To err is human, to forgive divine

Cultural  

1. All people commit sins and make mistakes. God forgives them, and people are acting in a godlike (divine) way when they forgive. This saying is from “An Essay on Criticism,” by Alexander Pope.

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Example Sentences

"To err is human to forgive divine," Salim Khan said Tuesday on Twitter.

From US News • Jun. 22, 2016

K. K., Chicago You know the old expression: To err is human; to forgive divine — and to forge quite lucrative.

From New York Times • Jun. 10, 2010

The corollary of "To err is human, to forgive divine" is that to forgive is not human, not entirely so.

From Time Magazine Archive

If my judgment is faulty, let us remember that trite aphorism: "To err is human, to forgive, divine."

From Twentieth Century Negro Literature Or, A Cyclopedia of Thought on the Vital Topics Relating to the American Negro by Culp, Daniel Wallace

"To err is human, to forgive divine" reminds us of a familiar contrast.

From Introduction to the Science of Sociology by Park, Robert Ezra