The Kabbalah Unveiled — S. L. MacGregor Mathers (from Knorr von Rosenroth's Latin) (1887)

13. And the Tetragrammaton hath said : “My spirit shall not strive with man for ever, seeing that he also is in the flesh.” (In this passage, when it is said :) “ And the Tetragrammaton hath said,” (it is to be noted that) after that there was formed (the supernal structure), in the last place concerning Microprosopus (this name is

THE BOOK OF CONCEALED MYSTERY.

understood). For when it is said, u He calleth this also by the name,” the Ancient One speaketh occultly in a hidden manner.

[The Ancient One is symbolized by the pronoun He in the sentence, “ He calleth this also by the name.”]

1 4. “ My spirit shall not strive with man.” (Here is understood, not the spirit of Microprosopus, but) that which is from the supernals, because from that spirit which rusheth forth from the two nostrils of the nose of Macroprosopus the influx is sent down unto the inferiors.

15. And because it is written (in the same place) u And his days shall be a hundred and twenty years,” I, Yod , is either perfect (whensoever its singular parts exist in the form of decads) or imperfect (when they are in monads or units). When (therefore) Yod (is placed by itself) alone (it is understood to be perfect, because in itself it containeth) a hundred. (But if) two letters (are put, then are understood the ten units) twice reckoned ; (hence are produced) the hundred and twenty years.

[The “ singular parts ” of Yod are the numbers from one to ten, for the number of Yod is ten. But when Yod is taken as its square IxI=ioxio=ioo. But II=IxI+I+I (or the two letters both multiplied and added together) = 10x10+10+10=1 20. But when Yod =100, its digits are tens and not units — namely, the numbers 10, 20, 30, &c., instead of 1, 2, 3, &c.

16. Yod is alone whensoever he is manifested in Microprosopus (that is, when the lights of Macroprosopus descend into Him, then indeed the paths of the decads are increased, and this decad) is increased into ten thousands (by the paths joined with the four letters of the Tetragrammaton) of years. (But) hence (if it be conceived only according unto the power of Macroprosopus, it hath that position) which is written, Ps. cxxxix. 5 :

“ And thou shalt place upon me thine hand : ” KPKH,
Khepliaklia . (Where this word KPKH, if it be written

H 2

KABBALAH .

according to the usual custom KPK, Kliepliakh , yieldeth the number 120. But now by adding the paragogic H of the female, there is given the number 125, on account of the five severities.)

[“ This decad is increased into ten thousand by the paths joined with the four letters of the Tetragrammaton ” — i.e., the paths are the Sephiroth==the numbers from one to ten; and they are said to be joined with the four letters by multiplying the decad to the fourth power, or io4. Hence for I, the first letter, we have 10 x 1 = 10 ; for H, the second letter, we have 10 x 10= 100 ; for V, the third letter, 10x10x10=1,000; and for H, the fourth letter, 10 x 10 x 10 x 10= 10,000.

In the Shemitic languages, a paragogic letter is one which is added to a word to give it additional emphasis.]

1 7. cc There were giants in the earth,” Gen. vi. 4. (If this word HIY, Hayu , is considered, which also is a form of the often varied name, it taketh its rise from the kingdom.) This is that which is written, Gen. ii. 10: “ And thence is it divided, and is in four heads.” (Where is understood the end of that emanation which the separated universe followeth. Nevertheless) from the place where the body is divided, they are called those trees (or, as the Mantuan Codex correcteth the passage : Where the garden is divided, and the seven inferior emanations are understood ; where then it divideth the universe into the inferior worlds and provideth a habitation for the shells or spirits of matter). Hence it is written : u And from hence is it divided.”

[“ The shells ”= elemental spirits. The Qabalah always calls the evil elemental spirits of matter “ shells.”]