Hexagram 37
Family - The Clan
家人
Meaning and Overview
The Family hexagram has the upper trigram Xun, representing wind and wood, and the lower trigram Li, representing fire. Thus the Image says 'Wind and Fire form Family.' Xun is wind and wood; wood can be used to kindle fire for cooking. Therefore, the Family hexagram indicates that the primary responsibility of the mistress in governing the household is 'in the inner provision'—preparing food for the family. The Family hexagram has three main themes: first, the mistress 'in the inner provision,' managing meals, meaning the woman governs within; second, the man governs without, with division of labor between man and woman—the fifth line (yang) represents the man engaged in royal affairs, thus it says 'The king arrives at the family, no need to worry, good fortune,' meaning the man governs outside, gains the king's trust, and can manage state affairs; third, using strict ritual order to govern the family and educate children, as in the first line's 'restraint within the family,' using strict family rules and rites from the start to control family members. The standards for good family management are unity, order, prosperity, gaining the king's trust, and having a good beginning and end. The Family hexagram is a very good hexagram, second only to the Modesty hexagram. The first line uses ritual order and education to strictly discipline and educate family members; the consequences of good or ill fortune appear only in the middle and later stages, so the first line has no auspicious judgment. However, the second, third, fourth, fifth, and top lines all have judgments like 'perseverance brings good fortune,' 'good fortune,' 'great good fortune,' 'good fortune,' and 'final good fortune.' This shows that the Book of Changes places great importance on strict family management and on regulating and enriching the family. A very obvious characteristic of governing the family by ritual order is the use of Confucian ethics: first, rectifying the man and woman—the male and female heads of the family are the leaders and parents, who must fulfill their responsibilities and duties, as the Tuan says: 'The man and woman are correct, this is the great righteousness of heaven and earth.' Second, every person in the family must play their role, each in their proper place and each performing their duties, as in 'father father, son son, elder brother elder brother, younger brother younger brother, husband husband, wife wife.' When every person in the family abides by their proper station, steadfast in their position, fully using their talents and fulfilling their responsibilities, the family will surely prosper.
Chinese Interpretation
《家人》卦上卦是巽，为风，为木，下卦是离，为火，因此象辞说风火家人。巽为风，为木，木柴可以烧火煮饭，因此《家人》卦表示女主人治理家庭的主要责任是“在中馈”，给家人准备好饮食。《家人》卦有三个主旨，一个是女主人“在中馈”，料理好饮食，即女主内。第二个是男主外，男女分工合作，九五爻为男，从事王事，因此说“王假有家，勿恤，吉”。即男主外，得到君王信任，能够管理好国家大事。第三个是用严明的礼制治理家庭，教育好小孩，即初九的“闲有家”，开始时就用严厉的家规家礼管制好家人。管理好家庭的标准是团结、有序、富裕、得到君王信任、善始善终。《家人》卦是个很好的卦，仅次于《谦》卦，初九爻以礼制礼教严厉管教家人、教育家人，吉凶后果要在中间、后面才会体现出来，因此初九没有吉利断语。但是，六二、九三、六四、九五、上九等五爻，都有贞吉、吉、大吉、吉、终吉等断语，可见，《周易》对家庭严格管理、齐家富家的高度重视。礼制治家的一个非常明显的特点是用儒家伦理治理家庭，首先是正男女，即家庭里的男女主人是家里的领导，是家长，要尽好责任与义务，彖辞所说的“男女正，天地之大义也”；其次是家庭里的每一个人，都要扮演好自己的角色，各就其位、各司其职，即“父父、子子、兄兄、弟弟、夫夫、妇妇”，家庭内的每一个人都安守本分、坚守岗位、各尽其才、各尽其责，家庭一定会兴旺发达。
Line Interpretations
These passages include the core hexagram statement, the six moving line texts, and traditional commentary where available. Read them as layered guidance: the early lines describe the root of the situation, while later lines reveal development, pressure, and outcome.
利女贞。
利于女主人坚守正道。
It is favorable for the woman to be steadfast and correct.
It is beneficial for the mistress to uphold the correct path.
彖曰：家人，女正位乎内，男正位乎外，男女正，天地之大义也。家人有严君焉，父母之谓也。父父、子子、兄兄、弟弟、夫夫、妇妇，而家道正。正家而天下定矣。
彖辞说：《家人》卦，女主人做好家庭内自己应该做的事，管理好家务，男主人做好家庭外社会上的工作。女主人、男主人把家庭内、家庭外的分内工作都干好了，当好女主人、男主人的角色，各司其职，各尽其责，这是符合天地自然分工的大道理的。一家人之中有威严的君长，指的是父亲与母亲啊。父亲应该做父亲分内的事，子女应该做好子女分内的事，兄长应该像一位兄长，弟弟应该做个好弟弟，丈夫应该做个好丈夫，妻子应该做个好妻子，家庭里的每一位成员，各司其职、各尽其责，家庭就会真正走向正道，就会兴旺发达。家庭走上正轨、家庭治理好了，天下也就会稳定太平了。
The Tuan says: In the family, the woman has her correct place within, the man has his correct place without. The correctness of man and woman is the great righteousness of heaven and earth. In the family there are strict rulers—this refers to father and mother. When father is father, son is son, elder brother is elder brother, younger brother is younger brother, husband is husband, wife is wife, then the Way of the family is correct. When the family is correct, the world is settled.
The Tuan commentary says: In the Family hexagram, the mistress does what she should do within the household, managing domestic affairs; the master does his work in society outside. When both fulfill their roles, each performing their duties and responsibilities, this accords with the great principle of natural division of labor between heaven and earth. Within a family there are strict rulers—this refers to father and mother. The father should do what is proper for a father, children should do what is proper for children, elder brothers should act as elder brothers, younger brothers as younger brothers, husbands as husbands, wives as wives. When every family member performs their duties and fulfills their responsibilities, the family will truly walk the correct path and prosper. When the family is on the right track and well-governed, the world will also be stable and peaceful.
象曰：风自火出，家人；君子以言有物而行有恒。
大象辞说：风随着火吹来，上卦为巽为风，下卦为离为火，构成《家人》卦。君子从《家人》卦中获得启示，君子说话应该切合事理、切合实际，做事应该有恒心，有始有终，能够把事情做完做好。
The Image says: Wind comes forth from fire—this is the image of the Family. The noble person, in accordance with this, speaks with substance and acts with constancy.
The Great Image says: Wind follows fire—the upper trigram is Xun representing wind, the lower trigram is Li representing fire, forming the Family hexagram. The noble person draws inspiration from this: one should speak in accordance with reason and reality, and act with perseverance, completing tasks from beginning to end.
象曰：“闲有家”，志未变也。六二之吉，顺以巽也。
小象辞说：预备防范邪恶灾祸，家庭才会兴旺，振兴家道的志向并没有改变啊！
The Image says: 'Restraint within the family'—the will has not yet changed. The good fortune of the second line is due to compliance and yielding.
The Small Image says: By preparing and guarding against evil and calamity, the family will prosper; the aspiration to revitalize the family way has not changed!