--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Lincoln was not an intellectual, but no…" description: "\"Lincoln was not an intellectual, but no one in 200 years understood the language of the King James Bible or learned Blackstone's Laws of England, or Ci..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/michael-ignatieff-3146_better_lincoln-was-not-an-intellectual-but-no-o_698841.jpg" --- # Lincoln was not an intellectual, but no one in 200 years… ![“Lincoln was not an intellectual, but no one in 200 years understood the language of the King James Bible or learned Blackstone's Laws of England, or Cicero, or the language of the Founding Fathers, better than he did.” quote by Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/michael-ignatieff-3146_better_lincoln-was-not-an-intellectual-but-no-o_698841.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/michael-ignatieff-3146_better_lincoln-was-not-an-intellectual-but-no-o_698841.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/michael-ignatieff-3146_better_lincoln-was-not-an-intellectual-but-no-o_698841.jpg) > “Lincoln was not an intellectual, but no one in 200 years understood the language of the King James Bible or learned Blackstone's Laws of England, or Cicero, or the language of the Founding Fathers, better than he did.” [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lincoln possessed unparalleled mastery of classical legal and biblical language, surpassing most contemporaries over two centuries. **In simple terms:** Lincoln deeply understood classic legal and biblical language. Key Takeaway Study classic texts to deepen insight. Themes history law literature leadership education Mood reflective analytical Type historical educational inspirational When to use this quote - Legal education - historical research - public speaking - policy analysis Key Concepts Classical rhetoric legal scholarship biblical literacy Questions to Reflect On - How does deep historical knowledge affect modern leadership? - Can expertise in old texts hinder contemporary relevance? A Different Perspective His breadth may overlook modern perspectives and practical governance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [England](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/england/) [Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fathers/) [Founding fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founding-fathers/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king/) [King james bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king-james-bible/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [It is not that fathers are better or worse, not that they are more loved or criticized, but rather that they are viewed with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/it-is-not-that-fathers-are-better-or-worse-not-that-they-are-more/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [We learn from our fathers so that we can be better than them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arron-retsehcnam/we-learn-from-our-fathers-so-that-we-can-be-better-than-them/) Arron Retsehcnam > [To be as good as our fathers, we must be better. Imitation is not discipleship. When some one sent a cracked plate to China…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/to-be-as-good-as-our-fathers-we-must-be-better-imitation-is-not-2/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [To be as good as our fathers we must be better, imitation is not discipleship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/to-be-as-good-as-our-fathers-we-must-be-better-imitation-is-not/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [I have always said that a studious perusal of the sacred volume will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-have-always-said-that-a-studious-perusal-of-the-sacred-volume-will/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ “t's \[King James Bible\] subject is majesty, not tyranny, and it's political purpose was unifying and enfolding, to elide the kingliness of God with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-nicolson/t-s-king-james-bible-subject-is-majesty-not-tyranny-and-it-s/) [Adam Nicolson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-nicolson/) > [Oh, mercy. If it catches you in the wrong frame of mind, the King James Bible can make you want to drink poison in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/oh-mercy-if-it-catches-you-in-the-wrong-frame-of-mind-the-king-james/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-god-saw-that-the-wickedness-of-man-was-great-in-the-earth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah/thou-wilt-keep-him-in-perfect-peace-whose-mind-is-stayed-on-thee/) [Isaiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah/) > [“My parents placed a high value on reading, starting with the King James Bible, and one whole wall of our living room was filled,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-erickson/my-parents-placed-a-high-value-on-reading-starting-with-the-king/) [John R. Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-erickson/) > [“The third oddity was the surface on which Lawrence was doing his own succussion. It was a huge, black leather-bound King James Bible. Having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-brooks/the-third-oddity-was-the-surface-on-which-lawrence-was-doing-his-own/) [Michael Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-brooks/) > [Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/be-strong-and-of-good-courage-be-not-afraid-neither-be-thou-dismayed/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“As the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the monarch is the defender of the faith—the official religion of the country, established by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-bedell-smith/as-the-supreme-governor-of-the-church-of-england-the-monarch-is-the/) [Sally Bedell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-bedell-smith/) > [“The image titled “The Homeless, Psalm 85:10,” featured on the cover of ELEMENTAL, can evoke multiple levels of response. They may include the spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/the-image-titled-the-homeless-psalm-85-10-featured-on-the-cover-of/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [In any long string of letters, one can find countless anomalies that will seem like convincing proofs of hidden meaning to the mind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/in-any-long-string-of-letters-one-can-find-countless-anomalies-that/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) ## More by Michael Ignatieff > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [What really matters is getting new people in. The constitutional changes matter, but the thing that the party mustn't do is turn in on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/what-really-matters-is-getting-new-people-in-the-constitutional/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [The medium's gaze is brief, intense, and promiscuous. The shelf life of the moral causes it makes its own is brutally short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-medium-s-gaze-is-brief-intense-and-promiscuous-the-shelf-life-of/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Those with a gift for action, for their part, often express contempt for those whose gifts are more reflective. Men of action like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/those-with-a-gift-for-action-for-their-part-often-express-contempt/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [There are lots of nations in the world or national peoples who don't yet have states. They're inside someone else's state and they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/there-are-lots-of-nations-in-the-world-or-national-peoples-who-don-t/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [There's a civic nationalism in Britain and dozens of other countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/there-s-a-civic-nationalism-in-britain-and-dozens-of-other-countries/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Affirming belief that America is an exceptional nation has become a test of patriotism in American politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/affirming-belief-that-america-is-an-exceptional-nation-has-become-a/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Both Iraq and Syria are a fissile mixture of ethnicities and religions thrown together after Versailles by departing French and British imperialists and only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/both-iraq-and-syria-are-a-fissile-mixture-of-ethnicities-and/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [The legitimacy of coercive acts in a democracy arises from the process by which they are justified and by the degree to which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-legitimacy-of-coercive-acts-in-a-democracy-arises-from-the/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Some of our finest leaders were not intellectuals at all, and I admire them enormously because they weren't. Harry Truman wasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/some-of-our-finest-leaders-were-not-intellectuals-at-all-and-i-admire/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [If you get the access to see history happen, do you understand the history when it does happen? And the answer to that question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/if-you-get-the-access-to-see-history-happen-do-you-understand-the/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [I have been a journalist, off and on, since I was 17. I was a copy boy for the 'New York Times,' when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/i-have-been-a-journalist-off-and-on-since-i-was-17-i-was-a-copy-boy/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [In academic life, false ideas are merely false, and useless ones can be fun to play with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/in-academic-life-false-ideas-are-merely-false-and-useless-ones-can-be/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Liberal democracy has endured because its institutions are designed for handling morally hazardous forms of coercive power. It puts the question of how far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/liberal-democracy-has-endured-because-its-institutions-are-designed/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [An intellectual may be interested in ideas and policies for their own sake, but a politician's interest is exclusively in the question of whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/an-intellectual-may-be-interested-in-ideas-and-policies-for-their-own/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) [Explore all 138 Michael Ignatieff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) ## More Better quotes > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. I would get to my choir class,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fonsi/everybody-has-their-cliques-and-i-was-very-shy-i-m-still-very-shy/) [Luis Fonsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fonsi/) > [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [The Little you Give !! The Better it Gets !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-stanyer/the-little-you-give-the-better-it-gets/) [Mario Stanyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-stanyer/) > [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [In my first 100 days as Ontario's Minister of Transportation, I found a willing municipal partner in the City of Toronto that shares our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-mulroney/in-my-first-100-days-as-ontario-s-minister-of-transportation-i-found/) [Caroline Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-mulroney/) > [It hasn't been a conscious thing, like, 'I don't want to listen to a bunch of dudes,' but I genuinely like music by women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soccer-mommy/it-hasn-t-been-a-conscious-thing-like-i-don-t-want-to-listen-to-a/) [Soccer Mommy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soccer-mommy/) > [Life is going to hit you some line drives, and sometimes you'll have to think fast. However, it's better to think first than to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/life-is-going-to-hit-you-some-line-drives-and-sometimes-you-ll-have/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [I like to collaborate with other people for studio recordings because I believe collaboration, in any form, makes music better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-like-to-collaborate-with-other-people-for-studio-recordings-because/) [Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [Not having drops and not taking plays off, if I do that it will make everyone around me better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demaryius-thomas/not-having-drops-and-not-taking-plays-off-if-i-do-that-it-will-make/) [Demaryius Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demaryius-thomas/) > [Cara Delevingne and I took an eyebrow selfie. We both have prominent eyebrows, but hers are much better than mine. Maybe we should do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/cara-delevingne-and-i-took-an-eyebrow-selfie-we-both-have-prominent/) [Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/) > [I never really look at it past one year. I look at last year and my whole goal is to be a better player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/i-never-really-look-at-it-past-one-year-i-look-at-last-year-and-my/) [Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/) Browse all 17,085 Better quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Lincoln was not an intellectual, but no one in 200 years understood the language of the King James Bible or learned Blackstone's Laws of England, or Cicero, or the language of the Founding Fathers, better than he did.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Ignatieff" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/lincoln-was-not-an-intellectual-but-no-one-in-200-years-understood/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Better" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/lincoln-was-not-an-intellectual-but-no-one-in-200-years-understood/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/michael-ignatieff-3146_better_lincoln-was-not-an-intellectual-but-no-o_698841.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/michael-ignatieff-3146_better_lincoln-was-not-an-intellectual-but-no-o_698841.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/michael-ignatieff-3146_better_lincoln-was-not-an-intellectual-but-no-o_698841.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Lincoln was not an intellectual, but no one in 200 years understood the language of the King James Bible or…” — Michael Ignatieff", "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": "Michael Ignatieff", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Lincoln was not an intellectual, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/lincoln-was-not-an-intellectual-but-no-one-in-200-years-understood/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/lincoln-was-not-an-intellectual-but-no-one-in-200-years-understood/#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 } } ] } ```