Meaning & Analysis
A person cannot effectively work for or be obedient to two different employers or authorities simultaneously, as their demands will inevitably conflict.
Insights
Conflict of Loyalties
The proverb serves as a powerful metaphor for the impossibility of maintaining conflicting loyalties, whether to people, ideologies, or values. Attempting to honor both will ultimately lead to failure and compromise.
The Necessity of Choice
It highlights the necessity of making a definitive choice when faced with mutually exclusive options. To serve one 'master' is to reject the other; neutrality or divided commitment is an illusion.
Division of Focus
The proverb speaks to the limits of human attention and energy. Splitting focus between two major, competing priorities results in diminished effectiveness and prevents true mastery or success in either domain.
Integrity and Commitment
Serving two masters implies a form of deception or a lack of integrity. The proverb suggests that authentic commitment requires a singular, undivided devotion to a single cause, principle, or authority.
Biblical Authority
The proverb's authority stems directly from the Bible (Matthew 6:24), where the choice is framed not merely as a practical dilemma but as a fundamental moral and spiritual conflict between serving God and 'Mammon' (wealth).
Historical Context
The language of 'master' and 'serve' evokes historical feudal and hierarchical societies where singular loyalty was a cornerstone of social and political order. Divided allegiance was not just impractical but often seen as a form of betrayal.
Psychological Conflict
The proverb articulates a core principle of cognitive dissonance, where holding conflicting loyalties or values creates psychological tension. It suggests that a choice is inevitable to resolve this internal conflict and maintain integrity.
Contemporary Relevance
In modern life, the 'masters' can be interpreted as conflicting demands such as career and family, personal ethics and corporate goals, or opposing political ideologies, making the proverb a timeless caution about the perils of divided commitment.
Rhetorical Devices
Categorical Negation
The phrase 'No man can' presents the idea as a universal, absolute law, lending it an air of irrefutable authority and timeless truth.
Metaphor
The 'masters' metaphorically represent any two conflicting goals, values, or commitments, while 'serve' symbolizes devotion and the allocation of one's resources and energy.
Antithesis
The proverb is built on the inherent tension between the 'two masters', creating a powerful and memorable statement about the nature of conflict and choice.
Transcription
Quotations
For no man may wel serue two maistres for that one corumpeth that other.
Oftetimes I haue heard, before I came hether, That no man can serue two maisters together.
We cannot serue two Maisters, God and Mammon.
Hee that will serue two maisters in troth, He disappointeth and fayleth them both.
As Christs Maxime inferreth; No man can serue two Masters with true service.
It is impossible . . To serue two Maisters Enemies together.
You cannot have your will . . and Christ too; no man can serve two Masters.
Bible Citations
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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