Salomon saith, There is no new thing upon the earth. So that as Plato had an imagination, that all knowledge was but remembrance; so Salomon giveth his sentence, that all novelty is but oblivion.
Francis BaconRead
The pencil of the Holy Ghost hath labored more in describing the afflictions of Job than the felicities of Solomon.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that the struggles faced by Job are more profoundly captured in scripture than the joys experienced by Solomon.
Francis Bacon highlights the idea that the severity of human suffering, as illustrated by the story of Job, is more significant and deeply explored in religious texts than the happiness of individuals like Solomon. This reflects a philosophical perspective that values the lessons learned from adversity over those gained from prosperity.
Themes
SufferingAfflictionWisdomJobSolomonReligion
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon discussing the importance of resilience, one might quote this to emphasize that struggles lead to greater wisdom.
More from Francis Bacon
All quotes →Nothing doth more hurt in a state than that cunning men pass for wise.
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Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion.
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Great art is always a way of concentrating, reinventing what is called fact, what we know of our existence- a reconcentration… tearing away the veils, the attitudes people acquire of their time and earlier time. Really good artists tear down those veils
Francis BaconRead
Wise men make more opportunities than they find.
Francis BaconRead
Knowledge and human power are synonymous.
Francis BaconRead
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