proverb · Words worth keeping
Set a thief to take a thief.
Set a thief to take a thief.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Experience of a wrongdoing may help someone recognise how it happens. The saying values relevant knowledge but needs limits on how that knowledge is used.
What the words are saying
A thief is assigned the task of finding another thief, reversing the expected role. As a metaphor, it can encourage considering knowledge gained from past involvement in a problem. It does not prove that previous offenders are uniquely trustworthy or that using unfair methods is justified. A careful reading asks whether the person has changed, what expertise is relevant and what accountability surrounds the task.
Everyday example
A group consults someone who has left a harmful practice to understand warning signs, while keeping the discussion responsible and evidence-based.
When to use it
Use it to examine relevant experience without assuming it guarantees good conduct.
What it does not mean
Knowledge of wrongdoing does not excuse further wrongdoing or remove the need for safeguards.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or 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
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1593 · Thief
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English