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There is a Hebrew expression explained here:

A common Hebrew expression is "Respect them and suspect them". We should always act in a respectful way towards others, but that doesn't obligate us to trust them with our property. The source of this is in a story of the Talmudic sage Rabbi Yehoshua. A complete stranger asked to stay the night. Rabbi Yehoshua obliged him by giving him a room in the attic, but also exercised prudence by removing the ladder so that the guest wouldn't be able to sneak out. The guest turned out in fact to be a thief; he wrapped all the valuables in the top floor in a cloak and tried to sneak out, but fell in the dark because of the missing ladder, and was caught red-handed. (http://www.aish.com/ci/be/48918612.html)

Do we have an expression in English to this effect?

The_Anomaly
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  • It's all very well to say the source was Rabbi Yehoshua....But WHICH Rabbi Yehoshua what was his full name, and what was the time period in which he composed it. – Edgar G. Sep 08 '19 at 22:51

5 Answers5

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In the US we often hear the phrase "Trust but verify", popularized by Ronald Reagan with respect to the Soviet Union.

Jim Mack
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'Speak softly and carry a big stick'. President Theodore Roosevelt.

WS2
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  • +1 This quote makes much more sense. – Pharap Aug 01 '14 at 08:30
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    I'm not seeing the relationship. The intended meaning of his quote was to avoid bullying people but always be prepared to use force. It wasn't really about trust; the phrase is compared to an older phrase "the iron fist in the velvet glove". Another way of interpreting it is to avoid the frequent threat of force but be prepared to use force when necessary. Neither interpretation really matches. – Aaronaught Aug 01 '14 at 19:32
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    'Speak softly and carry a big stick.' has nothing to do with respect with distrust. Rather it describes respect with threat. To put in terms of the OP's story, instead of quietly making it difficult/impossible for a thief to get away, the Rabbi would have openly hinted to the stranger what would happen to any thieves caught in the house, so the stranger would wisely choose not to attempt the theft in the first place. – Mr.Mindor Aug 01 '14 at 19:52
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"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none" -Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well

Brillig
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  • There's a similar saying from the 80s; "Love all, trust a few but always paddle your own canoe" – Ilythya Aug 01 '14 at 09:03
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'Trust in the Lord, but keep your powder dry.'--attributed to Oliver Cromwell addressing troops just prior to invasion of Ireland.

user3847
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    That's not quite the same--there's no implication that you put any trust in people, which is the crux of the first part of the saying. – Kyle Strand Jul 31 '14 at 21:56
  • The 'crux' of the Hebrew saying is not the 'respect' part' but the 'suspect' part. Cromwell's remark is most often shortened to read 'keep your powder dry' (save your resources until they are needed.' – user3847 Jul 31 '14 at 22:51
  • The "first part" of the Hebrew saying is the "respect" part. And the Hebrew saying has nothing to do with saving resources. – Kyle Strand Jul 31 '14 at 22:55
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    Too bad Cromwell didn't say to the troops: 'I know all you boys will treat the Irish army with respect and you'll try to get along with their soldiers, but if they should act up it might be a good idea to keep your powder dry, just in case they try to take a few pot-shots at you.' This version surely would satisfy you. – user3847 Jul 31 '14 at 23:02
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    Well, yeah, because that version would actually be somewhat similar to the Hebrew saying, which, again, you seem to be missing half of. – Kyle Strand Jul 31 '14 at 23:03
  • @user3847 Unfortunately you're changing the semantics via paraphrasing. Though I'll admit it's a brilliant quote. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Oliver's_Advice – Pharap Aug 01 '14 at 08:29
  • I have to draw a diagram. Cromwell's warning to his men: 'keep your powder dry' tells them to guard against complaisance and not to underestimate the Irish army. We can almost stretch this message to mean The Roundheads should bestow a kind of respect on their enemy. – user3847 Aug 03 '14 at 17:33
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“Trust is good, control is better” is another expression that conveys the meaning described:

  • the expression has been ascribed to V. I. Lenin, not our first choice among icons of liberty. However, these words seem to encapsulate the purported defence of our freedoms, by elected governments on both shores of the Atlantic.

Source:http://grahnlaw.blogspot.it/2010/02/trust-is-good-control-is-better-us-eu.html