--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If thy debtor be honest and capable, thou…" description: "\"If thy debtor be honest and capable, thou hast thy money again, if not with increase, with praise; if he prove insolvent, don't ruin him to get that wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25d/william-penn-1104_art_if-thy-debtor-be-honest-and-capable-thou_1139810.png" --- # If thy debtor be honest and capable, thou hast thy money… ![“If thy debtor be honest and capable, thou hast thy money again, if not with increase, with praise; if he prove insolvent, don't ruin him to get that which it will not ruin thee to lose, for thou art but a steward.” quote by William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25d/william-penn-1104_art_if-thy-debtor-be-honest-and-capable-thou_1139810.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25d/william-penn-1104_art_if-thy-debtor-be-honest-and-capable-thou_1139810.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25d/william-penn-1104_art_if-thy-debtor-be-honest-and-capable-thou_1139810.png) > “If thy debtor be honest and capable, thou hast thy money again, if not with increase, with praise; if he prove insolvent, don't ruin him to get that which it will not ruin thee to lose, for thou art but a steward.” [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Treating debtors fairly benefits both parties and preserves moral integrity. **In simple terms:** Fair treatment of debtors protects relationships. Key Takeaway Be just, not vengeful. Themes justice ethics stewardship economics Mood thoughtful balanced Type ethical practical When to use this quote - business negotiations - personal loans - financial counseling - community lending Key Concepts moral philosophy reciprocity risk management Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance fairness with protecting your own interests? - What safeguards prevent exploitation while showing mercy? A Different Perspective Overly lenient policies may enable repeated defaults. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Being honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-honest/) [Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Debtor Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debtor-honest-3171794/) [Debtors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debtors/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Honest Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest-capable-3171798/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Increase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/increase/) [Loses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loses/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praise/) [Prove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prove/) [Prove Insolvent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prove-insolvent-3171796/) [Ruins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruins/) [Stewards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stewards/) [Thee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thee/) [Thou art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thou-art/) [Thy Debtor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thy-debtor-3171795/) [Thy Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thy-money-3171797/) ## Related quotes > [“ACT8.20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/act8-20-but-peter-said-unto-him-thy-money-perish-with-thee-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If thou be rich, strive to command thy money, lest it command thee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/if-thou-be-rich-strive-to-command-thy-money-lest-it-command-thee/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Thy money perish with thee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/thy-money-perish-with-thee/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [Grace finds us beggars but leaves us debtors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-toplady/grace-finds-us-beggars-but-leaves-us-debtors/) [Augustus Toplady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-toplady/) > [A father who is a chronic debtor, an adulterous mother, a beautiful wife, and an unlearned son are enemies in one's own home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/a-father-who-is-a-chronic-debtor-an-adulterous-mother-a-beautiful/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [Not everyone is a debtor who wishes to be; not everyone who wishes makes creditors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/not-everyone-is-a-debtor-who-wishes-to-be-not-everyone-who-wishes/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [Were a stranger to drop on a sudden into this world, I would show him, as a specimen of its ills, a hospital full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/were-a-stranger-to-drop-on-a-sudden-into-this-world-i-would-show-him/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [We are debtors to every man to give him the gospel in the same measure in which we have received it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-debtors-to-every-man-to-give-him-the-gospel-in-the-same/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You really struggle to be a successful empire if you are also the world's biggest debtor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niall-ferguson/you-really-struggle-to-be-a-successful-empire-if-you-are-also-the/) [Niall Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niall-ferguson/) > [“IMF is really designed to protect creditors not debtors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/imf-is-really-designed-to-protect-creditors-not-debtors/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [The aim of New Deals is to exterminate the class of creditors and thrust all men into that of debtors. It is like trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-aim-of-new-deals-is-to-exterminate-the-class-of-creditors-and/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Ah, fortune and fame shall follow me ... and I shall dwell in the world of the chosen for a few moments of fleeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/ah-fortune-and-fame-shall-follow-me-and-i-shall-dwell-in-the-world-of/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [The creditor whose appearance gladdens the heart of a debtor may hold his head in sunbeams and his foot on storms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/the-creditor-whose-appearance-gladdens-the-heart-of-a-debtor-may-hold/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [The Bible says forgive your debtors; the world says "sue them for their dough."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/the-bible-says-forgive-your-debtors-the-world-says-sue-them-for-their/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) ## More by William Penn > [Love grows. Lust wastes by Enjoyment, and the Reason is, that one springs from an Union of Souls, and the other from an Union…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/love-grows-lust-wastes-by-enjoyment-and-the-reason-is-that-one/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Once you've accumulated sufficient knowledge to get by, you're too old to remember it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/once-you-ve-accumulated-sufficient-knowledge-to-get-by-you-re-too-old/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [If thou wouldn't conquer thy weakness thou must not gratify it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-thou-wouldn-t-conquer-thy-weakness-thou-must-not-gratify-it/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Religion is the fear of God, and its demonstration good works; and faith is the root of both: For without faith we cannot please…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/religion-is-the-fear-of-god-and-its-demonstration-good-works-and/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [All excess is ill; but drunkenness is of the worst sort. 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Those who will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-thou-wouldst-rule-well-thou-must-rule-for-god-and-to-do-that-thou/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals, step home within yourselves and be still. 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