| 单词 | to be one's brother's keeper |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto be one's brother's keeper P2. to be one's brother's keeper and variants: to be responsible or concerned for the welfare of a relative, friend, or people in general. With allusion to Genesis 4:9, in which Cain responds to God when asked the whereabouts of the murdered Abel, ‘Am I my brother's keeper?’ (see, e.g., quots. a1382 and 1530). ΚΠ a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) Gen. iv. 9 Caym..answerde: ‘I wote neuer wheþer am I þe keper of my broþer?’ 1530 Bible (Tyndale) Gen. iv. f. vv And ye Lorde sayd vnto Cain: where is Abell thy brother: And he sayd: I can not tell, am I my brothers keper?] 1612 T. Taylor Αρχὴν Ἁπάντων: Comm. Epist. Paul to Titus (iii. 12) 728 Now with what ioy can he giue vp his accounts, who with the hireling hath left his people to the wolfe..he is none of his brothers keeper. 1693 E. Pelling Pract. Disc. Charity viii. 156 This is Christian Charity indeed, to become ones Brother's Keeper. 1743 W. Allen Serm. at Assizes Kingston upon Thames 8 For in this Sense every Man is properly his Brother's Keeper. 1837 Western Messenger Oct. 86 Man in the hours of long continued prosperity, self-confident, self-devoted, self-indulged—forgets that he is his brother's keeper. 1913 Rotarian Sept. 22 The business man of a generation ago was wont to exclaim, ‘Am I my brother's keeper?’ confident that this rhetorical inquiry was a complete answer to the call of duty; to-day, the expression has lost its interrogatory form, and men have come to say, ‘I am my brother's keeper.’ 1972 M. Shadbolt Strangers & Journeys viii. 113 I am obviously not my brother's keeper. I cannot be expected to account for him. 1991 U.S. News & World Rep. 27 May 11/2 The selfishness of an isolationist ‘peace’ movement is diametrically opposed to the classic liberal belief that we are our brother's keeper. < as lemmas |
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