The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life
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The general sense is that strict observance of the letter of the law is far less important than being true to its spirit.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I. "The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."
From The Pleasures of Life by Lubbock, John, Sir
"Spirit of a law," is used to designate its intention; in this sense it has been said: "The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."
From A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 10 (of 10) From "The Works of Voltaire - A Contemporary Version" by Fran?ois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
"The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life," and the first duty of religion is to form the highest possible conception of God.
From The Pleasures of Life by Lubbock, John, Sir
Such a teacher illustrates clearly the force of the passage, "The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."
From Principles of Teaching by Bennion, Adam S.
The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
From Phases of Faith Passages from the History of My Creed by Newman, Francis William
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
