噬嗑 → 家人
Hexagram 21: Biting Through → Hexagram 37: The Family
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 3, 4, 5).
Line 3
六三 噬腊肉。遇毒。小吝。无咎。
Six in the third place means: Bites on old dried meat And strikes on something poisonous. Slight humiliation. No blame.
Line 4
九四 噬乾胏。得金矢。利艱貞。吉。
Nine in the fourth place means: Bites on dried gristly meat. Receives metal arrows. It furthers one to be mindful of difficulties And to be persevering. Good fortune.
Line 5
六五 噬乾肉。得黃金。貞厲。无咎。
Six in the fifth place means: Bites on dried lean meat. Receives yellow gold. Perseveringly aware of danger. No blame.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
析薪熾酒，使媒求婦；和合齊宋，姜子悅喜。
Splitting kindling, warming wine, sending the matchmaker to seek a bride; harmonizing Qi and Song -- the Jiang scion is delighted.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire and thunder clear away obstacles, and the path opens to domestic happiness. Firewood is split and wine heated, a matchmaker is sent to seek a bride. The states of Qi and Song are brought into harmony, and the Jiang maiden delights in the union. The verse describes an inter-state marriage alliance — a diplomatic match sealed through proper ritual, with the warming of wine symbolizing the hospitality of the wedding feast. The Jiang clan was the ruling house of Qi. From Biting Through to The Family, wind issues from fire as warmth radiates outward from the hearth. The transformation is direct: once the obstacle is removed, the household forms naturally. Proper matchmaking and shared feasting build the bonds that sustain a family.
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