《圣經(jīng)》里經(jīng)常用羊打比方。《新約·馬太福音》中說(shuō),到了審判日那一天,耶穌將隨眾天使來(lái)到人間,坐在寶座上。萬(wàn)民將聚集在他面前,他會(huì)把他們區(qū)分開(kāi)來(lái),“就像羊倌區(qū)分綿羊和山羊一樣,綿羊歸到右邊,山羊歸到左邊”(as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:And he shall set the sheep on his right hand,but the goats on the left,Matthew 25:31-46)。耶穌會(huì)告訴右邊的人,他們因行善將受到上帝的保佑而在天堂得到永生;對(duì)于左邊的人,耶穌會(huì)說(shuō),他們因?yàn)椴恍猩茖⒂肋h(yuǎn)在煉獄里受罪。后來(lái)人們便用separate the sheep from the goats‘區(qū)分綿羊和山羊’,表示分清好人和壞人。