greater love hath no man than this
Used to introduce some great sacrifice or demonstration of selfless goodwill. The phrase comes from the New Testament of the Bible (John 15:13): "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Today we honor those of our military who gave their lives to protect our country. Truly, greater love hath no man than this. A: "Why would this man jump in front of a car to save me? I don't even know him!" B: "I don't have all the answers. All I can say is, greater love hath no man than this." I think it's a natural impulse to want to protect the people you love and care about. As the Bible says, greater love hath no man than this.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
greater love hath no man
A supreme sacrifice; the ultimate demonstration of friendship or goodwill. The term comes from the Bible: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Detective-story aficionado Anthony Boucher (The Case of the Seven Sneezes, 1942) made an amusing play on it: “Greater love hath no man than this, that he should lay down his checkbook for his life.”
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer