- English translation
Just like boatmen, who only think of God once they start to drown.
- Literal wording
Like the boatmen, they do not remember our Lord except at the time of drowning.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying takes aim at people whose devotion depends on danger. It pictures boatmen, the sailors or rivermen who work the boats, forgetting God through ordinary days on the water and calling on Him only when the vessel begins to sink. The image belongs to the proverb and is not a fair verdict on real boatmen.
More broadly, it describes anyone who ignores a source of help or an obligation while things go well, then remembers it in desperation. It criticizes reliance that appears only in crisis and fades once the threat has passed.
- When it is used
Use it to rebuke someone who neglects God, a friend, or a duty in easy times and turns earnest only when trouble arrives. Aimed at a specific person, it can sound like an accusation of hypocrisy, so keep it to informal talk with people who will accept a blunt rebuke.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Just like boatmen, who only think of God once they start to drown.