diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-glue-alpha/lib/database.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-glue-alpha/lib/database.ts
index c78e6fcaa5ea8..6b208b3fdfecd 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-glue-alpha/lib/database.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-glue-alpha/lib/database.ts
@@ -145,12 +145,12 @@ export class Database extends Resource implements IDatabase {
 
 function validateLocationUri(locationUri: string): void {
   if (locationUri.length < 1 || locationUri.length > 1024) {
-    throw new Error(`locationUri length must be (inclusively) between 1 and 1024, but was ${locationUri.length}`);
+    throw new Error(`locationUri length must be (inclusively) between 1 and 1024, got ${locationUri.length}`);
   }
 }
 
 function validateDescription(description: string): void {
   if (description.length > 2048) {
-    throw new Error(`description length must be less than or equal to 2048, but was ${description.length}`);
+    throw new Error(`description length must be less than or equal to 2048, got ${description.length}`);
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-glue-alpha/test/database.test.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-glue-alpha/test/database.test.ts
index 7f73fb9a1f276..2379c07071808 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-glue-alpha/test/database.test.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-glue-alpha/test/database.test.ts
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ test('locationUri length must be <= 1024', () => {
     new glue.Database(stack, 'Database', {
       locationUri: 'a'.repeat(1025),
     }),
-  ).toThrow();
+  ).toThrow('locationUri length must be (inclusively) between 1 and 1024, got 1025');
 });
 
 test('description length must be <= 2048', () => {
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ test('description length must be <= 2048', () => {
     new glue.Database(stack, 'Database', {
       description: 'a'.repeat(2049),
     }),
-  ).toThrow();
+  ).toThrow('description length must be less than or equal to 2048, got 2049');
 });
 
 test('can specify a physical name', () => {