--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is the purpose that makes strong the…" description: "\"It is the purpose that makes strong the vow; But vows to every purpose must not hold.\" — William Shakespeare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/william-shakespeare-4_promise_it-is-the-purpose-that-makes-strong-the_974787.jpg" --- # It is the purpose that makes strong the vow; But vows to… ![“It is the purpose that makes strong the vow; But vows to every purpose must not hold.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/william-shakespeare-4_promise_it-is-the-purpose-that-makes-strong-the_974787.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/william-shakespeare-4_promise_it-is-the-purpose-that-makes-strong-the_974787.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/william-shakespeare-4_promise_it-is-the-purpose-that-makes-strong-the_974787.jpg) > “It is the purpose that makes strong the vow; But vows to every purpose must not hold.” [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vow is powerful only when its purpose is clear; vague purposes make vows meaningless. **In simple terms:** Clear purpose gives vows strength. Key Takeaway Define purpose before committing. Themes commitment purpose vows Mood thoughtful serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal goals - relationship promises - legal oaths Key Concepts Intentionality philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What purpose drives your commitments? - How do you test a vow’s relevance? A Different Perspective Vows without purpose can become empty rituals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Purpose Hold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose-hold-1897009/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Strong Vow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-vow-1897006/) [Vow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vow/) [Vow Vows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vow-vows-1897008/) [Vows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vows/) [Vows Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vows-purpose-1897007/) ## Related quotes > [A promise is a commitment to do something later, and a vow is a binding commitment to begin doing something now and to continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/a-promise-is-a-commitment-to-do-something-later-and-a-vow-is-a/) [Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/) > [“A dam doesn't try to reason with the water. Its main purpose is to hold it still for a while. When I lecture my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spuds-crawford/a-dam-doesn-t-try-to-reason-with-the-water-its-main-purpose-is-to/) [Spuds Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spuds-crawford/) > [I pray you, do not fall in love with me, for I am falser than vows made in wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-pray-you-do-not-fall-in-love-with-me-for-i-am-falser-than-vows-made/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I am falser than vows made in wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-am-falser-than-vows-made-in-wine/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I do know when the blood burns, how prodigal the soul lends the tongue vows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-do-know-when-the-blood-burns-how-prodigal-the-soul-lends-the-tongue/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you shall marry, You give away this hand, and this is mine; You give away heaven's vows, and those are mine; You give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/if-you-shall-marry-you-give-away-this-hand-and-this-is-mine-you-give/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I think you have to be willing to take a bullet for somebody if you're going to stand up there, take your vows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-shelton/i-think-you-have-to-be-willing-to-take-a-bullet-for-somebody-if-you/) [Blake Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-shelton/) > [Almost all of my many passionate interests, and my many changes of mind, came through books. 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All attempts at using vows, contracts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/it-is-merely-the-egoism-of-the-man-who-wants-to-bury-a-woman-like-a/) [Leopold von Sacher-Masoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/) ## More by William Shakespeare > [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/divers-philosophers-hold-that-the-lips-is-parcel-of-the-mouth/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-is-a-smoke-made-with-the-fume-of-sighs-being-purg-d-a-fire/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. 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And yet, I warrant, it had upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/yes-madam-yet-i-cannot-choose-but-laugh-to-think-it-should-leave/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-take-thee-at-thy-word-call-me-but-love-and-i-ll-be-new-baptized/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Explore all 5,604 William Shakespeare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More Promise quotes > [I could not limit my values and pursuits to what makes others comfortable. Being possessed by a promise I live without options. I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/i-could-not-limit-my-values-and-pursuits-to-what-makes-others/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [Today is a reality, tomorrow's a promise, and yesterday's history!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-blanks/today-is-a-reality-tomorrow-s-a-promise-and-yesterday-s-history/) [Billy Blanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-blanks/) > [I take the responsibility of playing another ethnicity very, very seriously, and I promise myself and those people that I will represent them with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-take-the-responsibility-of-playing-another-ethnicity-very-very/) [Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Because we live in a fallen world, we suffer. But those of us who know Jesus are never alone in the suffering, that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-turner-lee/because-we-live-in-a-fallen-world-we-suffer-but-those-of-us-who-know/) [Melissa Turner Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-turner-lee/) > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [A promise, a bond, a joy, a love for the ages, for the history books.…But what was love but pain?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-de-la-cruz/a-promise-a-bond-a-joy-a-love-for-the-ages-for-the-history-books-but/) [Melissa de la Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-de-la-cruz/) > [“I’d see this through to the end… This promise above all others, I will gladly keep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-shirvington/i-d-see-this-through-to-the-end-this-promise-above-all-others-i-will/) [Jessica Shirvington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-shirvington/) > [Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-is-the-abstract-of-the-past-but-beauty-is-the-promise-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you ponder the scriptures and begin to do what you covenanted with God to do, I can promise you that you will feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/if-you-ponder-the-scriptures-and-begin-to-do-what-you-covenanted-with/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [I promise myself that I will enjoy every minute of the day that is given me to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-promise-myself-that-i-will-enjoy-every-minute-of-the-day-that-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Many people expect, just as they did then, "those at the top" to make all their decisions for them: Please get us work, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wladyslaw-bartoszewski/many-people-expect-just-as-they-did-then-those-at-the-top-to-make-all/) [Wladyslaw Bartoszewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wladyslaw-bartoszewski/) > [PRomise DAy SPecial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/promise-day-special/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never threaten, because a threat is a promise to pay that it isn't always convenient to meet, but if you don't make it good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/never-threaten-because-a-threat-is-a-promise-to-pay-that-it-isn-t/) [George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/) [Browse all 5,486 Promise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is the purpose that makes strong the vow; But vows to every purpose must not hold.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Shakespeare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/it-is-the-purpose-that-makes-strong-the-vow-but-vows-to-every-purpose/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Promise" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/it-is-the-purpose-that-makes-strong-the-vow-but-vows-to-every-purpose/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/william-shakespeare-4_promise_it-is-the-purpose-that-makes-strong-the_974787.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/william-shakespeare-4_promise_it-is-the-purpose-that-makes-strong-the_974787.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/william-shakespeare-4_promise_it-is-the-purpose-that-makes-strong-the_974787.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is the purpose that makes strong the vow; But vows to every purpose must not hold.” — William Shakespeare", "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": "William Shakespeare", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is the purpose that makes...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/it-is-the-purpose-that-makes-strong-the-vow-but-vows-to-every-purpose/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/it-is-the-purpose-that-makes-strong-the-vow-but-vows-to-every-purpose/#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 } } ] } ```