Shi He · Biting Through

Judgment

亨，利用狱。

Success. It is favourable to administer justice.

The Chinese above is the received classical text. The English below it is a plain-language rendering written for this site — not a scholarly translation. The classical wording is terse and genuinely open to more than one reading, so where interpretations diverge we follow the mainstream one.

The Image (Da Xiang)

雷电，噬嗑，先王以明罚敕法。

雷鸣电闪同时发生，这是噬嗑卦，以刑法排除阻碍的卦象，象征应当明订刑罚、严明法度。

The Six Lines

• First line屦校灭趾，无咎。初九 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Second line噬肤灭鼻，无咎。六二 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Third line噬腹肉，遇毒，小吝，无咎。六三 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Fourth line噬乾胏，得金矢，利艰贞，吉。九四 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Fifth line噬乾肉，得黄金，贞厉，无咎。六五 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Top line何校灭耳，凶。上九 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.

Modern Interpretive Reference

Quality: Neutral

Tendency: Biting through; removing an obstruction decisively.

Guidance: Address the blockage directly and fairly, combining firmness with proportion.

This section is editorial reflection written for this site, not classical commentary. Hexagram qualities are not fixed outcomes — context and response matter more than the label. For cultural reflection only; not a basis for any decision.