- English translation
His wrongdoing rests on his own shoulders.
- Literal wording
His sin is upon his side.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying holds that whoever does wrong must carry the consequences alone. The fault is pictured as resting against the wrongdoer's own body, close enough that he cannot shrug it off onto anyone else, and whatever harm follows will land on him.
It also works as a declaration of non-involvement. The speaker treats the offender's situation as entirely that person's own affair, refusing to share the burden, step in, or feel responsible for the outcome of choices someone else freely made.
- When it is used
Say this when someone has brought trouble on himself and you decline to intervene or share the blame. It can sound dismissive or cold, so it suits distancing yourself from another's misdeed more than comforting the person who suffers its results.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: His wrongdoing rests on his own shoulders.