From the book
Centuries of Meditations
Thomas Traherne · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordWist is an old past-tense form meaning knew.
- In TraherneTraherne quotes Jacob’s awakening at the close of his account of the world as temple, paradise, and gate of heaven.
- In this editionThe 2026 note identifies Genesis 28:16–17 and observes Traherne’s variation from the Authorised Version.
- A place to beginJacob recognizes that God was present while he remained unaware.
Meaning
Wist is an old past-tense form meaning knew. In the phrase “I wist it not,” the speaker acknowledges a reality that was present before he became aware of it.
Use in the book
Traherne quotes Jacob’s awakening at the close of his account of the world as temple, paradise, and gate of heaven. The failure lies in human recognition: beauty and divine presence do not begin only when noticed. The obsolete verb gives a particularly concise form to this difference between possession and awareness. It also helps connect the biblical event with the reader’s own possible awakening. Understanding the single word therefore clarifies the meditation’s whole movement from an unregarded gift to a world consciously received.
Places to read
- I.31Jacob recognizes that God was present while he remained unaware.
In this edition
The 2026 note identifies Genesis 28:16–17 and observes Traherne’s variation from the Authorised Version. Do not silently replace his wording with that version’s “knew.”
Source note
Primary text: I.31; historical gloss and biblical comparison: 2026 edition note to I.31.