God approved of
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
It was thus that Joseph became the husband of Mary. In Florence is a picture in which the rejected suitors break their sticks on Joseph's back.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “God approved of” mean?
It was thus that Joseph became the husband of Mary. In Florence is a picture in which the rejected suitors break their sticks on Joseph's back.
Is “God approved of” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.