Charity begins at home

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Meaning

One's first responsibility is to care for people and needs close at hand, especially family. Can defend reasonable local responsibility or excuse indifference elsewhere. A common extension says charity begins at home but should not end there. Regional use: English proverbial and religious tradition; now international English.

Origin

The principle resembles 1 Timothy 5:8 and Wycliffe's fourteenth-century 'charity should begin at himself', but the exact proverb is not a Bible quotation. John Marston linked charity and home in Histrio-Mastix, published in 1610, and Sir Thomas Browne printed 'Charity begins at home' in Religio Medici in 1642. Browne called it the voice of the world, suggesting an existing saying rather than personal coinage.

Research Sources

  1. Charity begins at home Phrase Finder
  2. Charity begins at home Cambridge University Press & Assessment

Variants

  • True charity begins at home
  • Charity should begin at home

Usage Examples

  • Charity begins at home, so the trust first repaired housing on its own estate.
  • She believed charity began at home but should not end at the garden gate.
  • The phrase 'charity begins at home' became his reason for supporting the local food bank.

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