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  What it means

  “He who fights by the sword dies by the sword.” Those who use violence or aggression as their means will ultimately be destroyed by the same. Actions have consequences that come back around.

  English equivalent

  Live by the sword, die by the sword.

  Vocabulary

  • miecz — sword
  • wojować — to wage war, to fight
  • ginąć — to die, to perish

  Grammar note

  'Mieczem' and 'od miecza' both involve 'miecz': the first is instrumental (means of action), the second is genitive after 'od' (cause/agent).

  Cultural context

  A Polish rendering of the biblical saying (Matthew 26:52), widely known across cultures.

  Intermediate

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