--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nisi Dominus custodierit domum, in vanum…" description: "\"“Nisi Dominus custodierit domum, in vanum vigilant qui custodiunt eam,\" Unless the Lord guard the house, in vain do they watch who guard it.”\" — Victor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/victor-hugo-32_vigilant_nisi-dominus-custodierit-domum-in-vanum_33296.jpg" --- # Nisi Dominus custodierit domum, in vanum vigilant qui… ![“Nisi Dominus custodierit domum, in vanum vigilant qui custodiunt eam," Unless the Lord guard the house, in vain do they watch who guard it.” quote by Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/victor-hugo-32_vigilant_nisi-dominus-custodierit-domum-in-vanum_33296.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/victor-hugo-32_vigilant_nisi-dominus-custodierit-domum-in-vanum_33296.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/victor-hugo-32_vigilant_nisi-dominus-custodierit-domum-in-vanum_33296.jpg) > ““Nisi Dominus custodierit domum, in vanum vigilant qui custodiunt eam," Unless the Lord guard the house, in vain do they watch who guard it.”” [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that without divine protection, human vigilance is futile, emphasizing reliance on higher authority over mere effort. **In simple terms:** Divine protection essential for effective guardianship. Key Takeaway Human watchfulness alone is insufficient. Themes faith responsibility humility dependence spirituality Mood reflective solemn thoughtful Type proverb wisdom When to use this quote - protecting a home - leading a community - maintaining a project - securing a nation Key Concepts guardianship divine oversight human limitation trust Practical Applications - spiritual counseling - leadership training Questions to Reflect On - What role does faith play in your responsibilities? - How do you balance effort with reliance on higher guidance? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“6 The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.  7 You, Lord, will guard us;  You will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/6-the-words-of-the-lord-are-pure-words-like-silver-refined-in-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [America is the land of opportunity. We need to be vigilant in ensuring that each and every American has the opportunity to acquire the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/america-is-the-land-of-opportunity-we-need-to-be-vigilant-in-ensuring/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [Here's an experiment: For one whole day think, speak, and act exactly as you would if you were absolutely convinced of the truth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmet-fox/here-s-an-experiment-for-one-whole-day-think-speak-and-act-exactly-as/) [Emmet Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmet-fox/) > [I think it's something that the citizenry needs to be vigilant about - participating in democracy, and that includes issues like what's going on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-damon/i-think-it-s-something-that-the-citizenry-needs-to-be-vigilant-about/) [Matt Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-damon/) > [I believe that the mistakes that we made in Europe in the last decades by allowing so much mass immigration from Islamic countries is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-wilders/i-believe-that-the-mistakes-that-we-made-in-europe-in-the-last/) [Geert Wilders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-wilders/) > [The key to overcoming resistance to change is to frame your actions and continually adjust them as you move forward to so that those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-d-friedman/the-key-to-overcoming-resistance-to-change-is-to-frame-your-actions/) [Stewart D. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-d-friedman/) > [Always be vigilant -when we cry we see- control your action, work ceaselessly and pray fervently...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olajide-oluwatobiloba/always-be-vigilant-when-we-cry-we-see-control-your-action-work/) [Olajide Oluwatobiloba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olajide-oluwatobiloba/) > [Time cools, time clarifies; no mood can be maintained quite unaltered through the course of hours. When you make a decision to "be" a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/time-cools-time-clarifies-no-mood-can-be-maintained-quite-unaltered/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Confide not in the firmness of your principles, or the steadfastness of your integrity. Be always vigilant and fearful. Never think you have enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brockden-brown/confide-not-in-the-firmness-of-your-principles-or-the-steadfastness/) [Charles Brockden Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brockden-brown/) > [If white people are constantly told how culturally different their Asian neighbors are, and if Asians are told to be vigilant against white racism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munira-mirza/if-white-people-are-constantly-told-how-culturally-different-their/) [Munira Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munira-mirza/) > [Africa is progressing but maybe not in the way you think it is. Even if the overall picture looks good, we must all remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/africa-is-progressing-but-maybe-not-in-the-way-you-think-it-is-even/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [Though liberty is established by law, we must be vigilant, for liberty to enslave us is always present under that very liberty. Our Constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/though-liberty-is-established-by-law-we-must-be-vigilant-for-liberty/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The United States is imposing sanctions on individuals and companies working to advance Iran's ballistic missile program, and we are going to remain vigilant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-united-states-is-imposing-sanctions-on-individuals-and-companies/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Freedom and liberty lose out by default because good people are not vigilant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/freedom-and-liberty-lose-out-by-default-because-good-people-are-not/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Villainy that is vigilant will be an overmatch for virtue, if she slumber at her post.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/villainy-that-is-vigilant-will-be-an-overmatch-for-virtue-if-she/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## More by Victor Hugo > [Houses are like the human beings that inhabit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/houses-are-like-the-human-beings-that-inhabit-them/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“There is still a certain grace in a dead festival. It has been happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-is-still-a-certain-grace-in-a-dead-festival-it-has-been-happy/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“First I loved women, then animals, and now I love stones. They're just as amusing as women and animals and they're much less trecherous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/first-i-loved-women-then-animals-and-now-i-love-stones-they-re-just/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Nature is pitiless; she never withdraws her flowers, her music, her fragrance, and her sunlight from before human cruelty or suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/nature-is-pitiless-she-never-withdraws-her-flowers-her-music-her/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Have courage for the great sorrows of life, and patience for the small ones. And when you have finished your daily task, go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/have-courage-for-the-great-sorrows-of-life-and-patience-for-the-small/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The peasants of the Asturias believe that in every litter of wolves there is one pup that is killed by the mother for fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-peasants-of-the-asturias-believe-that-in-every-litter-of-wolves/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Great blunders are often made, like large ropes, of a multitude of fibres.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/great-blunders-are-often-made-like-large-ropes-of-a-multitude-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“For love is like a tree; it grows of itself; it send its roots deep into our being, and often continues to grow green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/for-love-is-like-a-tree-it-grows-of-itself-it-send-its-roots-deep/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Blacheville smiles with the self-satisfied smugness of a man whose vanity is tickled”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/blacheville-smiles-with-the-self-satisfied-smugness-of-a-man-whose/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Loving in ignorance, she loved with all the more passion. She did not know whether it was good or evil, beneficent or dangerous, necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/loving-in-ignorance-she-loved-with-all-the-more-passion-she-did-not/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/laughter-is-the-sun-that-drives-winter-from-the-human-face/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Our joys have shadows. The perfect smile belongs to God alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/our-joys-have-shadows-the-perfect-smile-belongs-to-god-alone/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“When those we love are in question, our prudence invents every sort of madness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/when-those-we-love-are-in-question-our-prudence-invents-every-sort-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Love is a fault; so be it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/love-is-a-fault-so-be-it/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) [Explore all 2,181 Victor Hugo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## More Vigilant quotes > [Villainy that is vigilant will be an overmatch for virtue, if she slumber at her post.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/villainy-that-is-vigilant-will-be-an-overmatch-for-virtue-if-she/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Freedom and liberty lose out by default because good people are not vigilant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/freedom-and-liberty-lose-out-by-default-because-good-people-are-not/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [The United States is imposing sanctions on individuals and companies working to advance Iran's ballistic missile program, and we are going to remain vigilant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-united-states-is-imposing-sanctions-on-individuals-and-companies/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Though liberty is established by law, we must be vigilant, for liberty to enslave us is always present under that very liberty. Our Constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/though-liberty-is-established-by-law-we-must-be-vigilant-for-liberty/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Africa is progressing but maybe not in the way you think it is. Even if the overall picture looks good, we must all remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/africa-is-progressing-but-maybe-not-in-the-way-you-think-it-is-even/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [If white people are constantly told how culturally different their Asian neighbors are, and if Asians are told to be vigilant against white racism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munira-mirza/if-white-people-are-constantly-told-how-culturally-different-their/) [Munira Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munira-mirza/) > [Confide not in the firmness of your principles, or the steadfastness of your integrity. Be always vigilant and fearful. Never think you have enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brockden-brown/confide-not-in-the-firmness-of-your-principles-or-the-steadfastness/) [Charles Brockden Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brockden-brown/) > [Time cools, time clarifies; no mood can be maintained quite unaltered through the course of hours. When you make a decision to "be" a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/time-cools-time-clarifies-no-mood-can-be-maintained-quite-unaltered/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Always be vigilant -when we cry we see- control your action, work ceaselessly and pray fervently...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olajide-oluwatobiloba/always-be-vigilant-when-we-cry-we-see-control-your-action-work/) [Olajide Oluwatobiloba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olajide-oluwatobiloba/) > [The key to overcoming resistance to change is to frame your actions and continually adjust them as you move forward to so that those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-d-friedman/the-key-to-overcoming-resistance-to-change-is-to-frame-your-actions/) [Stewart D. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-d-friedman/) > [I believe that the mistakes that we made in Europe in the last decades by allowing so much mass immigration from Islamic countries is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geert-wilders/i-believe-that-the-mistakes-that-we-made-in-europe-in-the-last/) [Geert Wilders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geert-wilders/) > [I think it's something that the citizenry needs to be vigilant about - participating in democracy, and that includes issues like what's going on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-damon/i-think-it-s-something-that-the-citizenry-needs-to-be-vigilant-about/) [Matt Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-damon/) > [Here's an experiment: For one whole day think, speak, and act exactly as you would if you were absolutely convinced of the truth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmet-fox/here-s-an-experiment-for-one-whole-day-think-speak-and-act-exactly-as/) [Emmet Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmet-fox/) > [America is the land of opportunity. We need to be vigilant in ensuring that each and every American has the opportunity to acquire the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/america-is-the-land-of-opportunity-we-need-to-be-vigilant-in-ensuring/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [Abuse of power isn't limited to bad guys in other nations. It happens in our own country if we're not vigilant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/abuse-of-power-isn-t-limited-to-bad-guys-in-other-nations-it-happens/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) Browse all 217 Vigilant quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Nisi Dominus custodierit domum, in vanum vigilant qui custodiunt eam,\" Unless the Lord guard the house, in vain do they watch who guard it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Victor Hugo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/nisi-dominus-custodierit-domum-in-vanum-vigilant-qui-custodiunt-eam/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Vigilant" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/nisi-dominus-custodierit-domum-in-vanum-vigilant-qui-custodiunt-eam/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/victor-hugo-32_vigilant_nisi-dominus-custodierit-domum-in-vanum_33296.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/victor-hugo-32_vigilant_nisi-dominus-custodierit-domum-in-vanum_33296.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/victor-hugo-32_vigilant_nisi-dominus-custodierit-domum-in-vanum_33296.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nisi Dominus custodierit domum, in vanum vigilant qui custodiunt eam,\" Unless the Lord guard the house, in…” — Victor Hugo", "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": "Victor Hugo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Nisi Dominus custodierit domum, in vanum...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/nisi-dominus-custodierit-domum-in-vanum-vigilant-qui-custodiunt-eam/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/nisi-dominus-custodierit-domum-in-vanum-vigilant-qui-custodiunt-eam/#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 } } ] } ```