Hexagram 21 · Biting Through

噬嗑 · Shì Hé

Hexagram 21, Biting Through (噬嗑, Shì Hé), is one of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching (Book of Changes). It is formed by Thunder below and Fire above. Its judgment reads, in the Chinese original: “亨，利用狱。”. In the classical tradition this hexagram is associated with biting through obstacles; decisive, just action. This page collects its structure, judgment, Image and six line texts for cultural study.

Structure

Lower trigram: Thunder (震) — arousal and decisive motion
Upper trigram: Fire (离) — clarity, radiance and dependence
Symbol: ䷔ · Name: 噬嗑 (Shì Hé) · Number: 21 of 64

Judgment (Chinese original)

The Image (Chinese original)

The Six Lines (Chinese original)

1. Bottom line (yang) (初九)
   屦校灭趾，无咎。
   The Image says: “屦校灭趾”，不行也。
2. 六二 (六二)
   噬肤灭鼻，无咎。
   The Image says: “噬肤灭鼻”，乘刚也。
3. 六三 (六三)
   噬腊肉，遇毒；小吝，无咎。
   The Image says: “遇毒”，位不当也。
4. 九四 (九四)
   噬干胏，得金矢；利艰贞，吉。
   The Image says: “利艰贞吉”，未光也。
5. 六五 (六五)
   噬干肉，得黄金，贞厉，无咎。
   The Image says: “贞厉无咎”，得当也。
6. Top line (yang) (上九)
   何校灭耳，凶。
   The Image says: “何校灭耳”，聪不明也。

FAQ

What is I Ching Hexagram 21?

Hexagram 21 is Biting Through (噬嗑, Shì Hé), one of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching. It is formed by Thunder below and Fire above, and belongs to the classical Chinese textual tradition.

What is the judgment of Biting Through?

The judgment of Biting Through reads, in the Chinese original: “亨，利用狱。”. Its Great Image reads: “雷电，噬嗑。先王以明罚敕法。”. Translations vary by edition; the judgment and the Image are the core texts for understanding the hexagram.

What does Biting Through symbolize?

In the classical tradition, Biting Through is associated with biting through obstacles; decisive, just action. It is studied as cultural symbolism — a lens for reflection — not as a prediction of fortune or future events.