he that runs may read
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The Bible quotation in Hob. ii, 2, is, "Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
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 “he that runs may read” mean?
The Bible quotation in Hob. ii, 2, is, "Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
Is “he that runs may read” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.