--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Bethink yourselves whether it is…" description: "\"“Bethink yourselves whether it is righteous to obey man more than God,”\" — Leo Tolstoy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd3/leo-tolstoy-55_obey_bethink-yourselves-whether-it-is-righteo_664223.png" --- # Bethink yourselves whether it is righteous to obey man… ![“Bethink yourselves whether it is righteous to obey man more than God,” quote by Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd3/leo-tolstoy-55_obey_bethink-yourselves-whether-it-is-righteo_664223.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd3/leo-tolstoy-55_obey_bethink-yourselves-whether-it-is-righteo_664223.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd3/leo-tolstoy-55_obey_bethink-yourselves-whether-it-is-righteo_664223.png) > ““Bethink yourselves whether it is righteous to obey man more than God,”” [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questions whether obeying humans outweighs divine obedience. **In simple terms:** Weigh human authority against God. Key Takeaway Consider moral hierarchy. Themes faith authority ethics Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - religious dilemmas - legal conflicts - personal conscience Key Concepts theology civil obedience Questions to Reflect On - What is more binding, law or conscience? - How to resolve conflicting loyalties? A Different Perspective Human law may conflict with personal belief. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Righteous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/righteous/) ## Related quotes > [One must obey the man whom the city sets up in power in small things and in justice and in its opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/one-must-obey-the-man-whom-the-city-sets-up-in-power-in-small-things/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“Obey,' like 'worship,' is a strong word. Her mother and father had told her so, and she believed them. They gave her life, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monique-truong/obey-like-worship-is-a-strong-word-her-mother-and-father-had-told-her/) [Monique Truong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monique-truong/) > [“Shall we obey man's law yet reject God's law?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/shall-we-obey-man-s-law-yet-reject-god-s-law/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“But now what? Why, now comes my master, takes me right away from my work, and my friends, and all I like, and grinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/but-now-what-why-now-comes-my-master-takes-me-right-away-from-my-work/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [Everywhere the flower of obedience is intelligence. Obey a man with cordial loyalty and you will understand him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/everywhere-the-flower-of-obedience-is-intelligence-obey-a-man-with/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [No obstacles are insurmountable when God commands and we obey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-obstacles-are-insurmountable-when-god-commands-and-we-obey/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Police in China can do whatever they want; after 81 days in arbitrary detention you clearly realise that they don't have to obey their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/police-in-china-can-do-whatever-they-want-after-81-days-in-arbitrary/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [“I could insist that somebody take me to her so I can obey her orders." "I think you might choke on that one, Zakath,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eddings/i-could-insist-that-somebody-take-me-to-her-so-i-can-obey-her-orders/) [David Eddings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eddings/) > [The little things, I can obey. But the big things - how we think, what we value - those you must choose yourself. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morrie-schwartz/the-little-things-i-can-obey-but-the-big-things-how-we-think-what-we/) [Morrie Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morrie-schwartz/) > [“It’s not the room that commands obedience. It’s not the props, or the décor. It’s not the fear of any piece of equipment that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-luke/it-s-not-the-room-that-commands-obedience-it-s-not-the-props-or-the-d/) [Jason Luke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-luke/) > [Laws are not masters but servants, and he rules them who obey them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/laws-are-not-masters-but-servants-and-he-rules-them-who-obey-them/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [“Every game has rules. Life’s a game that has its respective rules; obey the rules, win the game!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/every-game-has-rules-life-s-a-game-that-has-its-respective-rules-obey/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“God uses one whom others would have passed over without a second glance. The history of obedience to the Great Commission is full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-paterson/god-uses-one-whom-others-would-have-passed-over-without-a-second/) [Ross Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-paterson/) > [“9but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/9but-if-you-return-to-me-and-obey-my-commands-then-even-if-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If we deliberately choose to obey God, then He will tax the remotest star and the last grain of sand to assist us with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-we-deliberately-choose-to-obey-god-then-he-will-tax-the-remotest/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) ## More by Leo Tolstoy > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The only significance of life consists in helping to establish the kingdom of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-only-significance-of-life-consists-in-helping-to-establish-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Energy rests upon love; and come as it will, there's no forcing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/energy-rests-upon-love-and-come-as-it-will-there-s-no-forcing-it/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“If you only knew what those society women are, and women in general! My father is right. Selfish, vain, stupid, trivial in everything—that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/if-you-only-knew-what-those-society-women-are-and-women-in-general-my/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-evoke-in-oneself-a-feeling-one-has-once-experienced-and-having/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To speak of it would be giving importance to that which has none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-speak-of-it-would-be-giving-importance-to-that-which-has-none/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Once we're thrown off our habitual paths, we think all is lost, but it's only here that the new and the good begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/once-we-re-thrown-off-our-habitual-paths-we-think-all-is-lost-but-it/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“He knew she was there by the rapture and the terror that seized on his heart. She was standing talking to a lady at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-knew-she-was-there-by-the-rapture-and-the-terror-that-seized-on/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Rest, nature, books, music...such is my idea of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/rest-nature-books-music-such-is-my-idea-of-happiness/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“He was not to blame for being born with an irrepressible charachter and a mind some how constrained.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-was-not-to-blame-for-being-born-with-an-irrepressible-charachter/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I ask one thing only: I ask for the right to hope, to suffer as I do. But if even that cannot be, command…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-ask-one-thing-only-i-ask-for-the-right-to-hope-to-suffer-as-i-do/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The idea shared by many that life is a vale of tears is just as false as the idea shared by the great majority,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-idea-shared-by-many-that-life-is-a-vale-of-tears-is-just-as-false/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To say that a work of art is good, but incomprehensible to the majority of men, is the same as saying of some kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-say-that-a-work-of-art-is-good-but-incomprehensible-to-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [True life is lived when tiny changes occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/true-life-is-lived-when-tiny-changes-occur/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) [Explore all 1,754 Leo Tolstoy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## More Obey quotes > [“If we deliberately choose to obey God, then He will tax the remotest star and the last grain of sand to assist us with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-we-deliberately-choose-to-obey-god-then-he-will-tax-the-remotest/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“9but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/9but-if-you-return-to-me-and-obey-my-commands-then-even-if-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God uses one whom others would have passed over without a second glance. The history of obedience to the Great Commission is full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-paterson/god-uses-one-whom-others-would-have-passed-over-without-a-second/) [Ross Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-paterson/) > [“Every game has rules. Life’s a game that has its respective rules; obey the rules, win the game!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/every-game-has-rules-life-s-a-game-that-has-its-respective-rules-obey/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Laws are not masters but servants, and he rules them who obey them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/laws-are-not-masters-but-servants-and-he-rules-them-who-obey-them/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [“It’s not the room that commands obedience. It’s not the props, or the décor. It’s not the fear of any piece of equipment that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-luke/it-s-not-the-room-that-commands-obedience-it-s-not-the-props-or-the-d/) [Jason Luke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-luke/) > [The little things, I can obey. But the big things - how we think, what we value - those you must choose yourself. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morrie-schwartz/the-little-things-i-can-obey-but-the-big-things-how-we-think-what-we/) [Morrie Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morrie-schwartz/) > [“I could insist that somebody take me to her so I can obey her orders." "I think you might choke on that one, Zakath,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eddings/i-could-insist-that-somebody-take-me-to-her-so-i-can-obey-her-orders/) [David Eddings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eddings/) > [Police in China can do whatever they want; after 81 days in arbitrary detention you clearly realise that they don't have to obey their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/police-in-china-can-do-whatever-they-want-after-81-days-in-arbitrary/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [No obstacles are insurmountable when God commands and we obey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-obstacles-are-insurmountable-when-god-commands-and-we-obey/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Knowledge is not necessary for obedience, nor doth information replace faith. El hast commanded. We shall obey”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donovan-m-neal/knowledge-is-not-necessary-for-obedience-nor-doth-information-replace/) Donovan M. Neal > [The surest source of destruction to men is to obey themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/the-surest-source-of-destruction-to-men-is-to-obey-themselves/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Woman's great mission is to train immature, weak and ignorant creatures to obey the laws of God; the physical, the intellectual, the social and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catharine-beecher/woman-s-great-mission-is-to-train-immature-weak-and-ignorant/) [Catharine Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catharine-beecher/) > [All reform aims, in some one particular, to let the soul have its way through us; in other words, to engage us to obey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/all-reform-aims-in-some-one-particular-to-let-the-soul-have-its-way/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“It is worth asking ourselves: Where am I saying “I can’t” but God is saying “You won’t”? Israel’s failure to obey was based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/it-is-worth-asking-ourselves-where-am-i-saying-i-can-t-but-god-is/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) Browse all 512 Obey quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Bethink yourselves whether it is righteous to obey man more than God,”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leo Tolstoy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/bethink-yourselves-whether-it-is-righteous-to-obey-man-more-than-god/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Obey" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/bethink-yourselves-whether-it-is-righteous-to-obey-man-more-than-god/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd3/leo-tolstoy-55_obey_bethink-yourselves-whether-it-is-righteo_664223.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd3/leo-tolstoy-55_obey_bethink-yourselves-whether-it-is-righteo_664223.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd3/leo-tolstoy-55_obey_bethink-yourselves-whether-it-is-righteo_664223.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Bethink yourselves whether it is righteous to obey man more than God,” — Leo Tolstoy", "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": "Leo Tolstoy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Bethink yourselves whether it is righteous...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/bethink-yourselves-whether-it-is-righteous-to-obey-man-more-than-god/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/bethink-yourselves-whether-it-is-righteous-to-obey-man-more-than-god/#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 } } ] } ```