proverb · Words worth keeping
Trust in God, and keep your powder dry.
Trust in God, and keep your powder dry.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying combines trust in God with keeping gunpowder dry. It places faith beside practical preparedness instead of letting trust replace attention to the means at hand.
What the words are saying
The two commands are joined, so belief and action are meant to coexist in the image. A peaceful application can concern preparing carefully for an ordinary responsibility while accepting uncertainty. No famous speaker or historical episode is inferred here. The wording’s military material should remain an image, not an instruction about weapons.
Everyday example
Someone draws strength from faith while checking that materials and arrangements for a community task are ready.
When to use it
Use it to discuss faith alongside practical responsibility.
What it does not mean
No particular origin or speaker is verified; this is not weapons guidance or a guarantee of success.
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 1666 · Trust
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English