proverb · Words worth keeping
Him who errs, forgive once, but never twice.
Him who errs, forgive once, but never twice.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying sets a strict limit after a first pardon. It warns against repeatedly overlooking the same conduct, while leaving room to question the blanket rule and distinguish forgiveness from restored trust.
What the words are saying
The first error receives pardon, while the second is refused it. Read that sharp contrast as a warning that repeated conduct may need a different response, not as a universal arithmetic of forgiveness. Ask what happened, whether responsibility was accepted and what has changed. A harmless repeated mistake differs from deliberate harm, and a boundary can remain necessary even when resentment is released. The saying does not require withholding compassion forever. Its useful question concerns whether another pardon addresses the situation or merely leaves the same problem untouched.
Everyday example
After an agreed responsibility is missed again, a group reviews the arrangement and sets a clear boundary rather than simply repeating the earlier assurance.
When to use it
Use it to consider whether a repeated problem calls for changed expectations or boundaries.
What it does not mean
Do not apply a rigid two-strike rule to every mistake; forgiveness, consequences and renewed trust are different decisions.
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 (Spanish-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 197; Spanish section, paragraph 4119; source wording: Al que yerra, perdónale una vez, mas no despues.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.