The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb

[GettingTetchy]

Am I being unreasonable to say that ‘The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb’ is a recent invention that fits in with modern ideas.

YABU = this is the origin of ‘blood is thicker than water’

YANBU = ‘blood is thicker than water’ always meant family is more important than everyone else.

I’ve never heard that saying, only ‘blood is thicker than water’ meaning people put family first. Your version sounds like something from a scary cult!

I hadn’t heard it before Sunday either.

Huh? Non of mine were bloody at all

No. It means people you have chosen in life and who you have toiled and struggled alongside and who share the same values and life experiences are more important than family in you just happen to be related to.

@thatsjustthewayitisok Blood is thicker than water DOES mean family are more important than non family.

This is the modern interpretation of the saying.

What is 'water'?
Water is birth. It is amniotic fluid.

What is 'blood'?
It is toil and struggle

So those who you toil and struggle alongside are more important than those you just happen to be related to.

Example: your DH should put you before his family

I've always wondered when people thought 'blood is thicker than water' took blood to mean family what they thought water meant

But the idea that
”those who you toil and struggle alongside are more important than those you just happen to be related to.” Is a modern idea.

Omg, I wondered how long it would be until the mysogenistic trope was wheeled out.
Congratulations!

I thought it was a religious thing- the blood of the covenant ie, ones faith in the Church (blood comes from taking communion), is thicker than the water of the womb (symbolic of family in general, not just your mother)- basically your commitment to God is above your commitment to your worldly family.

Shown through Jesus allowing himself to be crucified for God, even though it caused pain to his mother and disciples.

That’s the use I’ve always know.

It’s a bit rich to tell up a bonkers origin story and then get all defensive when people subject it to serious analysis.

Serious analysis????? don't make me laugh

Yes. Serious analysis.
Mind you my objection isn’t so much that it’s misogynistic just that it’s bollocks.
If you’ve had this argument so often you think there are common tropes attached to it, what convinced you?

I agree with @Milange , it’s religious. That your brothers and sisters in Christ (or in Judaism) are your true family above all else, including your birth family.

There is a covenant between God and believer, and upholding that, being true to it, is more important than family concerns.

@GettingTetchy Hello!
The comment about misogyny (I clearly created my own spelling of this at first posting!) wasn't just in relation to this issue rather that it seems sometimes whatever the topic (drag, buying tomatoes), someone will call misogyny!

@GettingTetchy Your username is perfect - I am seething that you have it!

https://www.catholicvoice.org.au/blood-is-thicker-than-water/

https://tidings.org/articles/blood-is-thicker-than-water/

Im not a Catholic or Christadelphian- just thought people might be interested in this interpretation- it’s the one I’ve understood the phrase to mean.

You have phrased it better (and I love your username!).

Looking at Wikipedia, it seems pretty clear that 'Blood is thicker than water' about the strength of family ties, is the original saying, dating back many hundreds of years, and the other version was probably invented in the 1990s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_is_thicker_than_water
I can see the new version would appeal to people whose birth family has been a bit shit and who have found good friends, but it seems intended to be a religious saying. Rather sinister to me as it's the sort of line that could be used to encourage people to drop family and friends and join a cult or extreme religious sect.

Yes. This is what I was taught. Actually that it was about monks taking a vow, so that their monk brothers become their family and their natural family is left behind.

Thanks. 👌

Yes, me too.

It is an entire load of tripe to make those of us who have been abused by family members to believe blood is thicker than water when it clearly is not. You only have to look at the 'we took you to stately homes' threads to see that.

The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.

Interesting thread.

I have always taken the "blood" to mean family. Not necessarily real family but also very close friends or those who walk the same path as you, whether it's military or religious. Of course there is still a hierarchy within this blood family because (usually) a mother is higher up than a brother or cousin or grandparent. I thought water was just to give a feeling of difference through viscosity...yeah, didn't really think that part through 😂

EDIT - just to clarify, I hadn't heard of the full saying that's in the title.

Yes. I think water is just there as a contrast. It doesn’t really represent anything.
You are probably right that people occasionally say ‘blood is thicker than water’ to mean ‘that’s where my loyalty lies’ even if not referring to family. I have always heard it in a positive way to explain motivation rather than to goad someone else into their supposed duty.

My take on it is -
Blood is thicker than water but love is thicker than blood.