WG: Right Hand / Session / Authority
Overview
The right-hand concept in the NT clusters around spatial position, divine authority, and enthronement. Six words form the core group: the directional adjectives (right and left), the sitting verbs, and the body part.
Word Group Members
| Strong's |
Word |
Transliteration |
POS |
Occurrences |
Role in Concept |
Library Entry |
| G1188 |
δεξιός |
dexios |
adj |
53 |
The position (right hand/side) |
G1188-dexios.md |
| G2176 |
εὐώνυμος |
euonymos |
adj |
10 |
Antithetic pair (left, euphemistic) |
TODO(need G2176 study) |
| G710 |
ἀριστερός |
aristeros |
adj |
3 |
Antithetic pair (left hand) |
TODO(need G710 study) |
| G2521 |
κάθημαι |
kathemai |
verb |
87 |
The posture (sitting, being seated) |
TODO(need G2521 study) |
| G2523 |
καθίζω |
kathizo |
verb |
46 |
The action (to sit down, to seat) |
G2523-kathizo.md |
| G5495 |
χείρ |
cheir |
noun |
169 |
The body part (hand) |
G5495-cheir.md |
Relationships
Shared Roots
- dexios (G1188) and dexiolabos (G1187) — from the same root (δεξ- / dechomai G1209)
- kathemai (G2521) and kathizo (G2523) — both from κατά + ἵζω/ἧμαι ("to sit/seat")
- euonymos (G2176) literally "well-named" — euphemism for the left (avoiding the inauspicious ἀριστερός)
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)
| Word A |
Word B |
Shared Verses |
Typical Context |
| dexios (G1188) |
kathemai (G2521) |
12 |
"sitting at the right hand" — session formula |
| dexios (G1188) |
kathizo (G2523) |
10 |
"sit at my right hand" — enthronement command |
| dexios (G1188) |
euonymos (G2176) |
8 |
"right...and left" — spatial pairing in judgment scenes |
| dexios (G1188) |
cheir (G5495) |
6 |
"right hand" — explicit hand mention |
| euonymos (G2176) |
kathizo (G2523) |
4 |
"sit on the left" — paired with right-hand request |
| dexios (G1188) |
aristeros (G710) |
3 |
"right hand and left" — complete spatial coverage |
| kathemai (G2521) |
cheir (G5495) |
2 |
sitting + hand in same verse |
LXX Overlaps
| Hebrew Words |
Shared Greek |
Notes |
| yamiyn (H3225) + smowl (H8040) |
dexios + euonymos / aristeros |
Hebrew right/left pair maps cleanly to Greek right/left pair |
| yashab (H3427) |
kathemai + kathizo |
Single Hebrew verb splits into two Greek verbs (stative vs. ingressive) |
Roles in the Concept
- Position: dexios (δεξιός) — the honored right side; the spatial referent for authority
- Contrast: euonymos (εὐώνυμος) / aristeros (ἀριστερός) — the left side; antithetic position in judgment (Mat 25:33) and spatial pairing
- Posture: kathemai (κάθημαι) — ongoing seated state at the right hand
- Action: kathizo (καθίζω) — the act of taking the seat; enthronement verb
- Instrument: cheir (χείρ) — the hand itself; makes the session metaphor concrete
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together
- Mat 20:21 — [dexios + euonymos + kathizo] "Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom"
- Mat 20:23 — [dexios + euonymos + kathizo] "to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give"
- Mar 10:37 — [dexios + euonymos + kathizo] "Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory"
- Mar 10:40 — [dexios + euonymos + kathizo] "But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give"
- Rev 10:2 — [dexios + euonymos + cheir] "he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth"
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py
Last updated: 2026-04-27