--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have now gone through the Bible, as a…" description: "\"“I have now gone through the Bible, as a man would go through a wood with an axe on his shoulder, and fell trees. Here they lie; and the priests, if th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/thomas-paine-267_bible_i-have-now-gone-through-the-bible-as-a-m_2127522.png" --- # I have now gone through the Bible, as a man would go… ![“I have now gone through the Bible, as a man would go through a wood with an axe on his shoulder, and fell trees. Here they lie; and the priests, if they can, may replant them. They may, perhaps, stick them in the ground, but they will never make them grow.” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/thomas-paine-267_bible_i-have-now-gone-through-the-bible-as-a-m_2127522.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/thomas-paine-267_bible_i-have-now-gone-through-the-bible-as-a-m_2127522.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/thomas-paine-267_bible_i-have-now-gone-through-the-bible-as-a-m_2127522.png) > ““I have now gone through the Bible, as a man would go through a wood with an axe on his shoulder, and fell trees. Here they lie; and the priests, if they can, may replant them. They may, perhaps, stick them in the ground, but they will never make them grow.”” [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The writer likens reading the Bible to chopping wood, suggesting that priests can replant but cannot make it grow. **In simple terms:** Reading the Bible is like cutting down trees; priests can replant but cannot make them flourish. Key Takeaway Understand that interpretation alone cannot revive a text. Themes interpretation religion limitations Mood critical contemplative Type philosophical skeptical When to use this quote - preaching - religious education - personal study Key Concepts theology textual analysis Questions to Reflect On - Can a text truly be revived through interpretation? - What role should priests play in guiding readers? A Different Perspective Interpretation may be limited by cultural context and personal bias. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Priests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priests/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) ## Related quotes > [“There now remain only a few books, which they call books of the lesser prophets; and as I have already shown that the greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/there-now-remain-only-a-few-books-which-they-call-books-of-the-lesser-2/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“Again and again, however we know the landscape of love and the little churchyard there, with its sorrowing names, and the frighteningly silent abyss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/again-and-again-however-we-know-the-landscape-of-love-and-the-little/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [“Outside, across the putrid moat and under the dark mute trees, I would often lie and dream for hours about what I read in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-3/outside-across-the-putrid-moat-and-under-the-dark-mute-trees-i-would/) H.P Lovecraft > [“Your generation is suffering from what for lack of a better word I shall call over-debunk . There was a lot of debunking that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romain-gary/your-generation-is-suffering-from-what-for-lack-of-a-better-word-i/) [Romain Gary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romain-gary/) > [I never saw a useful Christian who was not a student of the Bible. If a man neglects his Bible, he may pray and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/i-never-saw-a-useful-christian-who-was-not-a-student-of-the-bible-if/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [The Bible is not man's word about God, but God's word about man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/the-bible-is-not-man-s-word-about-god-but-god-s-word-about-man/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [You can't debunk memes with facts. It's like bringing tap-shoes to a gunfight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash-sarkar/you-can-t-debunk-memes-with-facts-it-s-like-bringing-tap-shoes-to-a/) [Ash Sarkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash-sarkar/) > [When we debunk a fanatical faith or prejudice, we do not strike at the root of fanaticism. We merely prevent its leaking out at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-we-debunk-a-fanatical-faith-or-prejudice-we-do-not-strike-at-the/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“I never saw a fruit-bearing Christian who was not a student of the Bible. If a man neglects his Bible, he may pray and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-l-moody/i-never-saw-a-fruit-bearing-christian-who-was-not-a-student-of-the/) [D.L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-l-moody/) > [It is necessary for the welfare of the nation that men's lives be based on the principles of the Bible. No man, educated or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-is-necessary-for-the-welfare-of-the-nation-that-men-s-lives-be/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Blue Book was now under direct orders to debunk. . . I remember the conversations around the conference table in which it was suggested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-allen-hynek/blue-book-was-now-under-direct-orders-to-debunk-i-remember-the/) [J. Allen Hynek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-allen-hynek/) > [“A great many of those who "debunk" traditional or (as they would say) "sentimental" values have in the background values of their own which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/a-great-many-of-those-who-debunk-traditional-or-as-they-would-say/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [A great many of those who 'debunk' traditional...values have in the background values of their own which they believe to be immune from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/a-great-many-of-those-who-debunk-traditional-values-have-in-the/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Apart from the principles of the Bible, you cannot be the man, the husband, and the father you may be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-harrison/apart-from-the-principles-of-the-bible-you-cannot-be-the-man-the/) [Nick Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-harrison/) > [“Increasingly, data can only truly deliver via negativa–style knowledge—it can be effectively used to debunk, not confirm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/increasingly-data-can-only-truly-deliver-via-negativa-style-knowledge/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) ## More by Thomas Paine > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“The laws of every country must be analogous to some common principle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-laws-of-every-country-must-be-analogous-to-some-common-principle/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [The book called the Bible has been voted by men, and decreed by human laws to be the word of God; and the disbelief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-book-called-the-bible-has-been-voted-by-men-and-decreed-by-human/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [One would think that a system loaded with such gross and vulgar absurdities as Scripture religion is could never have obtained credit; yet we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/one-would-think-that-a-system-loaded-with-such-gross-and-vulgar/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Commerce diminishes the spirit, both of patriotism and military defence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/commerce-diminishes-the-spirit-both-of-patriotism-and-military-defence/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [What is it the Bible teaches us? - raping, cruelty, and murder. What is it the New Testament teaches us? - to believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-is-it-the-bible-teaches-us-raping-cruelty-and-murder-what-is-it/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/those-who-expect-to-reap-the-blessings-of-freedom-must-like-men/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“It has been the practice of all Christian commentators on the Bible, and of all Christian priests and preachers, to impose the Bible on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/it-has-been-the-practice-of-all-christian-commentators-on-the-bible/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [But there are times when men have serious thoughts, and it is at such times, when they begin to think, that they begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/but-there-are-times-when-men-have-serious-thoughts-and-it-is-at-such/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Wisdom is not the purchase of a day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/wisdom-is-not-the-purchase-of-a-day/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Our citizenship in the United States is our national character. Our citizenship in any particular state is only our local distinction. By the latter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/our-citizenship-in-the-united-states-is-our-national-character-our/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Suspicion is the companion of mean souls, and the bane of all good society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/suspicion-is-the-companion-of-mean-souls-and-the-bane-of-all-good/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“To pass from the extremes of danger to safety-from the tumult of war to the tranquility of peace, though sweet in contemplation, requires a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-pass-from-the-extremes-of-danger-to-safety-from-the-tumult-of-war/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [What more does man want to know than that the hand or power that made these things is divine, is omnipotent? Let him believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-more-does-man-want-to-know-than-that-the-hand-or-power-that-made/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) [Explore all 772 Thomas Paine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## 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": "“I have now gone through the Bible, as a man would go through a wood with an axe on his shoulder, and fell trees. Here they lie; and the priests, if they can, may replant them. They may, perhaps, stick them in the ground, but they will never make them grow.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Paine" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/i-have-now-gone-through-the-bible-as-a-man-would-go-through-a-wood/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bible" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/i-have-now-gone-through-the-bible-as-a-man-would-go-through-a-wood/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/thomas-paine-267_bible_i-have-now-gone-through-the-bible-as-a-m_2127522.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/thomas-paine-267_bible_i-have-now-gone-through-the-bible-as-a-m_2127522.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/thomas-paine-267_bible_i-have-now-gone-through-the-bible-as-a-m_2127522.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have now gone through the Bible, as a man would go through a wood with an axe on his shoulder, and fell…” — Thomas Paine", "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": "Thomas Paine", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I have now gone through the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/i-have-now-gone-through-the-bible-as-a-man-would-go-through-a-wood/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/i-have-now-gone-through-the-bible-as-a-man-would-go-through-a-wood/#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 } } ] } ```