live by the sword die by the swordとは 意味・読み方・使い方

語源

From the Bible, Matthew 26:52, where Jesus rebukes one of his disciples for having used his sword against a servant of the High Priest of Israel.

発音

ことわざ

live by the sword, die by the sword

1. One who uses violence can expect a violent response; it is better to try to use peaceful means wherever possible.
2. (figuratively) One can expect dire outcomes from any vice; used to convey a sense that poetic justice is inevitable.
3. (figuratively) The means of one's success can become the means of one's downfall.
   • 1997 October 17, Roger Ebert, “Boogie Nights (1997) review”, in Chicago Sun-Times‎:

     And in Dirk Diggler's most anguished scene, as he shouts at Jack Horner, "I'm ready to shoot my scene RIGHT NOW!" we learn that those who live by the sword can also die by it.

   • 2009, Larry Downes, The Laws of Disruption: Harnessing the New Forces That Govern Life and Business in the Digital Age, Basic Books, →ISBN:

     In the “live by the sword, die by the sword” category of ironic litigation, consider the fate of struggling hardware and software maker Sun Microsystems.

   • 2025 July 26, Hannah Devlin, quoting Przemysław Dębiak, “Competition shows humans are still better than AI at coding – just”, in The Guardian‎, →ISSN:

     “Before the contest, I tweeted ‘Live by the sword, die by the sword’,” he said. “I helped developing AI and I would be the one who would be the loser of the match. Although I won, in the end, for now.”

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