thiên thư
Definition
- Noun:
- Heavenly Book / Celestial Book: An archaic term referring to a sacred text or scripture believed to be of divine, heavenly origin, containing the laws or decrees of heaven.
- Divine Law / Mandate of Heaven: The concept of a heavenly ordained law or decree that governs the natural and moral order.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Các bậc đế vương tin rằng quyền lực của mình được ghi trong thiên thư. (Emperors believed their power was inscribed in the Heavenly Book.)
- Hành động đó được coi là trái với thiên thư. (That action was considered contrary to the Divine Law.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily found in classical, literary, or historical contexts, especially related to Confucian or imperial Vietnamese texts discussing the ruler's divine mandate.
Variants and Related Words
- Thiên mệnh (n): The Mandate of Heaven; a closely related concept concerning the right to rule granted by heaven.
- Nhà vua cai trị theo thiên mệnh. (The king ruled according to the Mandate of Heaven.)
Synonyms
- Sacred decree: A formal and authoritative order of divine origin.
- Celestial mandate: A commission or command from heaven.
Related Idioms
- "Thuận thiên giả tồn, nghịch thiên giả vong": (Those who follow heaven prosper, those who defy it perish.) This proverb reflects the principle inherent in the concept of .