“… But listen, there will be more joy in heaven over the tears of a repentant sinner than over the white robes of a hundred just men.”

Source: Les Misérables

Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "… But listen, there will be more joy in heaven over the tears of a repentant sinner than over the white robes of a hund…" by Victor Hugo?
Victor Hugo photo
Victor Hugo 308
French poet, novelist, and dramatist 1802–1885

Related quotes

Abraham Lincoln photo

“If I should do so now it occurs that he places himself somewhat upon the ground of the parable of the lost sheep which went astray upon the mountains, and when the owner of the hundred sheep found the one that was lost and threw it upon his shoulders, and came home rejoicing, it was said that there was more rejoicing over the one sheep that was lost and had been found than over the ninety and nine in the fold. The application is made by the Saviour in this parable thus: Verily I say unto you, there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance.”

Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) 16th President of the United States

Repentance before forgiveness is a provision of the Christian system, and on that condition alone will the Republicans grant his forgiveness.
Regarding his debate with Judge S. A. Douglas, in his Springfield address (17 July 1858), published in The Life, Speeches, and Public Services of Abraham Lincoln: Together with a Sketch of the Life of Hannibal Hamlin: Republican candidates for the offices of President and Vice-President of the United States (1860), p. 50
Lincoln was alluding to the words of Jesus in Luke 15:7 http://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Luke%2015%3A7
1850s

Abu Nuwas photo

“You, mad to expect repentance,
Tear your robe all you want;
I will never repent!”

Abu Nuwas (762–814) Arabic poet

Diwan, 11–12.

Teresa of Ávila photo

“There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered ones.”

Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582) Roman Catholic saint

Attributed to Teresa by Truman Capote in "An Interview with Truman Capote" by Don Lee Keith, in Contempora (October/November 1970), p. 40, as the source of the title of a work in progress which he intended as a novel, to be called Answered Prayers; no earlier publications of such an attribution has yet been located.
Variants:
There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers.
Attributed in The Last Word: A Treasury of Women's Quotes (1992) by Carolyn Warner
Disputed

Truman Capote photo

“More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.”

Truman Capote (1924–1984) American author

Disputed

Paul Valéry photo

“What is there more mysterious than clarity?… What more capricious than the way in which light and shade are distributed over hours and over men?”

Paul Valéry (1871–1945) French poet, essayist, and philosopher

Socrates, p. 107. Ellipsis in original.
Eupalinos ou l'architecte (1921)

George Macartney photo

“The Government, as it stands, is properly the tyranny of a handful of Tatars over more than three hundred millions of Chinese.”

George Macartney (1737–1806) British statesman, colonial administrator and diplomat

Our First Ambassador to China (Biography, 1908)

William Tappan Thompson photo

“As a people, we are fighting to maintain the Heaven-ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or colored race; a white flag would thus be emblematical of our cause.”

William Tappan Thompson (1812–1882) American humorist

Savannah Morning News (23 April 1863), As quoted in Our Flag: Origin and Progress of the Flag of the United States of America (1872), by George Henry Preble, Albany: Joel Munsell, pp. 416–417

Sheyene Gerardi photo
Billy Joel photo

Related topics