and since it is necessary that they should all be in the middle it was necessary that some of them should be above others. i mean by above here what would be above if the forearm were lying on its back and this required a benefit which is that some of them should be covered by some so that the covered one would be protected by the covering. therefore the most noble of them was the one that meets the bone because it is protected by the rest. rather this one was more noble because moving it is more noble because it moves two joints of the fingers and the other one is not like that. therefore this one was made greater even though the covered one should be greater than what it covers.
ولما وجب أن تكون كلها في الوسط لم يكن بد من أن يكون بعضها فوق بعض أعني بالفوق ها هنا ما يكون فوقا إذا كان الساعد ملقى على ظهره، ولزم ذلك فائدة وهي أن يكون بعضها مستورا بالبعض ليكون المستور محروسا بالساتر، فلذلك كان أشرفها الذي يلاقي العظم لأنها محروسة بالباقي وإنما كانت هذه أشرف لأن تحريكها اشرف لأنها تحرك مفصلين من الأصابع، ولا كذلك الأخرى، ولذلك جعلت هذه أعظم مع أن المجلل ينبغي أن يكون أعظم مما يجلله.