proverb · Words worth keeping
Who weds ere he be wise shall die ere he thrive.
Who weds ere he be wise shall die ere he thrive.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A major commitment benefits from judgment and preparation. The saying makes premature marriage a severe warning, but its prediction of lifelong failure is unjustified.
What the words are saying
Wedding before wisdom is pictured as preventing later prosperity. It can encourage thoughtful discussion of expectations, consent and practical arrangements before commitment. Age alone does not establish readiness, and an early choice need not determine an entire life. A careful reading asks what the people involved understand and what support they have, without shaming them or treating repair and growth as impossible.
Everyday example
Partners take time to discuss responsibilities and boundaries instead of accepting pressure to commit before they understand the decision.
When to use it
Use it to encourage considered, freely chosen commitment.
What it does not mean
There is no universal age of readiness, and an early marriage does not predict lifelong failure.
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 1744 · Weds
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English