Q0588
“Silence and limiting oneself to the apprehensions of the intellect are more…” — Maimonides (Guide of the Perplexed I.59 (Pines))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Guide of the Perplexed I.59 (Pines). Theme: god.
English
Silence and limiting oneself to the apprehensions of the intellect are more appropriate with regard to God than speech.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Guide of the Perplexed I.59 (Pines) and files it under Jewish Rationalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Maimonides
Moses ben Maimon (1138–1204), known as Maimonides or Rambam, fled Almohad persecution from Córdoba to Fez and finally to Egypt, where he served as a communal leader and court physician. He codified Jewish law in the Mishneh Torah and wrote the Guide of the Perplexed for readers torn between Torah and Aristotelian science.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Maimonides and Saadia Gaon), god is framed through Jewish Rationalism and Islamic Philosophy. Some passages define god; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through god, language.
Concepts in this quote
- God
- God appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat god as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Language
- Language appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat language as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Maimonides. (n.d.). Silence and limiting oneself to the apprehensions of the intellect are more appropriate with regard to God than speech. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0588
MLA: Maimonides. “Silence and limiting oneself to the apprehensions of….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0588.
Chicago: Maimonides. “Silence and limiting oneself to the apprehensions of….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0588.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Silence and limiting oneself to the apprehensions of…”?
The passage is attributed to Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed I.59 (Pines). The archive attributes this English wording to Guide of the Perplexed I.59 (Pines) and files it under Jewish Rationalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Maimonides mean by god?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Maimonides and Saadia Gaon), god is framed through Jewish Rationalism and Islamic Philosophy. Some passages define god; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through god, language.