My brother's keeper

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Meaning

A person responsible for another person's welfare or conduct. Traditional brother can be used generically, but sibling's keeper or one another's keeper may be more inclusive in new prose. Regional use: Late Middle English biblical translation; now widespread.

Origin

After killing Abel, Cain asks in Genesis 4:9 whether he is his brother's keeper. The Wycliffe Bible gives the question in Middle English with substantially the same nouns and relationship. Modern speakers usually invoke it as am I my brother's keeper? or turn it into an affirmative duty of care. That affirmative moral conclusion is inferred from the story; Cain's original question is defensive and evasive.

Research Sources

  1. Bible Gateway: Genesis 4:9 in English translations Bible Gateway
  2. Cambridge Dictionary: I am not my brother's keeper Cambridge University Press

Variants

  • Am I my brother's keeper?

Usage Examples

  • The charity's motto asks each volunteer to act as their brother's keeper.
  • Am I my brother's keeper, even when he rejects every offer of help?
  • During the crisis, neighbouring states accepted that they were one another's keepers.

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