The devil can quote Scripture to suit his purpose.
Meaning: Skilled manipulators exploit truth selectively, twisting knowledge to justify deception.
Origin: From Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (c. 1597), where Antonio, hearing Shylock justify lending at interest with a Bible story, remarks: "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose." The idea goes back to the Gospels, where Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness by quoting a psalm.
More proverbs about Challenge
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- He that runs fast will not run long. — Unsustainable pace exhausts resources quickly, making endurance impossible without modera…
- It's a bad sack will abide no clouting. — A person fundamentally flawed resists improvement despite all efforts to patch and repair…
- A scalded cat fears cold water. — Past trauma causes excessive caution even toward harmless situations resembling the origi…
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From our idioms
- open a can of worms — A situation that contains many unexpected and unwanted problems and consequences.
- carry a torch for someone — To be in love with someone, usually someone who does not love in return.
- carry the ball — To take on work or responsibility in order to keep a project moving forward.