The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose

1. Even things that are good in themselves (such as the Bible) (see also Bible) can be twisted to serve bad purposes. This proverb comes from the play The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare.

Example Sentences

McNulty made me return to “The Merchant of Venice,” and I found some very appropriate quotations for Trump’s behavior: “The Devil can cite scripture for his purpose,” being one.

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Stumbling upon a tweet from Ivanka Trump that quoted a Bible verse on Sunday — the day when politicians and their enablers get their holiness on — I was moved to respond with a line from Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”: “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”

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“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”

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In the meantime, just as the devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, even well-intentioned authors will cite “the community” for theirs.

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Remember that “the Devil can cite scripture for his purpose” and decline his offer to continue your biblical debate.

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