proverb · Words worth keeping
Hunger makes short devotion.
Hunger makes short devotion.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An immediate bodily need can make it harder to stay absorbed in a devotional practice. The saying contrasts urgent hunger with the attention given to prayer.
Example
A group adjusts a gathering so that participants can attend to an immediate need without being reproached for leaving early.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Short devotion pictures a practice cut brief because another concern presses on the person. The line can be read as a reminder that spiritual activity takes place within ordinary human circumstances, rather than apart from them. It may encourage consideration for those whose needs interrupt an expected routine. It does not establish that hungry people lack faith or that a chosen fast prevents devotion. The practical emphasis is compassion about circumstances instead of judging commitment only by the length of a ceremony or prayer.
When to use it
Use it to acknowledge circumstances that can interrupt concentration or a religious routine.
Keep in mind
Length of observance is not a reliable measure of faith or sincerity.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English