APAD: Charity begins at home

移花接木
楼主 (文学峸)

The proverb 'charity begins at home' expresses the overriding demand to take care of one's family, before caring for others.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Charity begins at home'?

'Charity begins at home' isn't from the bible but it is so near to being so that it is reasonable to describe it as biblical. The notion that a man's family should be his foremost concern is expressed in 1 Timothy 5:8, King James Bible, 1611:

But if any provide not for his owne, & specially for those of his owne house, hee hath denied the faith, and is worse then an infidel.

John Wyclif had expressed the same idea as early as 1382, in Of Prelates, reprinted in English Works, 1880:

Charite schuld bigyne at hem-self.

The first connecting of charity and home is found in the English satirist John Marston’s play Histrio-Mastix, (published in 1610 but may have been first performed in the late 16th century):

True charity beginneth first at home,
Heere in your bosomes dwell your deere-lov'd hearts,
Feed them with joy; first crowne their appetites,
And then cast water on the care-scroch'd face,
Let your own longings first be satisfied,
All other pitty is but foolish pryde.

Sir Thomas Browne was the first to put the expression into print in the form we now use, in Religio Medici, 1642:

Charity begins at home, is the voice of the world: yet is every man his greatest enemy.

盈盈一笑间
Why is it man’s greatest enemy ?Many people put family first
盈盈一笑间
Especially in the North America…right?
移花接木
看一下,Matthew 10:36, about man's worst enemy
移花接木
member's of his household,肯定有无数人讨论为什么圣经这么说
移花接木
U made me laughing,如果说家庭观念最差的especially NA,我同意
7
7grizzly
+100086! All other pitty is but foolish pryde.
暖冬cool夏
一屋不扫,何以扫天下?
天边一片白云
赞!Let your own longings first be satisfied。
盈盈一笑间
我们是在同一个NA咩?LOL
移花接木
Amen!
最西边的岛上
赞! But might I go a bit further? I felt that

"Charity" probably best starts at self (just as on an airplane, i.e. oxygen mask).  That way, not only you can help and please your own family and possibly others, one can still be happy even when everyone stands against you.  Just my 2c.  hahaha
O
Oona
非常赞!