Jakob Bohme Quotes

Powerful Jakob Bohme for Daily Growth

About Jakob Bohme

Jakob (or Jacob) Boehme (1575-1624), a German mystic, theologian, and philosopher, is renowned for his profound influence on Western esotericism, Christianity, and philosophy. Born in the small village of Altshäuserhau, Silesia (now Poland), Boehme was a shoemaker by trade but held an insatiable curiosity for the mysteries of life, God, and the universe. His early spiritual awakening occurred in 1599, when he experienced a mystical vision during a time of deep contemplation in a secluded forest. This profound event set him on his path to becoming one of history's most influential spiritual thinkers. Boehme self-educated himself, reading books from the local library and engaging in philosophical discussions with fellow villagers. His major works include "Aurora" (1612), "Signatura Rerum" (1618), and the posthumously published "Mori Viator" (1621) – all written in High German. These works synthesized elements from Christianity, Platonic philosophy, Kabbalah, Neoplatonism, and Hermeticism to create a unique worldview that placed importance on the interconnectedness of all things. Boehme's ideas have impacted many notable figures throughout history, including philosophers such as G.W.F. Hegel, Friedrich Schelling, and Carl Gustav Jung, as well as poets and authors like Novalis, William Blake, and Thomas Mann. Boehme's teachings emphasize the divine spark within each individual, the interconnectedness of all creation, and the idea that evil is merely an absence or distortion of God's goodness. Today, Jacob Boehme continues to be revered as a spiritual and philosophical giant whose works inspire curiosity and contemplation in seekers across the globe.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Everything that is below is as that which is above and everything that is above is as that which is below."

This quote by Jakob Bohme suggests a fundamental unity between the macrocosm (the universe) and the microcosm (individual beings or objects). It implies that the laws, principles, or characteristics of the universe can be found reflected in the smallest elements within it, and vice versa. In other words, the structure and nature of the universe are mirrored in every part of creation, emphasizing interconnectedness and unity as fundamental aspects of existence.


"The invisible spiritual sun enlightens the visible sun."

This quote by Jakob Boehme suggests that there is a higher, unseen spiritual source (the invisible spiritual sun) which is the ultimate source of all light and understanding. The visible sun, or physical reality we perceive, derives its power and enlightenment from this higher spiritual realm. It implies that the world we see is but a manifestation of the divine and that true knowledge and wisdom come from connecting with the spiritual dimensions.


"God created the creature from itself, and not it from God."

This quote by Jakob Boehme implies a self-sustaining and inherent nature within creation. He suggests that creation, in essence, originated from its own potential or essence rather than being directly formed or manifested by God. In other words, God is the source of all existence but the specific forms or creatures we see in the world come into being through their own innate capacities, not by a direct act of God. This view underscores the autonomy and self-determination of creation while maintaining its divine origin.


"All things are in all things, but each according to its degree."

This quote by Jacob Boehme suggests that every aspect or element of the universe is interconnected and contains aspects of everything else, but not equally or uniformly. Each entity holds a unique degree or concentration of these elements, reflecting the principle of unity in diversity within the cosmos. It implies a harmonious web of existence where each component partakes in the whole, yet maintains its individual identity and purpose.


"Be patient until you attain to that which you desire; for you will first be taught the things which you now despise."

This quote by Jakob Boehme suggests that the path to achieving one's desires is often accompanied by experiences or learning opportunities that may initially seem undesirable or unrelated. He encourages patience, implying that growth, understanding, and eventual success in one's goals are linked with overcoming obstacles, including facing and learning from things we may initially find distasteful or irrelevant.


The holy angels live and qualify in the light, in the good quality wherein the Holy Ghost reigneth. The devils live and reign in the fierce wrathful quality, in the quality of fierceness and wrath, destruction or perdition.

- Jakob Bohme

Holy, Reign, Good Quality, Perdition

God's love-eye does not see essentially into the wicked rebellious apostate soul; neither also into the devil, but his anger-eye sees thereinto; that is, God, according to the property of the anger or fire of wrath, sees in the devil, and in the false soul.

- Jakob Bohme

Soul, Devil, According, Rebellious

A shepherd, in whom the spirit of God works, is more highly esteemed before God than the wisest and most potent in self-wit, without the divine dominion.

- Jakob Bohme

More, Before, Works, Dominion

A Christian is Christ in the inward humanity; and a Jew is Christ in the figure, and in the office of his law, viz. according to nature.

- Jakob Bohme

Christ, Figure, His, Inward

In this world, with thy earthly life, thou art under heaven, stars, and elements, also under hell and devils; all ruleth in thee, and over thee.

- Jakob Bohme

Life, Art, Over, Earthly

A true Christian, who is born anew of the Spirit of Christ, is in the simplicity of Christ, and hath no strife or contention with any man about religion.

- Jakob Bohme

Born, Christ, Strife, Anew

If men would as fervently seek after love and righteousness as they do after opinions, there would be no strife on earth, and we should be as children of one father, and should need no law or ordinance. For God is not served by any law, but only by obedience.

- Jakob Bohme

Love, Law, Strife, No Law

The virtue of Love is nothing and all, or that Nothing visible out of which All Things proceed. Its power is through All Things; its height is as high as God; its greatness is as great as God.

- Jakob Bohme

Love, Through, Which, Love Is

Love is higher than the Highest. Love is greater than the Greatest. Yea, it is in a certain sense greater than God; while yet, in the highest sense of all, God is Love, and Love is God. Love being the highest principle is the virtue of all virtues; from whence they flow forth.

- Jakob Bohme

Love, Principle, Whence, Love Is

The will leadeth us to God, or to the devil; it availeth not whether thou hast the name of a Christian; salvation doth not consist therein.

- Jakob Bohme

Will, Salvation, Therein, Thou

Christ hath instituted Baptism as a bath, to wash away the anger, and hath put into us the Noble Stone, viz. the water of eternal life, for an earnest-penny, so that instantly in our childhood we might be able to escape the wrath.

- Jakob Bohme

Anger, Away, Our, Stone

The sour quality is set opposite to the bitter and the sweet, and is a good temper to all, a refreshing and cooling when the bitter and the sweet qualities are too much elevated or too preponderant.

- Jakob Bohme

Too Much, Opposite, Set, Elevated

The sweet quality is set opposite to the bitter, and is a gracious, amiable, blessed and pleasant quality, a refreshing of the life, an allaying of the fierceness. It maketh all pleasant and friendly in every creature; it maketh the vegetables of the earth fragrant and of good taste, affording fair, yellow, white and ruddy colours.

- Jakob Bohme

Taste, Friendly, Fragrant, Refreshing

All strife concerning Christ's testaments cometh hence that men do not understand that Heaven wherein Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. They understand not that he is in this World, and that the World standeth in Heaven, and Heaven in the World, and are in one another, as Day and Night.

- Jakob Bohme

Another, Strife, Wherein, Cometh

The liver signifieth the element of water, and it is also the water; for from the liver cometh the blood in the whole body into all the members. The liver is the mother of the blood.

- Jakob Bohme

Liver, Also, Whole, Cometh

A Cherubim or leader of a kingdom of angels is the fountain or heart of his whole kingdom, and is made out of all the powers out of which his angels are made, and is the most powerful and the brightest of them all.

- Jakob Bohme

Leader, Fountain, Which, Brightest

God wills in man only that which is good, in the kingdom of his grace; where the free will yields itself up into the grace, there God wills that which is good in the will, through the grace.

- Jakob Bohme

Will, Through, Which, Wills

If we incline our wills in true earnest singleness to God, then we go with Christ out of this world, out from the stars and elements, and enter into God; for in the will of reason we are children of the stars and elements, and the spirit of this world ruleth over us.

- Jakob Bohme

Reason, Out, Our, Wills

Adam was the image of God, he was man and woman, and yet neither of them before his Eve, but a masculine virgin in peculiar love, full of chastity and purity.

- Jakob Bohme

Love, Image, Adam, Peculiar

The city Babel is the Ham-like man, who builds this city upon the earth; the tower is his self-chosen god, and divine worship. All reason-taught, from the school of this world, are the master-builders of this tower.

- Jakob Bohme

City, Divine, His, Babel

There is nothing in nature wherein there is not good and evil; everything moveth and liveth in this double impulse, working or operation, be it what it will.

- Jakob Bohme

Nature, Will, Double, Impulse

The pure Deity is in all places and all corners, and present every where all over: the birth of the holy Trinity in one essence is every where: and the angelical world reacheth to every part, wherever you can think, even in the midst of the earth, stones, and rocks: as also hell and the kingdom of God's wrath is every where all over.

- Jakob Bohme

Pure, Essence, Part, Wrath

Very exceeding wonderful is the history concerning Abraham, for the kingdom of Christ is therein wholly represented.

- Jakob Bohme

Exceeding, Very, Concerning, Abraham

As the science of every thing is in the formed Word, so also is God's will therein: That same expressed Word is in the angels, angelical; in the devils, diabolical; in man, human; in beasts, bestial.

- Jakob Bohme

Will, Therein, Also, Formed

He that serves God is resigned up into him, and in all things has respect to truth and righteousness, and will promote that.

- Jakob Bohme

Respect, Him, Will, Resigned

Now air is the cause and spirit of every life and motion in the world, be it in flesh or in any of the vegetables; all whatever is hath its life from the air, and nothing whatsoever that moveth and is in this world can subsist without air.

- Jakob Bohme

Motion, Nothing, Whatsoever, Flesh

If Love dwelt not in Trouble, it could have nothing to love. But its substance which it loves, namely the poor soul, being in trouble and pain, it hath thence cause to love this its own substance and to deliver it from pain, that so itself may by it be again beloved.

- Jakob Bohme

Love, Soul, Own, Beloved

All that men will serve God with must be done in Faith, viz. in the Spirit. It is the Spirit that maketh the work perfect, and acceptable in the sight of God. All that a man undertaketh and doeth in Faith, he doth in the Spirit of God, which Spirit of God doth co-operate in the work, and then it is acceptable to God.

- Jakob Bohme

Perfect, Which, Acceptable, Viz

All men who give up themselves in obedience unto God, they are received in Christ's obedience, viz. in the fulfilling of the obedience, the Jew and the Christian, and so likewise the heathen who has neither the law nor Gospel.

- Jakob Bohme

Give, Christ, Unto, Viz

The heart in man signifieth the heat or the element of fire, and it is also the heat; for the heat in the whole body hath its original in the heart.

- Jakob Bohme

Heat, Fire, Original, Element

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