I Ching · Hexagram 21 of 64
Hexagram 21: Shi He （噬嗑） — Biting Through
Shi He is Fire over Thunder, fire as the sun and thunder as movement, giving the image of the market at midday. The name means that something is held in the mouth and bitten through, and it stands for the ancient pairing of market and prison. The hexagram treats both rightful gain and legal restraint: trade brings success when goods pass freely, yet profit dulls the mind and breeds crime, so law and prison are needed, and the noble one amasses wealth only by right means.
At a glance
| Hexagram | 21 of 64 |
|---|---|
| Name | Shi He 噬嗑 · Biting Through |
| Upper trigram | Li （离）· Fire |
| Lower trigram | Zhen （震）· Thunder |
| Structure | Fire over Thunder |
| Lines | 6 lines |
The Judgment （卦辞）
Biting Through. Success. It is favorable to administer justice.
ExplainedBiting through stands for the bargaining of the market and the justice of the court. Where goods circulate and wants are answered there is success, but with profit foremost men cheat, steal and rob, so law and prison must be used to restrain them. Human law may be evaded, but the law of Heaven is strict and leaves no gap, and its punishments are more terrible than any on earth; therefore the noble one takes his gain in the right way.
Tuan Zhuan — Commentary on the Judgment （彖传）
Something is held in the mouth: this is Biting Through. Biting through brings success; firm and yielding are divided, moving and bright, thunder and lightning join and shine. The yielding obtains the center and moves upward; though it is not in the fitting place, it is favorable to administer justice.
ExplainedThe mouth that holds food stands for the market that gathers people and the prison that holds them, and both are called biting through. Firm and yielding are divided because the market holds both noble and small men and one cannot suppose all trade in good faith; movement must be matched with clarity, for one must see the goods, the man and the words before acting. Thunder and lightning together mean that Heaven sees everything and counts it fully, so that not a hair of unjust gain goes unrepaid; the yielding line, rich and powerful but lacking virtue, calls for law to restrain it, and where human justice fails Heaven restores the balance.
Xiang Zhuan — Image Commentary （大象）
Thunder and lightning: Biting Through. Thus the ancient kings made punishments clear and published the laws.
ExplainedWherever trade and gain exist, crime exists, so the ancient kings followed the thunder and lightning of Heaven and set out clear penalties and published laws, restraining those who grow rich by fraud, extortion and the evasion of taxes. The first three lines warn against crime, the last three teach the right way of gain, one guarding against wrongdoing and the other setting profit straight.
The Six Lines （六爻）
The lines are read from the bottom upward. Each carries its own text, a Small Image commentary, and a plain-English reading.
Line 1 · YangLine 1
His foot is bound in the stocks, the toes cut off. No blame.
Small ImageHis foot is bound and his toes cut off: he does not walk.
ExplainedThis is the lightest of ancient punishments, cutting off the toes: a mark of error that does not stop walking and, hidden in the shoe, warns the wearer and gives room for a new life. Today Heaven takes up the rod: those who seize unjust gain fall into hidden and strange illnesses that no one else can see, and so are warned in time.
Line 2 · YinLine 2
He bites soft flesh and cuts off the nose. No blame.
Small ImageHe bites soft flesh and cuts off the nose: he rides upon the firm.
ExplainedBiting the flesh means branding the record of the crime and cutting off the nose, real punishments for a second offense, leaving a mark all can see to force repentance. Such a stubborn and violent nature cannot be corrected except by severity, yet the aim is still compassion and repair. Heaven repeats the warning by stripping the offender of face and reputation, and true remorse can still raise him again.
Line 3 · YinLine 3
He bites dried meat and meets poison. Small regret. No blame.
Small ImageHe meets poison: his place is not fitting.
ExplainedThis is the trader who buys spoiled and stale goods, suffers a loss and pays a small tuition. Not to know the trade is to meet poison, so the beginner should not trade large at first but learn the market and make clarity part of every action; the loss buys the lesson, and that is no blame.
Line 4 · YangLine 4
He bites dried meat with the bone. He obtains a metal arrow. It is favorable to be firm through hardship. Good fortune.
Small ImageIt is favorable to be firm through hardship and good fortune: the light has not yet come.
ExplainedTo buy bone-in meat at the price of the finest is a loss, yet to tell the truth and not pass the harm to another earns a reputation of gold. The crisis becomes a turning point: to keep uprightness is hard, but in the end it brings good fortune, for trust stands deeper than wealth and a name of honor raises a man though he is poor for a time.
Line 5 · YinLine 5
He bites dried meat and obtains yellow gold. Perseverance brings danger. No blame.
Small ImagePerseverance brings danger without blame: he is fittingly placed.
ExplainedHere the first purchase is choice goods and the profit follows at once, a natural blessing like water finding its level. Yet abundance invites temptation, and the prosperous must hold to rightness with fear, keep to courtesy and remain watchful. Where that vigilance is kept and faults are promptly repented, the place is fitting and there is no blame.
Line 6 · YangLine 6
He carries the wooden collar that covers his ears. Misfortune.
Small ImageHe carries the collar that covers his ears: his hearing is not clear.
ExplainedThis is the heaviest punishment, the head cut off below the ears, given to one who would not listen. Before a great fault warning follows warning, and to refuse them all ends in misfortune. Such a stubborn and unrepentant one is given opportunity but not change, and the strictest judgment falls.
Key takeaway
Biting Through joins rightful gain with just restraint: profit is permitted, but only by right means and on a foundation of trust.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hexagram 21 (Shi He) mean in the I Ching?
Shi He is Fire over Thunder, fire as the sun and thunder as movement, giving the image of the market at midday. The name means that something is held in the mouth and bitten through, and it stands for the ancient pairing of market and prison. The hexagram treats both rightful gain and legal restraint: trade brings success when goods pass freely, yet profit dulls the mind and breeds crime, so law and prison are needed, and the noble one amasses wealth only by right means.
What is the judgment of Hexagram 21?
Biting Through. Success. It is favorable to administer justice. Biting through stands for the bargaining of the market and the justice of the court. Where goods circulate and wants are answered there is success, but with profit foremost men cheat, steal and rob, so law and prison must be used to restrain them. Human law may be evaded, but the law of Heaven is strict and leaves no…
What do the six lines of Hexagram 21 say?
Line 1: His foot is bound in the stocks, the toes cut off. No blame. Line 2: He bites soft flesh and cuts off the nose. No blame. Line 3: He bites dried meat and meets poison. Small regret. No blame. Line 4: He bites dried meat with the bone. He obtains a metal arrow. It is favorable to be firm through hardship. Good fortune. Line 5: He bites dried meat and obtains yellow gold. Perseverance brings danger. No blame. Line 6: He carries the wooden collar that covers his ears. Misfortune.
What is the main lesson of Hexagram 21 (Biting Through)?
Biting Through joins rightful gain with just restraint: profit is permitted, but only by right means and on a foundation of trust.
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