Meaning & Analysis
A person with special wisdom or foresight (a prophet) will not be honored or believed by the people in their own hometown or country, who are too familiar with their ordinary, human background.
Insights
Familiarity Breeds Contempt
This proverb captures the idea that close familiarity often leads to a lack of respect. Those who have known someone from a young age find it difficult to see them as exceptional or authoritative, as their flaws and humble beginnings are well-known.
Resistance to Local Innovation
It serves as a metaphor for the resistance to change and innovation from within a community. New or radical ideas are often met with skepticism and dismissed when they come from a local source, as opposed to an external expert.
The Burden of the Past
An individual's potential and achievements can be overshadowed by their personal history in the eyes of their peers. Past mistakes or a humble background can prevent others from acknowledging their present wisdom or status.
Envy and Peer Skepticism
The success of a local individual can provoke envy and disbelief among their peers. It is often psychologically easier to accept greatness in a stranger than in someone perceived as an equal.
Biblical Origins
The proverb's authority is deeply rooted in its biblical origin (Matthew 13:57), where Jesus expresses this sentiment after being rejected in his hometown of Nazareth. This scriptural foundation lends it immense cultural and moral weight in Western civilization.
Psychology of Familiarity
This proverb reflects the psychological principle that familiarity can diminish perceived authority. People are often unable to reconcile their memory of a person's ordinary origins with their extraordinary claims or talents, leading to skepticism and rejection.
Cultural Trope of the Outsider
The concept resonates throughout history and literature, where many visionary figures—artists, scientists, and reformers—were first dismissed by their own communities before gaining recognition from outsiders or subsequent generations.
Modern Application
In a modern context, the 'prophet' can be an entrepreneur whose innovative ideas are dismissed by local investors, or an artist who must move abroad to find an audience. It speaks to the universal challenge of overcoming local biases.
Rhetorical Devices
Metaphor
The term 'prophet' is used metaphorically to represent any individual with extraordinary vision, talent, or wisdom, extending the proverb's meaning beyond a purely religious context.
Hyperbole
The absolute statement 'No man' is a form of hyperbole that strengthens the proverb's claim, presenting this social dynamic as a universal and inescapable truth.
Antithesis
The proverb creates a powerful contrast between the elevated status of a 'prophet' and the mundane, familiar setting of 'his own country', highlighting the central conflict between genius and its origins.
Transcription
Quotations
No man hath beene a Prophet, not onely in his house, but in his owne country, saith the experience of histories.
Le sainct de la ville n'est point oré: Men least respect their owne, or that they are vsed to; our well-knowne patrons are the least implored.
In a word, conceive him as a prophet honour'd In his own country.
A Prophet of small account in his own countrey.
Bible Citations
And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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