- English translation
Bound like a Christian marriage: only death will pull them apart.
- Literal wording
A Christian marriage: no parting except through the choking (that is, death).
- Meaning and lesson
The saying describes an attachment that cannot be undone. Whatever is joined to something else in this way stays with it permanently, and the bond ends only when one side ceases to exist. It stresses inseparability rather than affection, so the tie may be welcome or burdensome.
Its image reflects the speakers' generalization that Christian marriage permits no divorce, a view not accurate for every Christian tradition. The word for 'choking' stands for death, not violence. The speaker thus frames any persistent pairing as a lifelong union with no ordinary exit.
- When it is used
Apply it to two things, people, or conditions so tightly bound that nothing short of the end of one can separate them, such as a habit, burden, or companion that will not go away. Because it singles out a religious community, avoid it in mixed or sensitive company.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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