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Chapter 36
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Leviathan, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Nature, War, and Civil Society
Power, Common-wealths, and Monarchies
Religion
Fear
Reason, Fact, and Philosophy
Summary
Analysis
A miracle, also called a wonder, is some action prompted by God that causes admiration in others. The general purpose of miracles is to signify God’s commandment, and in scripture, miracles are often called signs. A miracle is rare, and it has no known natural cause. For instance, a horse or cow that begins to speak would be a miracle. A talking horse is odd, and therefore rare, and such a horse has no natural cause. The first time a rainbow was witnessed, it was thought to be a miracle and a sign from God. Now, rainbows are common and have a known cause, so they no longer appear as miracles.
In comparing a rainbow to a miracle, Hobbes implies that many things people consider to be miracles aren’t really miracles—their natural causes simply haven’t been identified yet. This isn’t to say that miracles don’t exist. Hobbes simply argues miracles are only true a small fraction of the time. When God spoke to Moses, it was a miracle, as was Christ’s presence on Earth; however, Hobbes questions the validity of more modern claims of miracles.
Themes
What one person considers a miracle is not always a miracle to the next person. Consider a solar or lunar eclipse, Hobbes says. Many people have taken such events as miracles; however, there are others with special knowledge of the natural causes of eclipses. While a solar eclipse is decidedly not a miracle, God’s works in Egypt done by Moses’s hand “were properly Miracles.” By definition, a miracle “is a work of God, […] done for the making manifest to his elect, the mission of an extraordinary Minister for their salvation.”
An eclipse has a natural cause—the movement of the earth, moon, and sun—so an eclipse cannot be a true miracle. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt on God’s command and parted the Red Sea with the power of God; thus, the work God did in Egypt through Moses is an example of a true, or “proper,” miracle. As very few instances fit Hobbes’s definition of a miracle, there have been very few proper miracles.
Themes
According to this definition, a miracle is not performed by way of the prophet’s virtue but by God through the prophet. It can also be assumed from this definition that a miracle cannot be performed by any angel, devil, or ghostly spirit. In Holy Scripture, there is magic that seems like miracles. For instance, when Moses’s rod hits the ground in the Book of Exodus, it becomes a serpent. This seems like a miracle, but it isn’t.
Hobbes further narrows the definition of a miracle, but he still observes God’s law of equity. A miracle is not something that happens only to the holiest people. Consider Hobbes’s previous example of the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho, who spoke the words of God, which, by definition, is a miracle. This harkens back to the Laws of Nature, which assume everyone is equal.
Themes
According to Hobbes, people are prone to deception when it comes to miracles and are likely to believe in “false Miracles.” Hobbes again points out what God says to Moses in Deuteronomy. Through Moses, God warns the people not to accept those prophets who teach religions other than that professed by “Gods Lieutenant” (Moses), and he further warns against any prediction that seems unlikely. One is always free to believe or not believe any miracle they choose, as that is their right. But, Hobbes says, at some point, one must submit to “Gods Lieutenant” and “Head of the Church,” which he will discuss more in the upcoming chapters.
This passage, too, speaks to the natural reason that God gave every human. In giving everyone reason, God expects them to use it and decide for themselves what is true or not. Only “God’s Lieutenant” has the authority to confirm a true miracle, as God’s Lieutenant serves as God’s proxy on Earth. Hobbes implies that Moses, with the exception of Christ, was the last true Lieutenant.
Themes
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