Stage 3 · Moses Maimonides (1138–1204)

Moreh Nevukhim: Part I, Chapter 12 — Qimah (Rising)

דלאלהֵ אלחאירין — The Guide of the Perplexed

Qimah ('rising') is equivocal: it means standing up (the opposite of sitting), but also the confirming and making-good of a matter ('the Lord will establish His word'). Of God every 'rising' belongs to this latter sense — He 'arises' to confirm His promise or to execute His decree against the deserving — not to any literal standing; the Sages said, 'above there is neither sitting nor standing.' Hover a phrase to see its English light up; tap any word for a gloss; dotted words are key terms.

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Part One · Chapter Twelve — Qimah

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Qimah is an equivocal noun. One of its senses is standing up, which is the opposite of sitting: 'he neither rose nor stirred before him' (Esth 5:9).

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It also bears the sense of the confirmation and validity of a matter: 'the Lord will establish His word' (1 Sam 1:23); 'and the field of Ephron was made over' (Gen 23:17); 'and the house that is in the city shall be made sure' (Lev 25:30); 'and the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand' (1 Sam 24:21).

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And in this sense is said every 'rising' regarding God, may He be exalted: 'now will I arise, says the Lord' (Ps 12:6) — by which He means, now will I confirm My command, My promise, and My threat. 'Thou wilt arise and have compassion on Zion' (Ps 102:14) — Thou wilt make good what Thou hast promised of compassion for her.

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And since one resolved upon doing some deed sets about doing it by rising, it was said of everyone who rose up for some affair that he 'arose': 'for my son has stirred up my servant against me' (1 Sam 22:8).

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And this sense was borrowed for the execution of God's decree upon a people who deserved punishment for their rising up: 'and I will arise against the house of Jeroboam' (Amos 7:9); 'and he will arise against the house of evildoers' (Isa 31:2).

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And its saying 'now will I arise' may be of this sense, and likewise 'Thou wilt arise and have compassion on Zion' may mean: Thou wilt rise against her enemies.

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Of this meaning many texts have comenot that there is any standing or sitting, may He be exalted. The Sages, peace be upon them, said: 'above there is neither sitting nor standing,' for ʿamad too may come in the sense of qam (to rise).

English is a working draft — alignment is sentence-by-sentence.

Scripture cited in this chapter