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

Good nature and good sense must ever join; To err is human, to forgive divine.

From Handy Dictionary of Poetical Quotations by Various

Pope tells us, for example, that "To err is human; to forgive, divine"; and also that "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."

From Elementary Guide to Literary Criticism by Painter, F. V. N. (Franklin Verzelius Newton)