Hexagram 40: Deliverance (解 Jiě) — I Ching Guide

Q: What is I Ching Hexagram 40 (解 Deliverance)?

I Ching Hexagram 40, 解 (Jiě), represents Deliverance. It is formed by Thunder (震 Zhèn) above, Water (坎 Kǎn) below. The core teaching of this hexagram is captured in its 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....'

Q: What does the Image of Hexagram 40 mean?

The Image states: 'Thunder and rain set in: the image of Deliverance. Thus the superior man forgives mistakes and forgives misdeeds.' This teaches that the superior person responds to the hexagram's situation by cultivating the corresponding inner quality.

Q: How do the six lines of Hexagram 40 develop its meaning?

The six lines trace a progression through the hexagram's situation. Starting from the bottom (Line 1) through Line 6, each position reveals a different aspect of how Deliverance manifests — from initial stirrings to the final outcome. Key lines include the ruler of the hexagram and the culminating line.

Q: What is the relationship between Hexagram 40 and other hexagrams?

Hexagram 40 (Deliverance) follows Hexagram 39 in the traditional King Wen sequence, forming a meaningful progression. Its nuclear hexagram and opposite/complementary hexagram provide additional dimensions of meaning.

Oriens

解

Jiě — Hexagram 40

Deliverance

Thunder (震 Zhèn) above, Water (坎 Kǎn) below

Published July 22, 2026 · By Oriens

Summary

I Ching Hexagram 40, 解 (Jiě), represents Deliverance. Formed by Thunder (震 Zhèn) above, Water (坎 Kǎn) below, this hexagram teaches about deliverance. The core message: 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..

Key Takeaways

Hexagram 40 is formed by Thunder (震 Zhèn) above, Water (坎 Kǎn) below, combining two of the eight trigrams into a unique archetypal situation
The Judgment reveals the hexagram's core teaching through a concise, oracular statement
The six lines trace a progression from initial conditions through to the culmination and outcome
The Image connects the natural symbolism of the trigrams to the conduct of the superior person
This hexagram's wisdom applies to modern situations involving

The 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.

— I Ching, Deliverance

The Image

Thunder and rain set in: the image of Deliverance. Thus the superior man forgives mistakes and forgives misdeeds.

— I Ching, Image

The Six Lines

Line 1: Line 1: Without blame.

Line 2: Line 2: One kills three foxes in the field and receives a yellow arrow. Perseverance brings good fortune.

Line 3: Line 3: 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.

Line 4: Line 4: Deliver yourself from your great toe. Then the companion comes, and him you can trust.

Line 5: Line 5: If only the superior man can deliver himself, it brings good fortune. He thus proves to inferior men that he is in earnest.

Line 6: Line 6: The prince shoots at a hawk on a high wall. He kills it. Everything serves to further.

Modern Application

Hexagram 40 follows Obstruction naturally—after the blockage comes release. Thunder above Water represents the storm that clears the air. The hexagram teaches that deliverance requires two things: forgiveness (the Image teaches pardoning mistakes) and decisiveness (removing remaining obstacles). The three foxes represent lingering cunning problems that must be cleared out. Line 3's man who carries a burden while riding warns against half-hearted liberation. In modern terms, Deliverance applies to resolving long-standing problems, forgiveness and reconciliation, and the decisive action that follows a period of being stuck.

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