Meaning

He will give the Devil his due

The meaning of the phrase

Literally, pay the devil what you owe him. Used figuratively to mean 'give back what you owe', either money or favours.

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay

What’s the origin of the phrase ‘He will give the Devil his due’?

From Shakespeare’s Henry V Part 1, 1597:

ORLÉANS: And I will take up that with “Give the devil his due.”

The expression is referred to in the play as a proverb and so it is likely that Shakespeare was repeating it rather than coining it.

Historical trend

“give the Devil his due” in printed material over time

Source: Google Books Ngrams (1800–2020).

180018201840186018801900192019401960198020002020
  • give the Devil his due

Sources

  1. William Shakespeare, Henry V Part 1 (1597) · play title as the page gives it; treated there as a proverb Shakespeare repeated