how the mighty have fallen

== English == === Etymology === The phrase originates in the Old Testament, 2 Samuel 1:19. The earliest version in English is found in the Great Bible, (1539): Oh howe are the myghtie ouerthrowen. The modern word fallen version is found in the King James Version, (1611) and is an expression of David's lament over Saul and Jonathan: The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! === Phrase === how the mighty have fallen! Used to imply the decline of a once-great person or entity. ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== the bigger they are, the harder they fall