Quotation su Ecclesiaste 10:4

The sentence turns on the homonym in Hebrew between the word "to leave" and "to be gentle". Hence the phrase could be understood as, "When the government arises against you, do not leave your place, for gentleness cures great wrongs." Alternatively, it could be, "Do not leave your place, since the cure makes even great wrongs depart." Perhaps what is essential is the ambiguity itself in this phrase, since we are often unable to discern surely whether gentleness and passivity is to be preferred or actively getting out of the situation.