Seventy and One Meanings

At every moment he beholdeth a wondrous world, a new creation, and goeth from astonishment to astonishment, and is lost in awe at the works of the Lord of Oneness. Indeed, O Brother, if we ponder each created thing, we shall witness a myriad perfect wisdoms and learn a myriad new and wondrous truths.

Bahá’u’lláh, The Seven Valleys, p. 32

How great the multitude of truths which the garment of words can never contain!

Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 176

How many the huris of inner meaning that are as yet concealed within the chambers of divine wisdom!

Bahá’u’lláh, The Ki tab-i-Ian, p. 69

Know assuredly that just as thou firmly believest that the Word of God, exalted be His glory, endureth for ever, thou must, likewise, believe with undoubting faith that its meaning can never be exhausted.

Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 175

We speak one word, and by it we intend one and seventy meanings; each one of these meanings we can explain.

Bahá’u’lláh, The Ki tab-i-Ian, p. 255

All the texts and teachings of the holy Testaments have intrinsic spiritual meanings. They are not to be taken literally. I, therefore, pray in your behalf that you may be given the power of understanding these inner real meanings of the Holy Scriptures and may become informed of the mysteries deposited in the words of the Bible so that you may attain eternal life and that your hearts may be attracted to the Kingdom of God.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 459-460

The Books of Bahá’u’lláh number more than one hundred . . . in every word a book of meanings.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 154

Bahá’u’lláh also gave in detail, in response to the questioner, several meanings pertaining to the word 'sun', adding that this word has so many other meanings that if ten secretaries were to record His explanations for a period of one or two years, He would still not exhaust its significance.

Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh v 1, p. 29-33

Every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God is endowed with such potency as can instill new life into every human frame.

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How great the multitude of truths which the garment of words can never contain! How vast the number of such verities as no expression can adequately describe, whose significance can never be unfolded, and to which not even the remotest allusions can be made!

Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh v 1, p. 29-33

Not only do the words uttered by the Manifestations have inner meanings but even a single letter contains divine mysteries and significances.

Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh v 1, p. 34