Meaning & Analysis
God provides the raw food (the meat), but a malevolent force (the devil) provides incompetent or malicious cooks who subsequently ruin it during preparation.
Insights
Corruption of the Good
The proverb suggests that even when we are given a blessing or a good opportunity (the 'meat'), human intervention ('the cooks') can corrupt, spoil, or completely ruin the original gift through incompetence, negligence, or malice.
Human Fallibility
It serves as an allegory for the fallibility of human nature. While divine or natural forces may provide the foundation for success and happiness, human agents are often the cause of their own or others' misfortune and failure.
Allocation of Blame
The proverb can be interpreted as a way of assigning blame. It separates the pure source of a gift from the agent who ruins it, allowing for frustration to be directed at the 'cook' (the intermediary) rather than the original 'provider' (God or fate).
Theological Dualism
The proverb reflects a common folk theology that reconciles the existence of divine goodness with human fallibility. It assigns the pure, raw potential (meat) to God, while attributing the corruption or failure of that potential (bad cooking) to a malevolent or incompetent human agent, symbolized by the devil.
Potential vs. Execution
This saying resonates with the classic tension between potential and execution. A great opportunity or a fine resource is worthless if mishandled. It serves as a timeless warning that the quality of the outcome depends as much on skillful execution as on the quality of the initial endowment.
Domestic Economy
Historically, this proverb captures the acute frustration of a household where precious food, a primary symbol of wealth and survival, could be easily ruined by a single person's lack of skill. It elevates the role of the cook to one of critical importance, capable of either honoring or desecrating the provision.
Metaphorical Adaptability
As shown by Benjamin Franklin's application of the proverb to literary criticism, its metaphorical power is highly adaptable. It can describe any situation where a valuable original (a book, an idea, a project) is spoiled by subsequent interpretation, management, or handling.
Rhetorical Devices
Antithesis
The proverb is built on the powerful juxtaposition of 'God' and the 'devil', representing the ultimate forces of good and evil. This stark contrast creates a memorable and dramatic statement.
Parallelism
The phrase uses a balanced, parallel structure ('God sends X, and the devil sends Y'), which gives it a rhythmic, aphoristic quality that is easy to remember and recite.
Symbolism
'Meat' symbolizes any raw gift, blessing, or resource, while 'cooks' symbolize the human agents who can either enhance or destroy its value. This allows the proverb to be applied to a wide range of situations.
Transcription
Quotations
It is a common prouerbe, God may sende a man good meate, but the deuyll may sende an euyll coke to dystrue it.
They say commonly in England that God sendeth vs meate, and the Devill cookes.
I must finde you meate, and the Diuell finde you cookes.
God sends meat, the divell sends Cooks.
God sends meat, the devil sends us Cooks.
(and the Dee'l Cooks).
Bad commentators spoil the best of books, So God sends meat, (they say,) the devil cooks.
This Goose is quite raw: well, God sends meat, but the devil sends cooks.
Cross References
Annotations
- A passionate Expression, when our Meat is ill dress'd.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.