--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People take things too literal in the…" description: "\"People take things too literal in the Bible and it's totally wrong.\" — Benjamin Clementine" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/benjamin-clementine-5044_bible_people-take-things-too-literal-in-the-bi_2872315.jpg" --- # People take things too literal in the Bible and it's… ![“People take things too literal in the Bible and it's totally wrong.” quote by Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/benjamin-clementine-5044_bible_people-take-things-too-literal-in-the-bi_2872315.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/benjamin-clementine-5044_bible_people-take-things-too-literal-in-the-bi_2872315.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/benjamin-clementine-5044_bible_people-take-things-too-literal-in-the-bi_2872315.jpg) > “People take things too literal in the Bible and it's totally wrong.” [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Literal biblical interpretation is flawed; deeper understanding is needed beyond surface reading. **In simple terms:** Don't take the Bible only literally. Key Takeaway Seek deeper meaning in scripture. Themes religion interpretation critical thinking Mood thoughtful critical Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - theology studies - book clubs - personal study Key Concepts exegesis context metaphor Questions to Reflect On - How does literal reading affect faith? - What deeper meanings can you find? A Different Perspective Literalism can ignore cultural context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [Because of their excessive commitment to a literal Bible, fundamentalist Christians have fallen into the trap of biblioltry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-white/because-of-their-excessive-commitment-to-a-literal-bible/) [Mel White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-white/) > [I think it is totally wrong and terribly harmful if education is defined as acquiring knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/i-think-it-is-totally-wrong-and-terribly-harmful-if-education-is/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [We have what is happening as a result of the current administration in our country, which I think has taken us in a totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/we-have-what-is-happening-as-a-result-of-the-current-administration/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [Whoever thought that we couldn't last are totally wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whoever-thought-that-we-couldn-t-last-are-totally-wrong/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't have a lot of experiences like this where every time I thought I had a good idea it was totally wrong. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/i-don-t-have-a-lot-of-experiences-like-this-where-every-time-i/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [“There were two problems with this idea. First, it led to crappy “virtual reality” movies like Virtuosity and The Lawnmower Man. And second, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/there-were-two-problems-with-this-idea-first-it-led-to-crappy-virtual/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [I started to see that my concept of spirituality was totally wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauryn-hill/i-started-to-see-that-my-concept-of-spirituality-was-totally-wrong/) [Lauryn Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauryn-hill/) > [The planning laws are totally wrong, they violate the liberty and freedom of the people and put grass and turf before human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-fowler/the-planning-laws-are-totally-wrong-they-violate-the-liberty-and/) [Steve Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-fowler/) > [It's like there's a filter set up in my brain, except instead of making things better, it twists everything around so what comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-s-like-there-s-a-filter-set-up-in-my-brain-except-instead-of/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [After all, to get the whole universe totally wrong in the face of clear evidence for over 75 years merits monumental embarrassment and should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/halton-arp/after-all-to-get-the-whole-universe-totally-wrong-in-the-face-of/) [Halton Arp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/halton-arp/) > [People often say that if you have to work hard at a marriage, then it's not naturally good, but I think that's totally wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-lancaster/people-often-say-that-if-you-have-to-work-hard-at-a-marriage-then-it/) [Penny Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-lancaster/) > [Society tells you that you can't be smart and sexy, and that's totally wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keeley-hazell/society-tells-you-that-you-can-t-be-smart-and-sexy-and-that-s-totally/) [Keeley Hazell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keeley-hazell/) > [The complicated thing about friends is that sometimes they are totally wrong about us and sometimes they are totally right and it's almost always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/the-complicated-thing-about-friends-is-that-sometimes-they-are/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [The problem is that everybody thinks I play the way I've always played, and that's totally wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-de-boer/the-problem-is-that-everybody-thinks-i-play-the-way-i-ve-always/) [Frank de Boer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-de-boer/) > [If Macintosh hadn't been successful, then I should have just thrown in the towel, because my vision of the whole industry would have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/if-macintosh-hadn-t-been-successful-then-i-should-have-just-thrown-in/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More by Benjamin Clementine > [Life is life. You have to learn how to forgive people and how to gain forgiveness for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/life-is-life-you-have-to-learn-how-to-forgive-people-and-how-to-gain/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [I think it is all about creating characters, mixing them up with the stars and the light-years, and coming back to Earth, because we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/i-think-it-is-all-about-creating-characters-mixing-them-up-with-the/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [I was very rebellious, but my family was strict Christians - they would ask us, "What's the shortest verse in the Bible?" and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/i-was-very-rebellious-but-my-family-was-strict-christians-they-would/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [Where you're from shapes you, but you can actually do whatever you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/where-you-re-from-shapes-you-but-you-can-actually-do-whatever-you-want/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [I know that New York is big - there are huge buildings - but, in fact, it's quite small and contained... I like it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/i-know-that-new-york-is-big-there-are-huge-buildings-but-in-fact-it-s/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [There's a part in every person that has a fake self. We've had this since infancy due to our parents and our upbringing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/there-s-a-part-in-every-person-that-has-a-fake-self-we-ve-had-this/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [The real self is who you are when you're at home, when you're comfortable, and the false self is what you're pretending - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/the-real-self-is-who-you-are-when-you-re-at-home-when-you-re/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [With this sort of career, you need determination. You've got to sacrifice a lot of things: family, friends - not that I had any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/with-this-sort-of-career-you-need-determination-you-ve-got-to/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [I do music to tell people my thoughts and opinions about life, emotions, politics, everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/i-do-music-to-tell-people-my-thoughts-and-opinions-about-life/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [Music isn't a competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/music-isn-t-a-competition/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [I dedicate all my time to music. And I'm glad that it's paying off in some ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/i-dedicate-all-my-time-to-music-and-i-m-glad-that-it-s-paying-off-in/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [I wanted to find people who were like me, and I did, in the people I was reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/i-wanted-to-find-people-who-were-like-me-and-i-did-in-the-people-i/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [In this life, I've learned to be patient. And I'm still learning... Even now, I wish things would go quicker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/in-this-life-i-ve-learned-to-be-patient-and-i-m-still-learning-even/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [I started writing music in a French way: more focused on lyrics than melody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/i-started-writing-music-in-a-french-way-more-focused-on-lyrics-than/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) > [I never thought I'd say this, but to any child listening, the world is your oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/i-never-thought-i-d-say-this-but-to-any-child-listening-the-world-is/) [Benjamin Clementine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) [Explore all 104 Benjamin Clementine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/) ## More Bible quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) Michael Arnold > [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/) [Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/) > [“Scripture also teaches that human beings are morally responsible creatures”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-peterson/scripture-also-teaches-that-human-beings-are-morally-responsible/) Robert A. Peterson > [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/) Stephen Taylor > [O Word of God incarnate . . . It is the golden casket Where gems of truth are stored; It is the heaven-drawn picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsham-how/o-word-of-god-incarnate-it-is-the-golden-casket-where-gems-of-truth/) Walsham How > [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [Where I come from you're not raised to think on your own. It's not that you're pushed to read the Bible. The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) [Browse all 8,465 Bible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People take things too literal in the Bible and it's totally wrong.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Benjamin Clementine" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/people-take-things-too-literal-in-the-bible-and-it-s-totally-wrong/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bible" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/people-take-things-too-literal-in-the-bible-and-it-s-totally-wrong/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/benjamin-clementine-5044_bible_people-take-things-too-literal-in-the-bi_2872315.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/benjamin-clementine-5044_bible_people-take-things-too-literal-in-the-bi_2872315.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f7/benjamin-clementine-5044_bible_people-take-things-too-literal-in-the-bi_2872315.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People take things too literal in the Bible and it's totally wrong.” — Benjamin Clementine", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Benjamin Clementine", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-clementine/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People take things too literal in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/people-take-things-too-literal-in-the-bible-and-it-s-totally-wrong/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-clementine/people-take-things-too-literal-in-the-bible-and-it-s-totally-wrong/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```