BENEDICT DE SPINOZA: Theological-Political Treatise

On the prophets
all remained obscure, because there was no one at that time who had such a
powerful imagination that it could be revealed to him more clearly. Finally,
the prophets to whom it was revealed that God would take Elijah away
attempted to persuade Elisha that he had been taken to some other place
where they might still ¢nd him; this plainly shows that they had not
properly understood God’s revelation. 5
[12] I need not press this point further, for nothing is clearer in Scripture
than that God granted some prophets a far greater gift of prophecy
than others. But I will demonstrate more precisely and more fully that
prophecies or revelations also varied according to the beliefs which the
prophets had embraced, and that prophets held di¡erent, or even incompatible,
beliefs from one another and had di¡erent preconceptions. (I am
speaking about purely philosophical questions here; we must take a very
di¡erent view of anything relating to uprightness and good conduct.)
I think this question is of major importance, for I ultimately conclude
from it that prophecy never made the prophets more learned, but left
them with their preconceived beliefs and that, for this reason, we are in
no way obliged to believe them in purely philosophical matters.
[13] It is astounding how readily all the commentators have embraced
the notion that the prophets knew everything that human understanding
can attain. Even though certain passages of the Bible tell us in the plainest
terms that there were some things the prophets did not know, the [commentators]
prefer either to say that they do not understand the sense of
Scripture in these passages or attempt to twist the words to make it say
what it plainly does not, rather than admit that the prophets were ignorant
of anything. Obviously if we take either course, Scripture has no more
meaning for us; if we may regard the clearest passages as obscure and
impenetrable or interpret them in any way we please, it will be pointless to
try to prove anything from it at all.
For example, nothing in the Bible is clearer than that Joshua, and perhaps
the author who wrote his history, thought that the sun moves round
the earth and the earth is at rest and the sun stood still for a period of time. 36
Some are unwilling to allow that there can be any change in the heavens
and hence interpret this passage in such a way that it will not seem to say
5 2 Kings 2.15^18.
33