--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Oh Father, oh Mother, forgive us, for we…" description: "\"“Oh Father, oh Mother, forgive us, for we know not what we do.”\" — Edna O'Brien" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/edna-o-brien-2155_forgive_oh-father-oh-mother-forgive-us-for-we-kn_2315086.png" --- # Oh Father, oh Mother, forgive us, for we know not what we… ![“Oh Father, oh Mother, forgive us, for we know not what we do.” quote by Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/edna-o-brien-2155_forgive_oh-father-oh-mother-forgive-us-for-we-kn_2315086.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/edna-o-brien-2155_forgive_oh-father-oh-mother-forgive-us-for-we-kn_2315086.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/edna-o-brien-2155_forgive_oh-father-oh-mother-forgive-us-for-we-kn_2315086.png) > ““Oh Father, oh Mother, forgive us, for we know not what we do.”” [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker asks for forgiveness, acknowledging ignorance of their actions, echoing a plea for mercy despite lack of understanding. **In simple terms:** Ask forgiveness when unaware of wrongdoing. Key Takeaway Seek humility and forgiveness. Themes spiritual humility forgiveness Mood reflective somber Type spiritual confessional When to use this quote - personal mistake - confession - religious ritual - family dispute Key Concepts ignorance piety Questions to Reflect On - What do you truly not understand about your actions? - How can you learn before seeking forgiveness? A Different Perspective Forgiveness may not be granted without accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [Oh Father forgive me for I know not what I do. And even with countless millenniums of thought I'll never be wise as you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/oh-father-forgive-me-for-i-know-not-what-i-do-and-even-with-countless/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [“And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scotty-smith/and-jesus-said-father-forgive-them-for-they-know-not-what-they-do/) [Scotty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scotty-smith/) > [“My mother is my teacher Her words make me richer I thank you oh my mother May you grow and live longer!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/my-mother-is-my-teacher-her-words-make-me-richer-i-thank-you-oh-my/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“Why would you family think about it?" "Oh, my mother's the only one that counts, and she likes you very much from what she's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/why-would-you-family-think-about-it-oh-my-mother-s-the-only-one-that/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [Mom, Oh Mother Dear, Where Do I Begin. Your love is stronger than the sea you love is what protects me... i know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mom-oh-mother-dear-where-do-i-begin-your-love-is-stronger-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You know you're both going to mess up endless times and have to apologize and be forgiven and forgive. Know when to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wandini/you-know-you-re-both-going-to-mess-up-endless-times-and-have-to/) [Wandini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wandini/) > [The thing I want to really say is that I still mess up. I still go out there and say things on TV that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherri-shepherd/the-thing-i-want-to-really-say-is-that-i-still-mess-up-i-still-go-out/) [Sherri Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherri-shepherd/) > [If only you could forgive, I know its hard but here I am asking for forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cuts-and-scars/if-only-you-could-forgive-i-know-its-hard-but-here-i-am-asking-for/) Cuts And Scars > [::Sometimes you have to learn how to forgive even though you know you'll never forget ::](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/sometimes-you-have-to-learn-how-to-forgive-even-though-you-know-you/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Never go to sleep angry, because you never know if the person youre mad at will wake up the next morning. Always forgive someone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-go-to-sleep-angry-because-you-never-know-if-the-person-youre/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Water beaded across her shoulders, shining like drops of milk, and her breasts swayed in the currents. It was the kind of vision you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/water-beaded-across-her-shoulders-shining-like-drops-of-milk-and-her/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [I blame my mother for nothing, but forgive her for everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-blame-my-mother-for-nothing-but-forgive-her-for-everything/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [I once picked up a woman from a garbage dump and she was burning with fever; she was in her last days and her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/i-once-picked-up-a-woman-from-a-garbage-dump-and-she-was-burning-with/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [The first love of human is with mother and this love is 100% true…bcoz sometime we hurt our mother…but she is always forgive us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mine/the-first-love-of-human-is-with-mother-and-this-love-is-100-true-bcoz/) Mine > [I have the strength from my mother, the survivability. I have wonderful qualities from my mother - but please, Mother, forgive me - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-have-the-strength-from-my-mother-the-survivability-i-have-wonderful/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) ## More by Edna O'Brien > [... a country encapsulates our childhood and those lanes, byres, fields, flowers, insects, suns, moons and stars are forever reoccurring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/a-country-encapsulates-our-childhood-and-those-lanes-byres-fields/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [You have to be lonely to be a writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/you-have-to-be-lonely-to-be-a-writer/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [I crossed the room, and what you did was to feel my hair over and over again and in different ways, touch it, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/i-crossed-the-room-and-what-you-did-was-to-feel-my-hair-over-and-over/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [In our deepest moments we say the most inadequate things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/in-our-deepest-moments-we-say-the-most-inadequate-things/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [We hide the truer part of ourselves when we love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/we-hide-the-truer-part-of-ourselves-when-we-love/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [The vote means nothing to women. We should be armed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/the-vote-means-nothing-to-women-we-should-be-armed/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [Movie people are possessed by demons, but a very low form of demons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/movie-people-are-possessed-by-demons-but-a-very-low-form-of-demons/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [Ordinary life bypassed me, but I also bypassed it. It couldn't have been any other way.Conventional life and conventional people are not for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/ordinary-life-bypassed-me-but-i-also-bypassed-it-it-couldn-t-have/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [History is said to be written by the victors. Fiction, by contrast, is largely the work of injured bystanders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/history-is-said-to-be-written-by-the-victors-fiction-by-contrast-is/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [“A healer! The beauty of the word a balm. In a mounting astonishment she hears how this man heals with his own blood, pricks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/a-healer-the-beauty-of-the-word-a-balm-in-a-mounting-astonishment-she/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [“If I could feel like myself I’d thank God but I don’t feel and never will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/if-i-could-feel-like-myself-i-d-thank-god-but-i-don-t-feel-and-never/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [...people liking you or not liking you is an accident and is to do with them and not you. That goes for love too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/people-liking-you-or-not-liking-you-is-an-accident-and-is-to-do-with/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [“tears running down her cheeks and her nose, tears from the cold and the prospect of being absent for weeks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/tears-running-down-her-cheeks-and-her-nose-tears-from-the-cold-and/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [“laughter filling that end of the ward, overflowing, one bringing a chair for Eleanora, another a cup of coffee, marveling that at long last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/laughter-filling-that-end-of-the-ward-overflowing-one-bringing-a/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [“Dilly reckons it would be difficult to thread those needles, the eyes so small, especially with her cataracts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/dilly-reckons-it-would-be-difficult-to-thread-those-needles-the-eyes/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) [Explore all 182 Edna O'Brien quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) ## More Forgive quotes > [“So in practicing blanket forgiveness you first assume that in any current condition of pain or discomfort there is some anger involved, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-kahili-king/so-in-practicing-blanket-forgiveness-you-first-assume-that-in-any/) Serge Kahili King > [Do what is given to you, and do it well, and you will have done enough...live together in the forgiveness of your sins. Forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-what-is-given-to-you-and-do-it-well-and-you-will-have-done-enough/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The public, more often than not, will forgive mistakes, but it will not forgive trying to wiggle out of one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-grizzard/the-public-more-often-than-not-will-forgive-mistakes-but-it-will-not/) [Lewis Grizzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-grizzard/) > [Im so sorry,i screwed up again.i didnt meant hurting you.please,forgive me,again?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/redeyeen/im-so-sorry-i-screwed-up-again-i-didnt-meant-hurting-you-please/) Redeyeen > [“He fell back. He had cried out so loud that even if there had been no breach in the wall, I should have heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/he-fell-back-he-had-cried-out-so-loud-that-even-if-there-had-been-no/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [Forgive us our trespasses," says Margarethe, "and get out of our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/forgive-us-our-trespasses-says-margarethe-and-get-out-of-our-way/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Ive learned¦ that no matter how good a friend is, theyre going to hurt you every once in a while, and you must forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ive-learned-that-no-matter-how-good-a-friend-is-theyre-going-to-hurt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [If you can't forgive and forget, pick only one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-brault/if-you-can-t-forgive-and-forget-pick-only-one/) [Robert Brault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-brault/) > [I feel people relate with your entire journey and forgive your mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-vaidya/i-feel-people-relate-with-your-entire-journey-and-forgive-your/) [Rahul Vaidya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-vaidya/) > [More courage is required to forgive than is required to take up arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ramos-horta/more-courage-is-required-to-forgive-than-is-required-to-take-up-arms/) [Jose Ramos-Horta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ramos-horta/) > [“The Bible says, “You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/the-bible-says-you-must-make-allowance-for-each-other-s-faults-and/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [“By choosing to forgive, you are choosing to love. By choosing to operate in love, you are choosing to operate in an unconditional state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-watterson/by-choosing-to-forgive-you-are-choosing-to-love-by-choosing-to/) Eric Watterson > [The most important thing about being a father is being able to forgive yourself. If you don't forgive yourself, you're not going to forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evander-holyfield/the-most-important-thing-about-being-a-father-is-being-able-to/) [Evander Holyfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evander-holyfield/) Browse all 3,381 Forgive quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Oh Father, oh Mother, forgive us, for we know not what we do.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edna O'Brien" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/oh-father-oh-mother-forgive-us-for-we-know-not-what-we-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Forgive" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/oh-father-oh-mother-forgive-us-for-we-know-not-what-we-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/edna-o-brien-2155_forgive_oh-father-oh-mother-forgive-us-for-we-kn_2315086.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/edna-o-brien-2155_forgive_oh-father-oh-mother-forgive-us-for-we-kn_2315086.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/edna-o-brien-2155_forgive_oh-father-oh-mother-forgive-us-for-we-kn_2315086.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Oh Father, oh Mother, forgive us, for we know not what we do.” — Edna O'Brien", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Edna O'Brien", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Oh Father, oh Mother, forgive us,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/oh-father-oh-mother-forgive-us-for-we-know-not-what-we-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/oh-father-oh-mother-forgive-us-for-we-know-not-what-we-do/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```