffer as a result of your actions: We will reap the whirlwind of those actions for years, if not decades, to come.This expression comes from the Bible. A whirlwind is a strong wind that spins very fast and causes a lot of damage.

See also: reap, whirlwind

reap the whirlwind

Suffer the consequences. Hosea 8:7's “For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind” has come to mean that evil deeds in the past will come back to haunt you. Another biblical verse with a similar admonition is Galatians 6:7's “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (used as the expression, “you'll reap what you sow”), and Proverbs 11:29's “He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind.” As yet another indication how popular references have shifted from the sacred to the profane, the contemporary equivalent is “Be aware of what you do, or else it may come back and bite you in the ass.”

See also: reap, whirlwind