Deliverance
解
Upper: 震/雷 | Lower: 坎/水
Overview
Hexagram 40, Deliverance, consists of Thunder above Water. It depicts the moment when danger begins to loosen and tension gives way to release. Water below represents peril, while Thunder above signifies movement and awakening. Together they suggest that difficulties are not permanent; once the right moment arrives, decisive yet measured action can dissolve what once seemed tightly bound. Deliverance is not reckless escape, nor is it passive waiting. It is the art of untying knots after crisis, restoring order after strain, and leading people back to steadiness after fear. The hexagram teaches that when trouble has passed, one should not prolong conflict or cling to a defensive state. If there is nowhere urgent to go, returning and consolidating is auspicious. If there is a task to pursue, early movement brings good fortune. Thus Deliverance is both a hexagram of opportunity and aftermath: it values timing, humane judgment, and practical restoration. True release comes not from force alone, but from acting in harmony with the moment and easing burdens without losing moral clarity.
Judgment
Deliverance. The southwest furthers. If there is no longer anything where one has to go, return brings good fortune. If there is still something where one has to go, hastening brings good fortune.
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Get Deliverance ReadingJudgment Commentary
The Judgment says: “Favorable in the southwest. If there is nowhere to go, returning brings good fortune. If there is somewhere to go, early action brings good fortune.” In the symbolism of the Yi, the southwest often suggests yielding, community, and return. After danger is relieved, one should rejoin what is stable and humanly supportive rather than pressing forward blindly. If the matter is essentially over, returning to one’s proper place is auspicious. If something still requires action, then it should be handled promptly. The Tuan Commentary explains: “Deliverance means danger and movement: through movement one escapes danger, and this is Deliverance. Deliverance is favorable in the southwest because going there gains the people. Returning brings good fortune because one thereby attains the center. If there is somewhere to go, early good fortune means that going brings merit. When Heaven and Earth are delivered, thunder and rain arise; when thunder and rain arise, all fruits, grasses, and trees burst forth. Great indeed is the time of Deliverance!” This reveals the essence of the hexagram: not brute force, but timely movement within danger that leads out of danger. Its blessing lies in regaining balance, gathering support, and acting in season. Deliverance is therefore not merely release from pressure; it is the restoration of vitality after obstruction.
Image
Thunder and rain set in: the image of Deliverance. Thus the superior man pardons mistakes and forgives misdeeds.
Image Commentary
The Image says: “Thunder and rain arise: Deliverance. Thus the noble person pardons faults and forgives transgressions.” Thunder and rain together portray a release of pent-up tension in nature. What was heavy and oppressive finally breaks open; the air clears, and life can breathe again. Thunder gives motion, while water signifies danger and emotional depth. Their meeting transforms peril into cleansing. From this image, the noble person learns that true release is not only the easing of outer conditions, but also the restoration of human relationships. After strain, punishment alone cannot heal what has hardened. Measured pardon, humane judgment, and the easing of accumulated resentment are often what restore order. Forgiveness here does not mean abandoning standards; it means understanding that after crisis, stabilization matters more than severity. The image teaches that sometimes the wisest form of power is to loosen what has become too tight, allowing renewal to take root where fear once dominated.
Interpretation
Xie symbolizes deliverance from difficulty. Thunder and rain clear the air. With hardship resolved, pardon mistakes and return swiftly to normalcy.
Line Texts
Six at the beginning: Without blame.
Difficulty has just been resolved. Remain quiet and blameless.
The first line says, “No blame.” At the beginning of Deliverance, tension has only just started to ease. This line advises restraint rather than haste. Because it remains modest and does not overreach, it avoids further error. Its lesson is that when trouble has only begun to loosen, one should not create new complications by moving too aggressively.
Nine in the second place: One kills three foxes in the field and receives a yellow arrow. Perseverance brings good fortune.
Three foxes are caught in the hunt and a yellow arrow is gained. Perseverance brings fortune.
The second line says, “In the field one catches three foxes and obtains yellow arrows. Perseverance brings good fortune.” The foxes symbolize cunning remnants—hidden problems, deceit, or petty obstruction—that remain even during release. The yellow arrows suggest a balanced and correct means of dealing with them. True deliverance requires not only easing pressure, but also removing subtle causes of disorder.
Six in the third place: If a man carries a burden on his back and nonetheless rides in a carriage, he thereby encourages robbers to draw near. Perseverance leads to humiliation.
Carrying a load while riding in a carriage invites robbers. Holding a position one does not deserve brings humiliation.
The third line says, “Carrying a burden and yet riding in a carriage brings robbers near. Persistence leads to humiliation.” This is a sharp warning. One displays a status one cannot rightly sustain, and thereby invites trouble. After emerging from difficulty, arrogance, pretension, or acting beyond one’s proper measure can recreate danger. Deliverance must be followed by humility.
Nine in the fourth place: Deliver yourself from your great toe. Then the companion comes, and him you can trust.
Free yourself from unworthy ties. Then trustworthy companions will come.
The fourth line says, “Release your great toe; then friends come, and there is trust.” The image suggests removing the small but crucial restraint that prevents free movement. Once the immediate knot is loosened, support can gather and confidence can be restored. Often a situation changes not by grand gestures, but by resolving one deceptively minor obstruction at the right time.
Six in the fifth place: If only the superior man can deliver himself, it brings good fortune. Thus he proves to inferior men that he is in earnest.
The superior man delivers himself — good fortune. His sincerity wins over even petty people.
The fifth line says, “If the noble one brings about deliverance, it is auspicious; even the petty people trust him.” In the ruling place, this line shows leadership through credible release. The superior person restores order so fairly and sincerely that even the small-minded or distrustful are persuaded. It is not indulgence, but authority made effective through trustworthiness and measured grace.
Six at the top: The prince shoots at a hawk on a high wall. He kills it. Everything serves to further.
The prince shoots a hawk upon the high wall and hits it. Everything furthers.
The top line says, “The prince shoots a hawk on a high wall and captures it. Nothing is unfavorable.” At the end of Deliverance, one final hardened obstacle remains. The hawk on the high wall represents a dangerous element that still occupies a strategic perch. Earlier stages may call for leniency, but here decisive action is necessary. True release is completed only when the last entrenched threat is removed.
Modern Application
this hexagram often points to the easing of tension and the possibility of resolving old knots. Honest conversation helps, but reopening old accusations will only recreate the bind. If the bond is strained, humility and emotional release may create the needed turning point. Wealth:
Deliverance suggests the gradual release of pressure—debts, delayed payments, or poorly balanced investments may begin moving toward adjustment. It favors cautious recovery and consolidation, not aggressive expansion the moment one feels safer. Health: On the physical and emotional level, it often relates to the discharge of stress, stagnation, and anxiety. Problems caused by nervous strain, poor sleep, or prolonged tension may improve, but recovery still requires rest, circulation, emotional easing, and moderation. Overall, in modern life Deliverance rarely means a magical reversal. Rather, it describes the practical untying of complex problems: loosening what is too tight, clearing what is stuck, and restoring order before seeking growth
People Also Ask
What does Deliverance hexagram mean?▾
Deliverance. The southwest furthers. If there is no longer anything where one has to go, return brings good fortune. If there is still something where one has to go, hastening brings good fortune.
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Get AI Reading →What is the advice of Deliverance?▾
Xie symbolizes deliverance from difficulty. Thunder and rain clear the air. With hardship resolved, pardon mistakes and return swiftly to normalcy.
Get AI Reading →Historical Story
Hexagram Deliverance can be illuminated through the political wisdom associated with the Duke of Zhou after the early Zhou settlement. Once upheaval had been subdued, the realm was not truly secure if ruled only by force. Lasting stability required more than military success: it required the restoration of rites, the calming of hearts, and governance marked by measured leniency. This mirrors the Image’s teaching of pardoning faults and forgiving offenses. After great disorder, the first priority is not endless pursuit or intimidation, but allowing people to recover from fear and gradually dissolve old resentments. In Chinese history, wise commanders often understood that once rebellion was quelled, the next task was to stop killing, ease burdens, and let ordinary life resume. Victory was incomplete if hostility remained the ruling principle. Deliverance therefore reflects a deeper kind of success: escaping danger is only the beginning; the higher achievement is turning release into renewal, and power into humane order.
Related Trigrams
解卦与蹇卦互为综卦。蹇为险阻当前，进退维艰；解则为险难松动，问题开始化开，故常被视为“先蹇后解”的转机之象。与涣卦相比，涣重离散与疏散，解重解除与脱困；与复卦相比，解后的“来复吉”又含回归中道、重建秩序之义。
References
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Further Reading
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