G5495 — χείρ (cheír)¶
Core Data¶
- Strong's: G5495
- Original: χείρ
- Transliteration: cheír
- Pronunciation: khire
- Part of Speech: Feminine noun
- Root: Primitive Greek word of uncertain derivation; the noun "hand" in its most fundamental sense
- Occurrences: 169 unique verses (177 tokens) across 21 books
- First Occurrence: Mat 3:12 — "Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor"
- Hapax Legomenon: No
Lexicon Definition¶
χείρ: "the hand" — the physical hand, whether of humans or, figuratively, of God. Used for the anatomical body part, the agent of healing touch, the instrument of arrest, the medium of labor, and the locus of divine power. Covers open, extended, and grasping action; KJV never distinguishes singular/plural contextually since both translate simply as "hand/hands."
Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶
- Primary Domain: 008 — Body, Body Parts, and Body Products
- Subdomain: 008.002 — Parts of the Body
- Related domains: 037 (Control, Rule — the hand as instrument of seizure/authority), 076 (Power, Force — divine hand), 090.001 (Agent — "by the hand of")
- Body-part neighbors in domain: γόνυ (G1119 — knee), γλῶσσα (G1100 — tongue), βάσις (G0939 — foot/base), ἀγκάλη (G0043 — arm/embrace), αὐτόχειρ (G0849 — with one's own hand)
UBS Semantic Domains¶
| Code | Domain Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 008 | Body, Body Parts, and Body Products | Primary body-part classification; neighbors from search_relationships.py: ἀγκάλη (G43), αἷμα (G129), ἄνθρωπος (G444), ἀριστερός (G710), ἁρμός (G719), αὐτόχειρ (G849). |
| 009 | People | Additional classification returned by search_relationships.py; neighbors: αἷμα (G129), ἀνήρ (G435), ἀνθρώπινος (G442), ἄνθρωπος (G444), βρέφος (G1025), γέρων (G1088). |
| 076 | Power, Force | Additional classification returned by search_relationships.py; neighbors: ἀθετέω (G114), ἀθέτησις (G115), ἀκυρόω (G208), ἀναιρέω (G337), ἀρετή (G703), βραχίων (G1023). |
| 037 | Control, Rule | Additional classification returned by search_relationships.py; neighbors: ἀγγαρεύω (G29), ἀγοράζω (G59), αἰχμαλωτίζω (G163), ἀκατάστατος (G182), ἅλυσις (G254), ἀναγκάζω (G315). |
| 090 | Case | Additional classification returned by search_relationships.py; neighbors: αἴρω (G142), ἀναδέχομαι (G324), ἀντί (G473), ἀπέναντι (G561), ἀπέχω (G568), ἀπό (G575). |
| 068 | Aspect | Additional classification returned by search_relationships.py; neighbors: ἀγωνίζομαι (G75), ἀδιάλειπτος (G88), ἀδιαλείπτως (G89), ἀκατάπαυστος (G180), ἀναζωπυρέω (G329), ἀνάπαυσις (G372). |
Translation Distribution (KJV)¶
| Translation | Verses | % |
|---|---|---|
| hand | 73 | 43.2% |
| hands | 74 | 43.8% |
| the hand | 9 | 5.3% |
| the hands | 9 | 5.3% |
| his hands | 5 | 3.0% |
| by the hand | 2 | 1.2% |
| Other | 3 | 1.8% |
Nearly all occurrences (98%) render directly as "hand" or "hands" — no significant semantic shift in translation.
Distribution by Book¶
| Book | Count | Per 100 Verses |
|---|---|---|
| Acts | 44 | 4.4 |
| Philemon | 1 | 4.0 |
| Revelation | 16 | 4.0 |
| Mark | 22 | 3.2 |
| 1 Timothy | 3 | 2.7 |
| Luke | 25 | 2.2 |
| Matthew | 23 | 2.1 |
| 2 Thessalonians | 1 | 2.1 |
| Hebrews | 6 | 2.0 |
| John | 13 | 1.5 |
| Galatians | 2 | 1.3 |
| 2 Timothy | 1 | 1.2 |
| 1 Thessalonians | 1 | 1.1 |
| Colossians | 1 | 1.1 |
| 1 Peter | 1 | 1.0 |
| 1 John | 1 | 1.0 |
| 1 Corinthians | 4 | 0.9 |
| James | 1 | 0.9 |
| Ephesians | 1 | 0.6 |
| 2 Corinthians | 1 | 0.4 |
| Romans | 1 | 0.2 |
Patterns: Concentrated heavily in narrative books (Acts, Mark, Luke, Matthew), where physical actions — healing, arrest, gesture — are described. Acts alone accounts for 26% of all occurrences, reflecting the narrative of signs and laying on of hands. Revelation shows elevated density (4.0) due to symbolic hand-imagery. The Epistles use cheír sparingly, primarily for autograph and bodily labor.
Semantic Categories¶
1. Physical Hand / Anatomical Body Part¶
The neutral, literal use — describing the human hand as a body part.
- Mar 3:1 — "there was a man there which had a withered hand"
- Luk 24:39–40 — "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see"
- Jhn 20:25 — "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails"
- 1Co 12:15, 21 — "if the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body… the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee"
2. Healing Touch and Laying On of Hands¶
The hand as instrument of miraculous healing, blessing, or sacramental impartation.
- Mat 8:3 — "Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean"
- Mar 6:5 — "he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them"
- Act 8:17–19 — "laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost"
- 1Ti 4:14 — "given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery"
- Heb 6:2 — "doctrine of… laying on of hands" — listed as elementary doctrinal teaching
3. Arrest and Hostile Seizure ("Lay Hands On")¶
The hand as instrument of violent or authoritative seizure — arrest, attack, persecution.
- Mat 26:50 — "laid hands on Jesus, and took him"
- Jhn 7:30 — "no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come"
- Luk 21:12 — "they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you"
- Act 4:3 — "they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day"
4. Divine Power and Sovereign Agency ("The Hand of God")¶
The hand as metonym for divine action, judgment, protection, or appointment.
- Act 11:21 — "the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed"
- 1Pe 5:6 — "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you"
- Heb 10:31 — "a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God"
- Act 4:28, 30 — "whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done… By stretching forth thine hand to heal"
5. Into the Hands Of — Transfer of Custody and Authority¶
The hand as receptacle of delegated power; surrender, betrayal, or deliverance into another's control.
- Mat 17:22 — "The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men"
- Luk 23:46 — "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit"
- Jhn 3:35 — "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand"
- Jhn 10:28–29 — "no man shall pluck them out of my hand… no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand"
6. Manual Labor, Craftsmanship, and Personal Autograph¶
The hand as organ of work — physical labor, creation, and the personal handwritten signature in Paul's letters.
- 1Co 4:12 — "working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless"
- Gal 6:11 — "Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand"
- Act 20:34 — "these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me"
- Heb 1:10 — "Thou, Lord… the heavens are the works of thy hands"
Common Collocations¶
| Word | Strong's | Co-occurrences | Typical Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἐπιτίθημι (epitithēmi) | G2007 | 22x | "lay hands on [person]" — healing, ordination, or arrest |
| πούς (pous) | G4228 | 14x | "hand and foot" — paired body parts (binding, resurrection appearances) |
| ἐκτείνω (ekteínō) | G1614 | 13x | "stretched forth his hand" — healing gesture or threatening action |
| κύριος (kyrios) | G2962 | 13x | "the hand of the Lord" — divine agency |
| ἐπιβάλλω (epibállō) | G1911 | 11x | "lay hands on him" — hostile seizure/arrest |
| παραδίδωμι (paradídōmi) | G3860 | 11x | "delivered into the hands of" — betrayal/custody |
| ἐγείρω (egeírō) | G1453 | 10x | "took by the hand and raised up" — healing/resurrection |
Related Words¶
Word Family / Cognates¶
- G5496 χειραγωγέω (cheiragōgeō) — to lead by the hand (guide a blind person); 2x (Act 9:8; 22:11 — Saul led blind after Damascus)
- G5497 χειραγωγός (cheiragōgos) — hand-leader, one who guides by grasping the hand; 1x (Act 13:11)
- G5498 χειρόγραφον (cheirographon) — handwriting, a hand-signed certificate of debt; 1x (Col 2:14) — already studied
- G5499 χειροποίητος (cheiropoiētos) — made with hands, hand-manufactured (often contrasted with divine, eternal things); 6x
- G5500 χειροτονέω (cheirotoneō) — to appoint/ordain (lit. "to stretch out the hand"); 4x (Act 14:23; 2Co 8:19)
Synonyms¶
No direct synonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G5495.
Antonyms¶
No antonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G5495.
Easily Confused Words¶
| Word | Strong's | Shared KJV Translation | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| יָד (yad) | H3027 | both → "hand" | yad = the open/extended hand emphasizing power, direction, agency ("hand of God," "into the hand of"); cheír is a neutral anatomical term |
| כַּף (kaph) | H3709 | both → "hand/hands" | kaph = the hollow palm or cup of the hand — concave shape (palm for receiving, soles of feet); cheír covers both open and grasping hand |
| יַד (yad Aram.) | H3028 | both → "hand" | Aramaic cognate of H3027; used in Daniel/Ezra |
Hebrew Source¶
| Hebrew Source | Strong's | LXX Co-occ | PMI Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יָד (yad) | H3027 | 1,197x | 27.00 | Overwhelming primary — χείρ is the standard LXX rendering of yad |
| כַּף (kaph) | H3709 | 122x | 16.79 | Palm/hollow of hand; secondary mapping |
| נָצַל (natsal) | H5337 | 76x | 11.57 | "Snatch away / deliver" — contextual ("delivered from the hand of") |
| יַד (yad Aram.) | H3028 | 16x | 11.36 | Aramaic form of H3027 |
| סָמַךְ (samak) | H5564 | 27x | 10.80 | "To prop/lean/lay hand upon" — the act of hand-laying |
| נָטָה (natah) | H5186 | 59x | 9.08 | "To stretch out" — stretching forth the hand |
The LXX bridge is extremely strong (PMI 27.00, 1,197 co-occurrences). χείρ is functionally the Greek equivalent of H3027 yad, carrying into the NT the full semantic range of the OT concept.
See Also¶
- TR-yad-cheir.md — cross-testament trace: H3027 יָד → G5495 χείρ
- WG-hands.md — word group: χείρ family (G5495–G5500)
- WG-righthand.md — related word group referencing χείρ
- WG-mark.md — word group: mark of the beast (G5495 as location of the mark)
- G5498-cheirographon.md — cognate word study: handwriting/certificate
- G5480-charagma.md — related study referencing χείρ
- G1497-eidolon.md — related study referencing χείρ
- G2323-therapeuo.md — related study referencing healing-by-hand contexts
- G3359-metopon.md — related study referencing the hand/forehead pairing
- H5414-nathan.md — related study referencing "give into the hand" formulas
- H7429-ramas.md — related study referencing hand/foot trampling contexts
Generated from: gather_word_data.py, search_relationships.py, search_strongs.py (--lexicon, --lxx-map, --hebrew-source) Last updated: 2026-04-28