A young MAN and woman is a match of God's making but a young man and an old woman is of the devil's making

Insights

Violation of Social Order

The proverb serves as a metaphor for social and natural order. The 'Godly' match represents adherence to societal expectations, particularly regarding procreation and age-appropriate relationships. The 'devilish' match symbolizes a transgression against these norms, seen as a corrupt and disruptive force.

Critique of Materialistic Motives

Beyond age, the proverb comments on perceived motives in relationships. The union of the young is idealized as being based on love and fertility ('God's making'), while the union of a young man and an older woman is suspected to be transactional, driven by the man's greed for wealth, thus making it a 'devil's bargain'.

Fertility vs. Sterility

The proverb metaphorically distinguishes between relationships that produce life and legacy versus those that are barren. 'God's making' implies a fruitful, generative partnership, while the 'devil's making' suggests a sterile union that defies the biological and social imperative to create heirs.

Historical Patriarchy and Inheritance

The proverb reflects deep-seated patriarchal anxieties of early modern society, where marriage was primarily for procreation and the orderly transfer of property. A union between a young man and an older, likely post-menopausal and possibly wealthy, woman subverted this order, threatening lineage and suggesting the man was motivated by avarice rather than love or duty.

Cultural Gender Bias

This proverb is a stark example of the sexual double standard. While an older man marrying a younger woman was often seen as a sign of virility and status, the reverse was condemned as unnatural and corrupt. The 'devil' in the proverb is not just the age gap but the transgression of gendered expectations of power, beauty, and fertility.

Psychological and Moral Policing

The proverb taps into a psychological fear of 'unnatural' unions that defy the perceived natural cycle of life. It frames the older woman as a corrupting influence and the young man as either a victim of temptation or a greedy opportunist, thereby policing desire and enforcing conformity with societal norms through moral condemnation.

Rhetorical Devices

Antithesis

The proverb is built on a stark contrast between 'God's making' and 'the devil's making', creating a powerful moral binary that leaves no room for nuance. This rhetorical device frames a social preference as a matter of absolute good versus evil.

Religious Framing

By attributing social approval and disapproval to divine and demonic forces, the proverb elevates a cultural bias into a sacred law. This framing serves to enforce conformity by invoking the highest possible moral authorities.

Parallelism

The parallel structure ('a young man and... woman' vs. 'a young man and an old woman') effectively isolates the woman's age as the single variable that shifts the union from blessed to cursed, powerfully reinforcing the ageist and sexist bias.