perfection that it was said of him: And [ Adam\ begot [a son] in his own likeness, after his image. You know that whoever is not endowed with this form, whose signification we have explained, is not a man, but an animal having the shape and configuration of man. Such a being, however, has a faculty to cause various kinds of harm and to produce evils that is not pos¬ sessed by the other animals. For he applies the capacities for thought and perception, which were to prepare him to achieve a perfection that he has not achieved, to all kinds of machinations entailing evils and occasioning and engendering all kinds of harm. Accordingly, he is, as it were, a thing resembling man or imitating him. The children of Adam who preceded Seth were of this sort. The authors of the Midrash say accordingly:11 During the entire period of a hundred and thirty years, when Adam was under rebuke, he begot spirits-, they mean devils. When, however, He again accorded him His favor, he begot a son resembling him, I mean in his own likeness, after his image. Accordingly it says: And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years and begot [a son] in his own likeness, after his image.
CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 8 Place [ maqom ]. Originally this term was given the meaning of particular and general place. Subsequently, language extended its meaning and made it a term denoting an individual’s rank and situation; I mean to say with reference to his perfection in some matter, so that it is said: A certain man has a certain place with regard to a certain matter. You know how often the people of our language use this meaning when they say: Occupying the place of his ancestors He occupied the place of his ancestors in wisdom or piety; \ or when they say: The difference of opinion still subsists in its place, which means, in its station. It is in this figurative manner that it is said: Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place, 1 meaning, according to His rank and the greatness of His portion in existence. Similarly in every mention of place referring to God, the sole intention is to signify the rank of His existence, may He be exalted; there being nothing like or similar to that existence, as shall be demonstrated.
Know with regard to every term whose equivocality we shall explain n. B.T., 'Erubin, 18b; cf. Genesis Rabbah, XX and XXIV. l. Ezek. 5:12.
The Guide of the Perplexed 1-9 [190 to you in this Treatise that our purpose in such an explanation is not only to draw your attention to what we mention in that particular chapter. Rather do we open a gate and draw your attention to such meanings of that particular term as are useful for our purpose, not for the various purposes of whoever may speak the language of this or that people. As for you, you should consider the books of prophecy and other works composed by men of knowledge, reflect on all the terms used therein, and take every equivocal term in that one from among its various senses that is suitable in that particular passage. These our words are the key to this Treatise and to others 5 a case in point being the explanation we have given here of the meaning of the term place in the dictum of Scripture: Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place. For you should know that this very meaning is that of the term place in its dictum: Behold, there is a place by Me.2 In this verse the term signifies a rank in theoretical speculation and the contempla¬ tion of the intellect — not that of the eye; this being in addition to the meaning alluding to a local place that was to be found on that mountain on which the separation and the achievement of perfection came to pass.
CHAPTER 9 Throne [Ame]. Originally the meaning given to this word in the Hebrew language was that it was the term designating the throne.1 As, however, | only people of high rank and great authority, such as kings, used to sit on a throne, and the throne became an existent thing indicative of the grandeur, the high rank, and the great dignity of him who was thought worthy of it, the Sanctuary was called a throne, because of its indicating the grandeur of Him who manifested Himself therein and let His light and glory descend upon it. Thus Scripture says: Thou throne of glory, on high from the beginning,2 and so onf On account of this sense, the heaven is called a throne, as indicating to those who have knowledge of them and reflect upon them the greatness of Him who caused them to exist and to move, and who governs this lower world by means of the overflow of their bounty. Accord¬ ingly it says: Thus saith the Lord: The heaven is My throne, and so on* 2. Exod. 33:21.
1. Maimonides uses the Arabic term to render the Hebrew one.
2. Jer. 17: 12.
3. The verse continues: Thou place of our Sanctuary-.
4. Isa. 66:1.
That is, He says: the heaven indicates My existence, grandeur, and power, as a throne indicates the greatness of the individual who is considered worthy of it. That is the doctrine that those who investigate the truth ought to believe, whereas they ought not to believe that there is a body onto which the deity, may He be greatly exalted, raises Himself. For it will be demonstrated to you that He, may He be exalted, is not a body. How, therefore, could there be for Him a place and an abode situated above a body? The matter is just as we have pointed out: namely, every place, such as the Sanctuary or the heaven, distinguished by God and singled out to receive His light and splendour is called a throne. This term is given a wider meaning in the Hebrew language when it says: For my hand upon the throne of the Lord.5 What is meant is the attribute of His greatness and sublimity; this ought not to be imagined as a thing outside His essence or as a created being from among the beings created by Him, so that He, may He be exalted, should appear to exist both without a throne and with a throne. That would be infidelity beyond any doubt. For it states explicitly: Thou, O Lord, sittest for all eternity, Thy throne is from generation to generation-5 whereby it indicates that the throne is a thing inseparable from Him. Hence the term throne signifies, in this passage and in all those similar to it, His sublimity and greatness that do not constitute a thing existing outside His essence, as will be explained in some7 of the chapters of this Treatise. I CHAPTER 10 It already has been set forth that when we mention one of the equivocal terms in this Treatise, it is not our purpose to cite all the senses in which that particular term is used, for this is not a treatise on language. Of those senses we cite only such as we require for our purpose and no others. Of this sort are the terms to descend [ yarod] and to ascend [caloh\.
The two terms descending and ascending have been given in the Hebrew language the respective meaning of descent and ascent.1 Accordingly when a body moves from a certain place to a lower place, it is said to descend 5 and 5. Exod. 17:16. 6. Lam. 5:19. 7. Or: in one.
1. It seemed preferable to use the same English words for the Hebrew terms and their Arabic equivalents.
when it moves from a certain place to a higher place than the place in which it was, it is said to ascend. Subsequently these two terms were used figura¬ tively to denote sublimity and greatness; so that when an individual’s rank was lowered, he was said to have descended; when, on the other hand, his rank became higher in respect of sublimity, he was said to have ascended. Thus God, may He be exalted, says: The stranger that is in the midst of thee shall ascend above thee higher and higher, and thou shalt descend, and so on.2 The text also says: The Lord thy God will set thee in ascendancy above all the nations of the earth? And it says: And the Lord magnified Solomon in ascendancy? You know also how often the Sages use the expression: With regard to what is holy, men may be made to ascend, but not to descend? Similarly the term [to descend] is also used to denote a lower state of speculation; when a man directs his thought toward a very mean object, he is said to have descended; and similarly when he directs his thought toward an exalted and sublime object, he is said to have ascended. Now we, the community of men,6 are, in regard to place as well as degree of existence, in a most lowly position if we are compared to the all-encompassing heavenly sphere;7 whereas He, may He be exalted, | is in respect of true existence, sublimity, and greatness in the very highest position — an elevation that is not a spatial one. And as He, may He be exalted, wished — as He did — to let some of us have knowledge deriving from Him and an overflow of prophetic inspiration, the alighting of the prophetic inspiration upon the prophet or the coming-down of the Indwelling8 to a certain place was termed descent; whereas the removal of this prophetic state from a particular individual or the cessation of the Indwelling in a place was termed ascent. In every case in which you find the terms descent and ascent applied to the Creator, may He be exalted, this last meaning is intended. Another similar case is that of a calamity befalling a people or a terrestrial zone in accordance with His pre-eternal will. With regard to this the prophetic books begin by stating, before describing the affliction, that He visited the action of these people and after that made their punishment come down upon them. This notion too is expressed by means of the term descent,■ the reason being that man is too insignificant to have his actions visited and to be punished for them, were it not for the pre-eternal will. This has been made clear in the books of prophecy, where it is said: What is g. Cf., e.g., Mishnah, Sheqalim, VI 4.
6. Literally: Adamites. I.e., descendants of Adam.
7. I.e., the highest heavenly sphere.
8. saklna, an Arabic word that is the equivalent of the Hebrew shekhinah.
20 b] The Guide of the Perplexed Ill yj man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that Thou shouldst visit him, and so on.9 For this verse refers to this notion. It is for this reason that this is called descent. Thus Scripture says: Come, let us descend, and there confound their language,-10 And the Lord descended to see j11 I will descend now and see.i2 In all these verses the notion is that of punishment befalling people of low condition. As for the first meaning — I mean that which refers to prophetic inspiration and to ennobling — it is frequent. Thus: And I will descend and speak with thee}5 And the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai; 1 + The Lord will descend in the sight of all the people }5 And God ascended from him;i6 And God ascended from Abraham}1 When, on the other hand, Scripture says, And Moses ascended to God, 18 the third meaning19 of the term [to ascend] is meant; this, in addition to the fact that [Moses] ascended to the top of the mountain upon which the created light had descended. The verse does not mean that God, may He be exalted, | has a place up to which one may ascend or from which one may descend; He is exalted very high above the imaginings of the ignorant.
CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 11 Sitting [yeshibah]. The first meaning given to this term in our language was that of being seated. Thus: Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat. 1 But in view of the fact that a sitting individual is in a state of the most perfect stability and steadiness, this term is used figuratively to denote all steady, stable, and changeless states. Thus when promising Jerusalem permanence and stability while she is in possession of the highest of ranks, Scripture says: She will rise and sit in her place.2 And it also says: He maketh the barren woman to sit in her house} which means that He makes her firm and steady. In the latter sense it is said of God, may He be exalted: Thou, O Lord, sittest for all eternity;4 O Thou who sittest in the heaven } He that sitteth in heaven.6 That is, the stable One who undergoes no manner of change, neither a change in His essence — as He has no modes7 besides His essence 7. lial. Modes were attributed to God by some of the latter Mu'tazilites, notably by Abu Hisham (d. 933) and his followers.
The Guide of the Perplexed I • 12 [21a with respect to which He might change — nor a change in His relation to what is other than Himself — since, as shall be explained later, there does not exist a relation with respect to which He could change. And herein His being wholly changeless in every respect achieves perfection, as He makes clear, saying: For I the Lord change not,6 meaning that He undergoes no change at all. In this sense, the term sitting is applied to Him, may He be exalted, in the verses I have cited. In most of these passages this term is used with reference to heaven, as the latter is changeless and without diversity j I mean to say that the individuals existing in it do not change, as do the individuals constituted by the terrestrial things, which are subject to generation and corruption. | Similarly when a relation is ascribed equi¬ vocally to Him, may He be exalted, with respect to the various species of beings subject to generation and corruption, He is also said to be sitting. For these species are permanent, well ordered, endowed with a stable existence, such as is the existence of the individuals of heaven. Thus it says: He that sitteth above the circle of the earth? that is, the permanent and stable One over and above the circling of the earth — he means its rotation, the reference being to the things generated in it in rotation. It also says: The Lord sitteth at the flood,10 It means that when the state of the earth is changed and corrupted, there is no change in the relation of God, may He be exalted, to things; this relation remains the same — stable and permanent — whether the thing undergoes generation or corruption. For this relation subsists only with regard to the species of the various things subject to generation, not with regard to the individuals. Consider every mention of sitting applied to God, and you will discover that it is used in this sense.
CHAPTER 12 Rising [ qimah ] is an equivocal term. One of its meanings is to get up, which is the opposite of sitting. Thus: He did not rise nor move for him.1 It also has a meaning denoting the stability and validity of a matter. Thus: The Lord will let His promise rise-2 The field of Ephr on arose? The house that is in the [ walled ] city shall arise? And the kingdom of Israel shall 1. Esther 5:9. 2. I Sam. 1:23. I.e., He will keep His promise.
3. Gen. 23:17. I.e., was made sure. 4. Lev. 25:30.
2i b] The Guide of the Perplexed I • 13 jp arise in thy hand.5 All mention of rising applied to God, may He be exalted, has this meaning. Thus: Now will I rise, saith the Lord.6 What He intends to say by this is: Now will I carry out My decree, My promise, and My menace. Thus also: Thou wdt arise and have compassion upon Zion? that is, Thou wilt carry out what Thou hast promised as to having mercy upon her. As one who decides to do something marks his impulse to do it | by rising, so whoever has revolted over some matter is said to rise up. Thus: That my son hath made my servant rise up against me,8 And the word taken in this sense is used figuratively to denote the execution of God’s decree against a people who have deserved punishment entailing their destruction. Thus: And I will rise against the house of Jeroboam? But he will rise against the house of the evil-doers,10 His words, Now will I rise, may likewise have this meaning; and similarly the words: [Thou] wilt arise and have compassion upon Zion?'- he means: Thou wilt arise against her enemies. Many biblical texts conform to this meaning,12 for there is not to be found in them a rising-up and a sitting-down of God, may He be exalted. Accordingly [the Sages], peace be on them, have said: In the upper world there is neither sitting nor standing?5 for standing sometimes occurs in the sense of rising.
CHAPTER 13 Standing [ camidah ] is an equivocal term. Sometimes it has the meaning: to rise and stand. Thus: When he stood before Pharaoh? Though Moses and Samuel stood? And he stood by them.5 And sometimes it has the meaning: to abstain and desist. Thus: Because they stood still and answered no more? And she left off 5 bearing.6 Elsewhere it has the meaning: to be stable and durable. Thus: That they may stand many days? Then shalt thou be able to stand? His taste stood in him? that is, it was stable, durable, 5. I Sam. 24:21. I.e., shall be established.
10. Isa. 31:2.
12. Literally: and from this meaning occur many texts.
40 The Guide of the Perplexed 115 [ 22 a and unchanged; His righteousness standeth for ever 10 that is, it is per¬ manent and enduring. Whenever the term standing occurs with reference to God, may He be exalted, it is used in the last sense. Thus: And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, 1 1 that is, his intermediate causes, I mean His effects, shall be established. This shall be made clear when the equivocality of the term foot is mentioned. This meaning also occurs in the words of God, may He be exalted, [to Moses]: But as for thee, stand thou here by Me?2 and in the verse: I stood between the Lord and you™ | CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 14 The equivocality of the word Adam f It is the name of Adam the first man, and is a derivative word; for, as the biblical text states, it is derived from the word adamah.2 It is also the term designating the species. Thus: My spirit shall not abide in man? Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of man? So that man hath no pre-eminence above a beast.5 It is also a term designating the multitude, I mean the generality as distinguished from the elite. Thus: Both the sons of man and the sons of an [ outstanding ] individual.6 This third meaning is to be found in the following verses: The sons of Elohim saw the daughters of man? Nevertheless ye shall die as men* CHAPTER 15 To stand erect \nasob or yasob]. Though these two roots are different, their meaning, as you know, is identical in all their various forms. The term is equivocal. Sometimes it has the meaning of rising and being erect. Thus: And his sister stood erect afar off? The kings of the earth stood 1. In Hebrew the word also means “man.” 2. I.e., earth.
7. Adam in Hebrew. The expression, the daughters of man, signifies “belonging to the common people.” It would seem therefore that the expression, the sons of Elohim, refers to the elite. Gen. 6:2.
8. Ps. 82:7.
1. Exod. 2:4.
erect;2 They came out and stood erect} The term has also another meaning: to be stable and permanent. Thus: Thy word stands erect in heaven;* this means that it is stable and constant. In all cases where this term occurs with reference to the Creator, it has this meaning. Thus: And, behold, the Lord stood erect upon it,5 that is, was stably and constantly upon it — I mean upon the ladder, one end of which is in heaven, while the other end is upon the earth. Everyone who ascends does so climbing up this ladder,6 so that he necessarily apprehends Him who is upon it,7 as He is stably and permanently at the top of the ladder. It is clear that what I say here of Him conforms to the parable propounded. For the angels of \ God 8 are the prophets with reference to whom it is clearly said: And He sent an angel;2 And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim.i0 How well put is the phrase ascending and descending,71 in which ascent comes before descent. For after the ascent and the attaining of certain12 rungs of the ladder that may be known comes the descent with whatever decree15 the prophet has been informed of— with a view to governing and teaching the people of the earth. As we have made clear,1* it is on this account that this is called descent. I shall now return to our purpose. Stood erect upon it signifies God’s being stable, permanent, and constant, not the erect position of a body. The same meaning is to be found in the verse: And thou shalt stand erect upon the rock.iS It has thus been made clear to you that as far as this purpose is concerned the terms to stand erect [nasob] and to stand \}amod~\ have the same meaning. For Scripture also says: Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb.16 6. Literally: upon it climbs and ascends everyone who ascends.
7. The Arabic phrase might also be translated: so that he apprehends Him who is upon it necessarily. However, for syntactic and other reasons, the translation in the text is probably the correct one.
8. Seen by Jacob going up and down the ladder.
12. The Arabic word ma'luma may also be translated “which are known.”
13. The word amr may also be translated “matter” or “thing.”
14. Cf. above in chap. 10: “When a man directs his thought toward a very mean object, he is said to have descended.”
15. Exod. 33:21.
16. Exod. 17:6. This verse appears to state that God will stand.
CHAPTER 16 Rock [sur] is an equivocal term. It is a term denoting a mountain. Thus: And thou shah smite the rock.1 It is also a term denoting a hard stone like flint. Thus: Knives of rock.2 It is, further, a term denoting the quarry from which quarry-stones are hewn. Thus: Look unto the rock whence ye were hewn? Subsequently, in derivation from the last meaning, the term was used figuratively to designate the root and principle of every thing. It is on this account that after saying: Look unto the rock whence ye were hewn, Scripture continues:4 Look unto Abraham your father, and so on,5 giving, as it were, an interpretation according to which the rock whence ye were hewn is Abraham your father. Tread therefore in his foot¬ steps, adhere to his religion, and acquire his character, inasmuch as the nature of a quarry ought to be present in what is hewn from it. On account of the last meaning, God, may He be exalted, is designated as the Rock, as He is the principle I and the efficient cause of all things other than Himself. Accordingly it is said: The Rock, His work is perfect f Of the Rock that begot thee thou wast unmindful;7 Their Rock had given them over,-8 And there is no Rock like our God;9 The Rock of Eternity.19 The verse And thou shalt stand erect upon the rock.11 means: Rely upon, and be firm in considering, God, may He be exalted, as the first principle. This is the entryway through which you shall come to Him, as we have made clear when speaking of His saying [to Moses]: Behold, there is a place by Me.12 CHAPTER 17 Do not think that only the divine science should be withheld from the multitude. This holds good also for the greater part of natural science. In fact we have repeatedly 1 set down for you our dictum: The Account of the Beginning2 ought not to be taught in the presence of two men. This is 12. The verse continues: and thou shalt stand erect upon the rock, a passage just quoted by Maimonides.
1. Cf. I Introduction. 2. I.e., natural science.
23&] The Guide of the Perplexed I - 18 not only the case with regard to people adhering to Law, but also with regard to the philosophers and learned men of the various communities3 in ancient times. For they concealed what they said4, about the first prin¬ ciples and presented it in riddles. Thus Plato and his predecessors designated Matter as the female and Form as the male. Now you know that the prin¬ ciples of the existents subject to generation and corruption are three: Matter, Form, and Particularized Privation, which is always conjoined with Matter. For, were it not for this conjunction with Privation, Matter would not receive Form. It is in this sense that Privation is to be considered as one of the principles. However, when a form is achieved, the particular privation in question, I mean the privation of the form that is achieved, disappears, and another privation is conjoined with matter; and this goes on for ever, as has been made clear in natural science. Now as even those upon whom the charge of corruption would not be laid in the event of clear exposition used terms figuratively and resorted to teaching in similes, | how much all the more is it incumbent upon us, the community of those adhering to Law, not to state explicitly a matter that is either remote from the under¬