Does the Bible Say “charity Begins at Home”?

By Staff WriterLast Updated April 11, 2020

“Charity begins at home” is not from the Bible. According to Bible or Not, the saying “charity begins at home” is most often referenced as being said in 1642 by Sir Thomas Browne, an English theologian, physician and writer.

However, John Wycliffe is also credited for making a similar statement in 1383, as is Charles Dickens for a comment he made in 1844. Bible or Not goes on to say that while the phrase “charity begins at home” is not a biblical scripture, the concept could easily have come from 1 Timothy 5:4, where Paul tells Timothy to make sure the widows are taken care of by their own families first, before calling on the church.