Is it a Bible verse?
The related verses use different wording
The King James texts of Psalm 115:8 and 2 Corinthians 3:18 do not contain the sentence 'we become what we behold'. The game does not pretend otherwise. Its card is a media proverb with a shaky attribution, explained on the quote page.
Two passages sit nearby, and people paste them under the proverb. They are worth reading as themselves.
Psalm 115:8
Psalm 115 talks about idols that have mouths and do not speak, eyes and do not see. Verse 8 in the King James text says those who make them become like them, and so does everyone who trusts them. The McLuhan glossary points at this verse from its entry on the proverb. The likeness is thematic: you resemble what you give attention. The wording is not the proverb.
I am not calling the psalm a source for Nicky Case. The game never cites it. Case cites a misattributed McLuhan line.
2 Corinthians 3:18
The King James wording says that with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image. 'Beholding' and 'changed' are why the verse gets attached to the proverb. It is about a religious transformation, not a news cycle.
If the sentence you want is the one about tools shaping their users, that is Culkin, on we shape our tools. If you wanted the game and landed on a sermon, the game is here.
FAQ
Which verse do people mean?
Usually Psalm 115:8, about idol-makers becoming like their idols, or 2 Corinthians 3:18, about beholding and being transformed. Neither is the game's sentence.
Does the game claim it is scripture?
No. The card names Marshall McLuhan and then says misattributed. It does not name a chapter or verse.
So who wrote the proverb?
The plural line is an oft-cited blend. Blake's Milton has the singular 'he became what he beheld'. That history is on the quote page.
Sources
- Bible Hub, Psalm 115:8 — checked 2026-11-07
- Bible Hub, 2 Corinthians 3:18 — checked 2026-11-07
- McLuhan quote dictionary — checked 2026-11-07
- ASU Blake, Milton — checked 2026-11-07