Franklin links legal order with the basic material conditions of life. “Bread” stands for food, livelihood and economic security, while law represents the rules and institutions that protect property, agreements and social order. Without dependable laws, production and trade become harder because people have less confidence that what they earn, own or exchange will be protected.

The saying is deliberately compressed and does not mean that law alone guarantees prosperity or prevents hunger. Economic wellbeing also depends on resources, institutions, labour and wider circumstances. Franklin’s broader point is that stable legal arrangements provide part of the foundation on which economic activity depends. Where rules are absent or cannot be enforced, insecurity can disrupt work, exchange and the distribution of necessities. The proverb therefore presents the rule of law as a practical condition for sustained material security.