WG: Hands (χείρ Word Family)

Overview

The χείρ (cheír) word family in Greek groups words derived from or compounded with the root χείρ ("hand"). These words share the semantic domain of the hand as body part, instrument, agent, and symbol. Together they cover: the physical hand, guiding by hand, things made with hands, documents written by hand, and appointment by raising the hand.

Word Group Members

Strong's	Word	Transliteration	POS	Occurrences	Role in Concept	Library Entry
G5495	χείρ	cheír	feminine noun	169	The hand itself — central term for the body part in all its uses	G5495-cheir.md
G5496	χειραγωγέω	cheiragōgeō	verb	2	To lead by the hand — guide a blind or helpless person	TODO(need G5496 study)
G5497	χειραγωγός	cheiragōgos	masculine noun	1	Hand-leader — one who guides another by the hand	TODO(need G5497 study)
G5498	χειρόγραφον	cheirographon	neuter noun	1	Handwriting, certificate of debt — a hand-signed bond	G5498-cheirographon.md
G5499	χειροποίητος	cheiropoiētos	adjective	6	Made with hands — hand-manufactured (usually pejorative)	TODO(need G5499 study)
G5500	χειροτονέω	cheirotoneō	verb	4	Appoint, ordain — lit. "to stretch out the hand" in election	TODO(need G5500 study)

Relationships

Shared Roots

All members compound χείρ with a second element: - G5496/G5497: χείρ + ἀγωγός (leading/guiding) → "hand-leader" - G5498: χείρ + γράφω (write) → "hand-written document" - G5499: χείρ + ποιέω (make/do) → "hand-made" - G5500: χείρ + τείνω (stretch) → "stretch out the hand" (for vote/appointment)

Co-occurrence (shared distinct verses)

Word A	Word B	Shared Verses	Typical Context
G5495 cheír	G5497 cheiragōgos	1x	Act 13:11 — Saul led hand to hand after being struck blind
G5495 cheír	G5496 cheiragōgeō	0x	Related action but not in same verse

Members are mostly independent in usage — each appears in distinct contexts. The low co-occurrence is expected: these words describe different uses of the hand, not different aspects of the same scene.

Key Passages per Member

• G5495 χείρ — Mat 8:3 (healing); Act 8:17 (laying on hands); Jhn 10:28 (Father's hand); Rev 14:9 (mark in hand)
• G5496 χειραγωγέω — Act 9:8 ("they led him by the hand"); Act 22:11 (Paul after Damascus road)
• G5497 χειραγωγός — Act 13:11 — "Go about, seeking some to lead thee by the hand" (Elymas struck blind)
• G5498 χειρόγραφον — Col 2:14 — "blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us"
• G5499 χειροποίητος — Mar 14:58; Act 7:48; 17:24; Heb 9:11, 24 — "temple made with hands" (human construction vs. divine)
• G5500 χειροτονέω — Act 14:23 ("ordained elders in every church"); 2Co 8:19 ("chosen of the churches")

Roles in the Concept

• χείρ (G5495): The foundational term — body part, divine agency, instrument of healing, arrest, labor, and apocalyptic symbolism
• χειραγωγέω / χειραγωγός (G5496/G5497): The hand as guide — physical assistance for the blind or helpless; both appear only in Acts in contexts of blindness
• χειρόγραφον (G5498): The hand as writer — the signed legal document; in Col 2:14, the debt-bond nailed to the cross
• χειροποίητος (G5499): The hand as maker — what humans build with hands (typically contrasted with what God inhabits or creates); Stephen's speech and Hebrews use this to argue against temple-worship
• χειροτονέω (G5500): The hand as voter — raised in election/appointment; the NT church appointed elders this way

Key Distinctions

• Made with hands vs. not made with hands: The NT uses χειροποίητος (G5499) repeatedly to contrast human-built structures (temples, idols) with the divine and eternal. The contrast "not made with hands" (ἀχειροποίητος) occurs 3x (Mar 14:58; 2Co 5:1; Col 2:11)
• χειραγωγέω vs. χείρ: Both involve the hand, but χειραγωγέω is specifically the act of guiding — always in the context of blindness (Saul's blindness; Elymas's blindness)
• χειροτονέω: Though etymologically "to stretch out the hand," by NT usage it means simply "to appoint/elect" — not requiring literal hand gesture

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Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py G5495 G5496 G5497 G5498 G5499 G5500 Last updated: 2026-04-02