국가의 통치 원칙에서부터 백성의 일상에 이르기까지 정치·경제·사회·문화 전반의 규범을 담은 책으로, 조선왕조 500여 년 동안 나라를 다스리는 기본 법전 역할을 했다. 세조世祖(재위 1455~1468) 대 집필을 시작해 편찬과 수정을 네 차례 거쳤으며, 1485년(성종 16)에 완성·반포되었다. 권6 마지막에 ‘만력萬曆 31년 3월 신간新刊’이라는 간기刊記가 있어 이 유물이 1603년 판본임을 알 수 있다.

This is a book that contains norms across the political, economic, social, and cultural spheres, encompassing principles of state governance to the daily lives of the common people. It served as the basic code of laws that governed the country for approximately five centuries during the Joseon Dynasty. Its writing began during the reign of King Sejo (r. 1455–1468), and it underwent four compilations and revisions, finally being completed and distributed in 1485 (the 16th year of King Seongjong’s reign). At the end of Book 6, there is a brief publication note that reads, “Newly published in the 3rd lunar month of the 31st year of the Wanli era.” The Wanli era refers to the reign of the 14th emperor of China’s Ming dynasty (1573–1620). This detail indicates that this artifact is a 1603 edition.