Men cannot expect to do ill and fare well, but to find that done to them which they did to others.

Matthew Henry
Men cannot expect to do ill and fare well, but...
Men cannot expect to do ill and fare well, but...
Men cannot expect to do ill and fare well, but...
Men cannot expect to do ill and fare well, but...
About This Quote

In this quote, Machiavelli is saying that men can expect to do ill and fare well if they do it to others. In other words, if people do evil things to you, then you will have no choice but to do bad things to them in return. One of the most famous examples of this is the story of Cain and Abel. When Cain killed Abel, he received a curse from God.

To be sure, it wasn’t a pleasant thing to have a brother murdered, so at first Cain tried to avoid doing wrong. But as time passed and Cain found himself trying to kill his brother again and again, he began to resent God’s curse. Eventually, though, as he had more opportunities to kill his brother again and again (and as God would keep blessing him with success), Cain began to accept that God’s decree was indeed fair.

And then one day he was able to see beyond his hatred and truly accept that God was justified in cursing him—because the way he had treated his brother was exactly what he had done to him on multiple occasions.

Source: Matthew Henrys Commentary On The Whole Bible

Some Similar Quotes
  1. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices... - Anonymous
  2. I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. (Psalms 116:1-2 NIV) - Anonymous
  3. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."... - Anonymous
  4. You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.( Matthew 5:14, The Message) - Anonymous
  5. Above all else, guard your heart for it affects everything else you do. - Anonymous
More Quotes By Matthew Henry
  1. The fear of God reigning in the heart is the beauty of the soul.
  2. Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces.
  3. Men cannot expect to do ill and fare well, but to find that done to them which they did to others.
  4. The way to preserve the peace of the church is to preserve its purity.
  5. Eve was not taken out of Adam's head to top him, neither out of his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected by him, and near his heart to...
Related Topics