beat one's swords into ploughshares

beat one's swords into ploughshares

English

Alternative forms

• beat one's swords into plowshares

Etymology

From Isaiah 2:4 of the Bible

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Verb

beat one's swords into ploughshares (third-person singular simple present beats one's swords into ploughshares, present participle beating one's swords into ploughshares, simple past beat one's swords into ploughshares, past participle beaten one's swords into ploughshares or beat one's swords into ploughshares)

1. (idiomatic) To refrain from doing aggressive activities (ie: war, terrorism, etc.) and to do peaceful ones.
   • August 24, 2017, With careful tendering, Azim will fructify, in NewsDay (Zimbabwe)

     Since 1987, Mugabe has been the President of the country. Here is a man, who, at independence, made us believe that we had beaten our swords into ploughshares and our spears into pruning hooks only to torment Joshua Nkomo and his Zapu, as well as innocent civilians.

2. (literally) To create a peaceful civilian instrument from military technologies.

Usage notes

Usually accompanied with "and one's spears into pruning hooks"