Tao Te Ching Chapter 39: The Complete Commentary
The following content provides multi-perspective in-depth analysis of each sentence in this chapter, covering traditional commentaries, philological analysis, philosophical interpretation, and other dimensions. Base text: Wang Bi's Commentary on the Daode Zhenjing, Zhengtong Daozang edition
Each interpretation's "Combination" label follows the format "character + meaning index" (e.g., "道C-可A"), indicating this interpretation uses meaning C of "道" and meaning A of "可". See the full glossary at the end of this chapter: [Appendix: Key Character Glossary].
[Sentence 1] 昔之得一者：(Those that obtained the One in ancient times:)
Chapter 39 · Sentence 1: 昔之得一者：
Combination: 昔B-得A-一A
Translation: Those beings that obtained "the One" (the Tao's unity) in the primordial beginning:
Analysis: "The One" (一) is an alternate name for the Tao (道) or its primary attribute—unity. All things attain their fullness by obtaining this unified source. Wang Bi comments: "昔，始也。一，数之始而物之极也" ("'In ancient times' means 'at the beginning.' 'One' is the origin of numbers and the ultimate principle of all things").
Similar views: Wang Bi: "昔，始也。一，数之始而物之极也" ("'In ancient times' means 'at the beginning.' 'One' is the origin of numbers and the ultimate principle of all things").
Chapter 39 · Sentence 1: 昔之得一者：
Combination: 昔A-得A-一B
Translation: Those beings that obtained the Tao (道) in ages past:
Analysis: Heshanggong comments: "一，无为，道之子也" ("'One' is non-action (无为), the offspring of the Tao"). He equates "the One" with the Tao of non-action. All things attain their nature by obtaining the Tao.
Similar views: Heshanggong: "一，无为，道之子也" ("'One' is non-action, the offspring of the Tao").
[Sentence 2] 天得一以清；地得一以宁；神得一以灵；谷得一以盈；万物得一以生；侯王得一以为天下贞。(Heaven obtained the One and became clear; Earth obtained the One and became tranquil; the spirits obtained the One and became efficacious; the valleys obtained the One and became full; the myriad things obtained the One and came to life; lords and kings obtained the One and became the standard of the world.)
Chapter 39 · Sentence 2: 天得一以清；地得一以宁；神得一以灵；谷得一以盈；万物得一以生；侯王得一以为天下贞。
Combination: 贞A
Translation: Heaven obtained "the One" and thereby became clear; Earth obtained "the One" and thereby became tranquil; the spirits obtained "the One" and thereby became efficacious; the valleys obtained "the One" and thereby became full; the myriad things obtained "the One" and thereby came to life; lords and kings obtained "the One" and thereby became the standard of all under Heaven.
Analysis: Six parallel statements demonstrate the universal function of "the One" (the Tao). From celestial nature to human governance, every category of existence attains its distinctive quality by obtaining the Tao. Wang Bi comments: "各以其一致此清、宁、灵、盈、生、贞" ("Each by virtue of its One attains this clarity, tranquility, efficacy, fullness, life, and rectitude"). This is the concrete unfolding of the Tao giving rise to all things.
Similar views: Wang Bi: "各以其一致此清、宁、灵、盈、生、贞" ("Each by virtue of its One attains this clarity, tranquility, efficacy, fullness, life, and rectitude").
[Sentence 3] 其致之，天无以清，将恐裂；地无以宁，将恐发；神无以灵，将恐歇；谷无以盈，将恐竭；万物无以生，将恐灭；侯王无以贵高将恐蹶。(Taken to the extreme: if Heaven could not be clear, it would crack; if Earth could not be tranquil, it would quake; if the spirits could not be efficacious, they would cease; if the valleys could not be full, they would dry up; if the myriad things could not live, they would perish; if lords and kings could not be noble and exalted, they would stumble.)
Chapter 39 · Sentence 3: 其致之，天无以清，将恐裂；地无以宁，将恐发；神无以灵，将恐歇；谷无以盈，将恐竭；万物无以生，将恐灭；侯王无以贵高将恐蹶。
Combination: 致A
Translation: Examining the reverse: if Heaven could not be clear, it would surely crack apart; if Earth could not be tranquil, it would surely quake and collapse; if the spirits could not be efficacious, they would surely cease; if the valleys could not be full, they would surely run dry; if the myriad things could not live, they would surely perish; if lords and kings could not remain noble and exalted, they would surely be overthrown.
Analysis: Six arguments from the negative. The consequences of losing "the One" are catastrophic: Heaven cracks, Earth quakes, spirits cease, valleys dry up, living things perish, and kings are overthrown. Wang Bi comments: "守一则清不失，用清则恐裂也。故为功之母不可舍也" ("By holding to the One, clarity is not lost; if one merely employs clarity [without the One], it may crack. Therefore the mother of all accomplishment must not be abandoned"). This emphasizes that all things must not forsake the Tao (the One).
Similar views: Wang Bi: "守一则清不失，用清则恐裂也。故为功之母不可舍也" ("By holding to the One, clarity is not lost; if one merely employs clarity, it may crack. Therefore the mother of all accomplishment must not be abandoned").
[Sentence 4] 故贵以贱为本，高以下为基。(Therefore the noble takes the humble as its root; the lofty takes the lowly as its foundation.)
Chapter 39 · Sentence 4: 故贵以贱为本，高以下为基。
Combination: 贱A-本A-下A-基A
Translation: Therefore the noble takes the humble as its root; the lofty takes the lowly as its foundation.
Analysis: From natural principle the argument extends to human affairs. The most important conclusion: that which stands high must be rooted in what is low—without support from below, what is above cannot endure. Heshanggong comments: "犹筑墙造功，因卑成高，不下坚固，后必倾危" ("It is like building a wall: the high is built upon the low; if the base is not solid, it will inevitably topple").
Similar views: Heshanggong: "犹筑墙造功，因卑成高，不下坚固，后必倾危" ("It is like building a wall: the high is built upon the low; if the base is not solid, it will inevitably topple").
[Sentence 5] 是以侯王自称孤、寡、不谷。(This is why lords and kings call themselves "the Solitary," "the Bereft," and "the Unworthy.")
Chapter 39 · Sentence 5: 是以侯王自称孤、寡、不谷。
Combination: 孤A-寡A-不谷A
Translation: This is why lords and kings call themselves "the Solitary" (孤), "the Bereft" (寡), and "the Unworthy" (不谷).
Analysis: "The Solitary" (孤), "the Bereft" (寡), and "the Unworthy" (不谷) are all self-deprecating titles used by ancient rulers—calling oneself by humble names embodies the wisdom that "the noble takes the humble as its root." Although lords and kings hold the highest positions, they use the most self-abasing terms, precisely enacting the principle of taking the humble as one's foundation. Heshanggong comments: "孤寡喻孤独，不毂喻不能如车毂为众辐所凑" ("'Solitary' and 'Bereft' symbolize being alone; 'Unworthy' (不毂) symbolizes being unable to serve as a hub around which the spokes gather").
Similar views: Heshanggong: "孤寡喻孤独，不毂喻不能如车毂为众辐所凑" ("'Solitary' and 'Bereft' symbolize being alone; 'Unworthy' symbolizes being unable to serve as a hub around which the spokes gather").
[Sentence 6] 此非以贱为本耶？非乎？(Is this not taking the humble as one's root? Is it not so?)
Chapter 39 · Sentence 6: 此非以贱为本耶？非乎？
Combination: 反问句式
Translation: Is this not taking the humble as one's root? Is it not so?
Analysis: Laozi reinforces his argument with two rhetorical questions—lords and kings calling themselves "the Solitary," "the Bereft," and "the Unworthy" is precisely the practice of taking the humble as one's root. The double interrogation conveys emphatic conviction. Heshanggong comments: "嗟叹之辞" ("An exclamation of deep feeling").
Similar views: Heshanggong: "嗟叹之辞" ("An exclamation of deep feeling").
[Sentence 7] 故致数誉无誉。(Therefore, pursuing excessive praise results in no praise at all.)
Chapter 39 · Sentence 7: 故致数誉无誉。
Combination: 致A-数A-誉A-誉A
Translation: Therefore, pursuing excessive praise results in no praise at all.
Analysis: A surface-level reading. Excessive pursuit of praise instead provokes aversion, just as what is full overflows—the principle that things carried to the extreme reverse themselves.
Similar views: Consistent with Laozi's thought: "不自伐故有功" ("He who does not boast of himself therefore has merit").
Chapter 39 · Sentence 7: 故致数誉无誉。
Combination: 致A-数B-誉B-誉B
Translation: Therefore, if one takes a carriage apart piece by piece and counts its components, there is no carriage left.
Analysis: The Wang Bi edition reads "致数舆无舆" (舆 = carriage). If one disassembles a carriage into spokes, wheels, hub, crossbar—naming each part individually—the "carriage" as a whole ceases to exist. This metaphor illustrates that the noble and the humble, the high and the low, are mutually dependent constituents of an inseparable whole. Heshanggong comments: "言人就车数之为辐、为轮、为毂、为衡、为舆，无有名为车者，故成为车" ("When one takes a carriage apart and counts it as spokes, wheels, hub, crossbar, and body, nothing remains that can be called 'carriage'—and yet it is these parts that constitute the carriage").
Similar views: Heshanggong: "就车数之为辐、为轮……无有名为车者" ("Take a carriage apart and count its parts as spokes, wheels… nothing remains that can be called 'carriage'"). Wang Bi: "玉石琭琭珞珞，体尽于形" ("Jade gleams and stone is rough—their substance is exhausted in their form").
[Sentence 8] 不欲琭琭如玉，珞珞如石。(Do not desire to gleam like jade, but rather be rough-hewn like stone.)
Chapter 39 · Sentence 8: 不欲琭琭如玉，珞珞如石。
Combination: 不欲-琭琭-如玉-珞珞-如石
Translation: Do not desire to be lustrous and precious like jade; rather, be plain and solid like stone.
Analysis: The concluding line of the chapter. Jade is lustrous but rare (symbolizing the exalted and precious); stone is coarse but common (symbolizing the humble and unadorned). Laozi says: do not seek to be precious and conspicuous like jade, but be plain and unpretentious like stone. Heshanggong comments: "玉少故见贵，石多故见贱。言不欲如玉为人所贵，如石为人所贱，当处其中也" ("Jade is rare and therefore valued; stone is common and therefore disdained. This means one should not desire to be valued like jade or disdained like stone, but should dwell in the middle").
Similar views: Heshanggong: "不欲如玉为人所贵，如石为人所贱，当处其中也" ("One should not desire to be valued like jade or disdained like stone, but should dwell in the middle").
Chapter Summary
This chapter contains 10 interpretation combinations.
[Core Divergences]
- The nature of "the One" (一): an alternate name for the Tao / the unified source (mainstream reading) vs. the Tao's first manifestation / the first nameable existent (numerical reading) vs. the Tao of non-action (无为) (Heshanggong's reading) → each of the three interpretations is well-supported, and the choice determines whether "obtaining the One" means obtaining the Tao, obtaining unity, or obtaining non-action.
- The textual divergence in "致数誉无誉": the received text's "数誉" (excessive praise) vs. the silk manuscripts and Wang Bi edition's "数舆" (disassembling a carriage) → the two versions yield radically different meanings: the former is a theory of fame ("excessive praise leads to no praise"), while the latter is a theory of holism ("disassembly destroys the whole"). This is a classic case in Tao Te Ching textual criticism.
- The value orientation of "不欲琭琭如玉，珞珞如石": neither seeking jade's preciousness nor accepting stone's lowliness (the Middle Way reading, Heshanggong) vs. preferring stone's plainness over jade's splendor (the "valuing simplicity" reading) → this affects Laozi's final position on the relationship between the noble and the humble.
- The levels of application of "贵以贱为本，高以下为基": natural law (universal truth) vs. political principle (rulers should take the people as their root) vs. inner cultivation (inner nobility must be rooted in humility) → all three levels are valid, but the practical paths differ.
- The significance of "侯王自称孤、寡、不谷": traditional political self-deprecation embodying "taking the humble as one's root" (ritual level) vs. a genuinely internalized moral cultivation of self-abasement (spiritual level) → is this merely ceremonial humility or a deep-seated expression of values?
Chapter Thirty-nine takes "obtaining the One" (得一) as its core concept, systematically expounding on the universal function of "the One" (the Tao's unified source). Six categories of existence—Heaven, Earth, spirits, valleys, the myriad things, and lords and kings—each attain their distinctive quality by obtaining "the One" (clarity, tranquility, efficacy, fullness, life, and rectitude). Arguing from the reverse, the loss of these qualities leads to catastrophic disintegration: Heaven cracks, Earth quakes, spirits cease, valleys dry up, creatures perish, and kings are overthrown. From this emerges the core proposition: the noble takes the humble as its root; the lofty takes the lowly as its foundation. Lords and kings calling themselves "the Solitary," "the Bereft," and "the Unworthy" is precisely the concrete practice of taking the humble as one's root. "致数誉无誉" (or "致数舆无舆") encapsulates the first half: excessive pursuit of praise leads to losing all praise; forcible analysis of a whole leads to the loss of that whole—the Tao cannot be dissected and analyzed, for once dissected, "the One" is lost. The chapter concludes with "不欲琭琭如玉，珞珞如石": do not covet jade's preciousness, nor resign oneself to stone's lowliness—those who keep to the Tao possess their own serene transcendence of the distinction between noble and humble. This chapter represents Laozi's most rigorous synthesis of holistic philosophy and dialectical reasoning.
Appendix: Key Character Glossary
【昔】
A. [n.] In ancient times; in the past
Source: Basic meaning
B. [n.] The primordial beginning; the very start
Source: Wang Bi's commentary: "昔，始也" ("'In ancient times' means 'at the beginning'").
【之】
A. [part.] Structural particle (used between subject and predicate)
Source: Function word
【得】
A. [v.] To obtain; to acquire
Source: Basic meaning
【一】
A. [n.] The One; the Tao's unity; the Tao as a whole
Source: Wang Bi's commentary: "一，数之始而物之极也" ("'One' is the origin of numbers and the ultimate principle of all things").
B. [n.] The Tao (道); an alternate name for the Tao
Source: Heshanggong's commentary: "一，无为，道之子也" ("'One' is non-action, the offspring of the Tao").
【者】
A. [part.] Those that…; the things that…
Source: Basic meaning
【天】
A. [n.] Heaven
Source: Basic meaning
【清】
A. [adj.] Clear; limpid
Source: Basic meaning
【地】
A. [n.] Earth
Source: Basic meaning
【宁】
A. [adj.] Tranquil; at peace
Source: Basic meaning
【神】
A. [n.] Spirits; deities
Source: Basic meaning
B. [n.] Spirit; the spiritual
Source: Extended meaning
【灵】
A. [adj.] Efficacious; numinous
Source: Basic meaning
【谷】
A. [n.] Valley; river valley
Source: Basic meaning
B. [n.] Phonetic loan for 毂 (gǔ). Wheel hub ("不毂" means "unable to serve as a hub that gathers the spokes")
Source: Phonetic loan character
【盈】
A. [adj.] Full; brimming
Source: Basic meaning
【万物】
A. [n.] The myriad things; all things
Source: Basic meaning
【生】
A. [v.] To live; to grow; to come into being
Source: Basic meaning
【侯王】
A. [n.] Lords and kings; feudal rulers and sovereigns
Source: Basic meaning
【贞】
A. [adj.] Upright; correct; the standard
Source: Heshanggong's commentary: "能为天下平正" ("Able to bring rectitude to all under Heaven").
【致】
A. [v.] To push to the extreme; to examine thoroughly
Source: Basic meaning
【裂】
A. [v.] To crack; to split apart
Source: Basic meaning
【发】
A. [v.] To quake; to collapse
Source: Extended meaning
【歇】
A. [v.] To cease; to wane
Source: Basic meaning
【竭】
A. [v.] To be exhausted; to dry up
Source: Basic meaning
【灭】
A. [v.] To perish; to be destroyed
Source: Basic meaning
【蹶】
A. [v.] To stumble; to be overthrown
Source: Basic meaning
【故】
A. [conj.] Therefore
Source: Basic meaning
【贵】
A. [adj.] Noble; precious
Source: Basic meaning
【以】
A. [part.] By means of; taking…as
Source: Preposition
【贱】
A. [adj.] Humble; lowly
Source: Opposite of 贵 (noble)
【为】
A. [v.] To serve as; to act as
Source: Basic meaning
【本】
A. [n.] Root; foundation
Source: Basic meaning
【高】
A. [adj.] Lofty; exalted
Source: Basic meaning
【下】
A. [adj.] Low; lowly
Source: Opposite of 高 (lofty)
【基】
A. [n.] Foundation; base
Source: Basic meaning
【孤】
A. [n.] "The Solitary" (a ruler's self-deprecating title)
Source: Signifying solitude and lack of virtue
【寡】
A. [n.] "The Bereft" (a ruler's self-deprecating title)
Source: One who is lacking in virtue
【不】
A. [adv.] Not
Source: Basic meaning
【此】
A. [pron.] This
Source: Basic meaning
【非】
A. [adv.] Is not; negation
Source: Basic meaning
【耶】
A. [part.] Interrogative particle (rhetorical question)
Source: Interrogative particle
【数】
A. [adj.] Numerous; excessive
Source: Extended meaning
B. [v.] To count; to disassemble and enumerate
Source: Wang Bi's commentary implies the sense of "taking apart piece by piece"
【誉】
A. [n.] Praise; honor
Source: Basic meaning
B. [n.] Carriage (phonetic loan for 舆)
Source: Wang Bi edition reads 舆. "数舆无舆"—disassemble the carriage and no carriage remains
【无】
A. [v.] To lack; to have no
Source: Basic meaning
【欲】
A. [v.] To desire; to seek
Source: Basic meaning
【琭】
A. [adj.] Lustrous and splendid like jade
Source: Heshanggong's commentary: "琭琭喻少" ("'Lustrous' symbolizes rarity"). Jade is rare and therefore precious
【如】
A. [v.] Like; resembling
Source: Basic meaning
【玉】
A. [n.] Jade
Source: Basic meaning
【珞】
A. [adj.] Rough and solid like stone
Source: Heshanggong's commentary: "珞珞喻多" ("'Rough' symbolizes abundance"). Stone is common and therefore of little value
【石】
A. [n.] Stone
Source: Basic meaning