--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Odd, isn't it,\" he said, \"that a thief…" description: "\"“Odd, isn't it,\" he said, \"that a thief and a vagabond should repent, when so many who are rich and secure remain hard and frivolous, and without fruit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/114/g-k-chesterton-224_repent_odd-isn-t-it-he-said-that-a-thief-and-a_432022.jpg" --- # Odd, isn't it," he said, "that a thief and a vagabond… ![“Odd, isn't it," he said, "that a thief and a vagabond should repent, when so many who are rich and secure remain hard and frivolous, and without fruit for God or man?” quote by G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/114/g-k-chesterton-224_repent_odd-isn-t-it-he-said-that-a-thief-and-a_432022.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/114/g-k-chesterton-224_repent_odd-isn-t-it-he-said-that-a-thief-and-a_432022.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/114/g-k-chesterton-224_repent_odd-isn-t-it-he-said-that-a-thief-and-a_432022.jpg) > ““Odd, isn't it," he said, "that a thief and a vagabond should repent, when so many who are rich and secure remain hard and frivolous, and without fruit for God or man?”” [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even those who seem lowly can repent, while the rich often stay morally idle and fruitless. **In simple terms:** The humble can change; the rich may not. Key Takeaway Value humility over status. Themes morality humility social critique Mood thoughtful critical inquisitive Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - charity work - personal reflection - social justice Key Concepts redemption ethical responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What drives repentance in the marginalized? - How can wealth be used responsibly? A Different Perspective May generalize about wealth and morality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Repent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repent/) [Repent Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repent-rich-761035/) [Said Thief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-thief-3806027/) [Thief Vagabond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thief-vagabond-761036/) [Vagabond Repent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vagabond-repent-761033/) ## Related quotes > [“Father Brown got to his feet, putting his hands behind him. 'Odd, isn't it,' he said, 'that a thief and a vagabond should repent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/father-brown-got-to-his-feet-putting-his-hands-behind-him-odd-isn-t/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [Odd, isn't it, that a thief and a vagabond should repent, when so many who are rich and secure remain hard and frivolous, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/odd-isn-t-it-that-a-thief-and-a-vagabond-should-repent-when-so-many/) [Gilbert K. 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'Well, then, m'dear,' said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biyi-bandele-thomas/oi-sweetheart-is-your-mummy-a-thief-no-she-s-not-she-said-sucking-her/) [Biyi Bandele-Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biyi-bandele-thomas/) > [“As a small token only of your friendship Sauron asks this,” he said: “ that you should find this thief,” such was his word,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/as-a-small-token-only-of-your-friendship-sauron-asks-this-he-said/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [A father may turn his back on his child, brothers and sisters may become inveterate enemies, husbands may desert their wives, wives their husbands.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/a-father-may-turn-his-back-on-his-child-brothers-and-sisters-may/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [Repent, Harlequin," said the Ticktock Man. 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Most revolutionaries fell before this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-greatest-temptation-for-the-like-of-us-is-to-renounce-violence-to/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [Even if you have done no wrong, no mistake in the last 50 years, remember the mistake you did 51 years ago and repent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radhanath-swami/even-if-you-have-done-no-wrong-no-mistake-in-the-last-50-years/) [Radhanath Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radhanath-swami/) > [To truly repent of a big thing, you have to go into it with your heart open and force yourself to deal with it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-wilkinson/to-truly-repent-of-a-big-thing-you-have-to-go-into-it-with-your-heart/) [Bruce Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-wilkinson/) > [“To repent is depart from evil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/to-repent-is-depart-from-evil/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [We cannot go back in time and change the past, but we can repent. The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/we-cannot-go-back-in-time-and-change-the-past-but-we-can-repent-the/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [“Lord I come before you, I repent all my sins; forgive me. I repent on behalf of my children forgive them Lord. Help them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euginia-herlihy/lord-i-come-before-you-i-repent-all-my-sins-forgive-me-i-repent-on/) [Euginia Herlihy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euginia-herlihy/) ## More by G.K. Chesterton > [“I never use paradox. The statements I make are wearisome and obvious common sense. I have even been driven to the tedium of reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/i-never-use-paradox-the-statements-i-make-are-wearisome-and-obvious/) [G.K. 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Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“There was a short railway official travelling up to the terminus, three fairly short market-gardeners picked up two stations afterwards, one very short widow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/there-was-a-short-railway-official-travelling-up-to-the-terminus/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Humility is the mother of giants. One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/humility-is-the-mother-of-giants-one-sees-great-things-from-the/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/anything-worth-doing-is-worth-doing-badly/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/there-exists-in-such-a-case-a-certain-institution-or-law-let-us-say/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Man, by a blind instinct, knew that if once things were wildly questioned, reason could be questioned first. The authority of priests to absolve,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/man-by-a-blind-instinct-knew-that-if-once-things-were-wildly/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“It is idle to talk always of the alternative of reason and faith. Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/it-is-idle-to-talk-always-of-the-alternative-of-reason-and-faith/) [G.K. 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Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) [Explore all 853 G.K. Chesterton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) ## More Repent quotes > [“Lord I come before you, I repent all my sins; forgive me. I repent on behalf of my children forgive them Lord. Help them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euginia-herlihy/lord-i-come-before-you-i-repent-all-my-sins-forgive-me-i-repent-on/) [Euginia Herlihy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euginia-herlihy/) > [We cannot go back in time and change the past, but we can repent. The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/we-cannot-go-back-in-time-and-change-the-past-but-we-can-repent-the/) [Dieter F. 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"Get stuffed," the Harlequin replied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-ellison/repent-harlequin-said-the-ticktock-man-get-stuffed-the-harlequin/) [Harlan Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-ellison/) > [A father may turn his back on his child, brothers and sisters may become inveterate enemies, husbands may desert their wives, wives their husbands.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/a-father-may-turn-his-back-on-his-child-brothers-and-sisters-may/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [The last word of our Lord to the church was not the Great Commission. The last thing He said to the church was 'Repent.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-havner/the-last-word-of-our-lord-to-the-church-was-not-the-great-commission/) [Vance Havner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-havner/) > [“Deterrents properly placed can help. But that is not enough. 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