Example: Het is moeilijk om de schapen van de bokken te scheiden in deze groep.
Definition
"De schapen van de bokken scheiden" is a Dutch expression meaning to distinguish or separate the good or trustworthy people from the bad or untrustworthy ones, often used when sorting out a group or situation to identify who can be relied upon.
The expression "de schapen van de bokken scheiden" literally translates to 'separating the sheep from the goats.' It originates from biblical imagery where sheep symbolize the righteous and goats the wicked, highlighting the act of distinguishing between good and bad. Did you know? This phrase is used metaphorically in Dutch just like in many other languages.
Learn to use this expression actively
"De schapen van de bokken scheiden" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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to separate the wheat from the chaff