proverb · Words worth keeping
Pray for revenge, and God will turn a deaf ear.
Pray for revenge, and God will turn a deaf ear.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
God turning a deaf ear to a prayer for revenge pictures divine refusal of retaliatory wishes. The saying gives revenge a negative religious judgment.
Example
A reader distinguishes the saying’s criticism of retaliation from a person’s need for a fair response to harm.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The hearing expression represents refusal rather than a claim about hearing ability. A responsible interpretation explains the theological assertion as the saying’s viewpoint, without reporting a verified divine response or prescribing belief. Seeking accountability or support is not necessarily the revenge it condemns.
When to use it
Use it to discuss the expressed religious view without asserting divine knowledge.
Keep in mind
No supernatural response is independently established, and disability is not a measure of moral responsiveness.
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