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Question: What does “right hand” mean? Here are some examples from the Bible (NLT).
Psalm 18:35 You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great.
Psalm 48:10 As your name deserves, O God, you will be praised to the ends of the earth. Your strong right hand is filled with victory.
Psalm 63:8 I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.
Psalm 73:23 Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.
Psalm 138:7 Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me.
Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 48:13 It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth, my right hand that spread out the heavens above. When I call out the stars, they all appear in order.”
Matthew 26:64 Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Well, its obvious Mara! Not “southpaw” :)
I had to think about your answer Mark. Then I realized my question was incomplete. What does “right hand” mean in the context of the Bible quotes mentioned above? What is the significance of the right hand? Why isn’t reference made to the left hand? Any ideas?
This is lengthy:
RIGHT AND LEFT (right: Heb. יָמִין; Akk. imnu, imittu; Ugaritic, ymn; left: Heb. שְׂמֹאל; Akk. šumēlu; Ugaritic, (u)šmʾal; and common Semitic). The biblical usages of “right” and “left” are basically fourfold: right as opposed to left; directions (cardinal points); strength and weakness; merism. As is the case in many cultures, right is favored over left in various contexts. Examples for each of these usages will be presented below, as well as Ancient Near Eastern parallels wherever appropriate.
Right as Opposed to Left
Right and left play an important role in Jacob’s final blessing to his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 48: 12–20), whom Joseph places at the left and right sides of Jacob, respectively (verse 13), expecting his father to place his right hand on Manasseh (the firstborn) and his left on Ephraim, and then bless them. But Jacob crosses his hands, placing his right hand on Ephraim (verse 14) and his left on Manasseh, despite Joseph’s objections (verse 18). Jacob explains his actions by stating that Ephraim will be greater than Manasseh (verse 19). Right and left parts of the body also play an important role in sacrifices as may be seen from the following phrases which occur many times in the Book of Leviticus and elsewhere: “the right thigh” (Ex. 29:22; Lev. 7:32, 33; 8:25, 26; Num. 18:18, etc.); “the right ear and the right thumb [or big toe]” (Ex. 29:20; Lev. 8:23, 24; 14:14, 17, 25, 28, etc.). Two Ancient Near Eastern parallels to this usage in sacrifice have been found at Ugarit. In one (RŠ 24.253; Ugaritica, 5 (1955), no. 13), in a sacrificial context, the phrase Žṣb šmʾal dalpm appears which may be provisionally translated: “the left protuberances [?] of two bulls.” In another (RŠ 261.247; not yet published but quoted by C.H. Gordon, Ugaritic Textbook (1965), Glossary, nos. 1107, 2393a), the phrase šq ymn occurs, which is the same as the Hebrew shoq ha-yamin, שׁוֹק הַיָּמִין, “right thigh,” quoted above. Finally, the right side (of the throne) is usually the side on which the king’s or God’s associates sit (I Kings 2:19, the queen; Zech. 3:1, Satan; Ps. 109:6, Satan, etc.). This is paralleled in Ugaritic literature by the following passage: tʿdb ksu wyṯṯb lymn aliyn Bʿl, “A throne is placed and he is seated to the right of Puissant Baʾal” (II AB 5:108–10; Pritchard, Texts, 134).
Direction (Cardinal Points)
Because the Hebrews – like others – oriented themselves by the place where the sun rises, in many biblical passages “right” means “south” and “left” means “north.” In Abraham’s separation from Lot (Gen. 13:9ff.), Abraham says (according to one interpretation): “If [you go] north [הַשְּׂמֹאל], I will go south [וְאֵימִנָה]; And if you go south [הַיָּמִין],I will go north [וְאַשְׂמְאִילָה].” The southern border of Manasseh is described in the Book of Joshua as ha-gevulʾel ha-yamin (הַגְּבוּל אֶל־הַיָּמִין, Josh. 17:7) “the boundary of the right,” while “north of Damascus” is expressed as mi-semoʾl le-Dammeseq (מִשְּׂמֹאל לְדַמָּשֶׂק), “to the left of Damascus” (Gen. 14:15). Perhaps the most instructive passages for this usage are those which use right and left together with the regular words for the other directions: “North and south [צָפוֹן וְיָמִין] You [God] have created them” (Ps. 89:13); “Then it [the border] turns eastward [מִזְרַח הַשֶּמֶשׁ]… and touches… northward [צָפוֹנָה], then it continues northward [מִשְּׂמֹאל ; lit. “left”]…” Josh. 19:27). Finally, the tribe *Benjamin (ben-yamin, “son of the right”) was the most southern tribe in “the House of Joseph” (II Sam. 19:17–21), and this usage has a direct parallel in the Mari letters where both the DUMU-Iamīna, “southern tribe,” and the DUMU-Simal, “northern tribe,” are often mentioned (e.g., Archives royales de Mari, 1 (1950), 60:9, p. 116). Semantically, DUMU-Iamīna (probably to read mārē-yamīna) is exactly parallel to Benjamin, though there is no valid evidence for any historical connection between the two.
Strength and Weakness
It is clear from several biblical verses that “right [hand]” was often a symbol for strength. The “right hand of God” was that which overcame Israel’s enemies (Ex. 15:6, 12; Isa. 62:8; Ps. 17:7; 44:4, etc.) and which was worthy of the Psalmists’ praises (Ps. 98:1; 118:15, 16, etc.). The “right eye” was considered the more valuable (Zech. 11:17) and it was the putting out of “every right eye” which Nahash the Ammonite demanded in return for making a nonaggresion pact with the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead (I Sam. 11:2). Conversely, that left-handedness was conceived of as a weakness, even a malady, is seen from the description of Ehud (Judg. 3:15), where the latter is called ʾishʾiṭṭer yad yemino (אִישׁ אִטֵּר יַד יְמִינוֹ), “a man obstructed [in the use of] his right hand.” The word used for “obstructed” is of the nominal construction that is usually utilized for physical defects–e.g., “blind” (עִוֵּר), “dumb” (אִלֵּם), and “deaf ” (חֵרֵשׁ). Left-handed men are mentioned elsewhere in Judges 20:16, where it is stated that (despite their left-handedness) they never missed the target, and in I Chronicles 12:2, where both right-handed and left-handed men are mentioned. The right side of a man is the side on which God “marches” when assisting him in battle (Isa. 63:12; Ps. 109:31; 110:1, 5) and it is the right hand which God grasps as a symbol of election (Isa. 41:13; 45:1; Ps. 73:23). Finally, the pair “hand//right hand” is often used in synonymous parallelism to evoke the image of the might of God (Ps. 21:9; 74:11; 89:14; 91:7 (emended); 138:7; 139:10), the brave deeds of Israel’s war heroes (Judg. 5:26), or God’s power of creation (Isa. 48:13). In extra-biblical sources, the Ugaritic parallel pair yd//ymn, “hand//right hand,” is often found conjuring up the same image of power as its biblical counterpart (e.g., II 76:6–7): qšthn aḥd bydh wqṣʿth bm ymḥ, “His bow he has taken in his hand, also his darts in his right hand.” The Akkadian creation epic, Enūma eliš, yields an interesting parallel to the use of “the right hand of God” iššīma miṭṭa imnašu ušāḥiz, “He [Marduk] lifted the mace, grasped it in his right hand” (Enūma eliš 4:37; Pritchard, Texts, 66). Finally, the Epilogue of the Code of Hammurapi has a parallel to God’s proceeding on the right side when helping someone in battle: Zababa… āliku imniya ašar tamḥārim kakkīšu lišbir, “May Zababa … who goes at my right side break his weapons on the battlefield” (27:81–87; Pritchard, Texts, 179; cf. Isa. 63:12). Related to the opposition strengthweakness is the opposition good luck-bad luck, which seems to be represented in Ecclesiastes 10:2; as interpreted in the (Hebrew) commentary of H.L. Ginsberg: “The wise man’s mind (tends) to his right (i.e., to what brings him good luck), and the fool’s to his left.” The belief that omens that appear on the right side are lucky and such as appear on the left unlucky is implied by Ezekiel 21:27. Parallels from other cultures are very numerous. In Arabic, for example, šimāl means both “left hand” and “bad omen” (see also the Arabic dictionary on the verbs šaʿama and yamana and their derivatives).
Merism
Perhaps the most common usage of right and left in the Bible is as a merism meaning “everywhere, in any direction.” The phrase “to deviate from the path in any direction” (Num. 20:17; 22:26; Deut. 2:27; 5:29; 17:11; I Sam. 6:12, etc.) is so common that it had probably reached the level of a cliché in early biblical times. Aside from “path,” “instructions” (e.g., Josh. 1:7; 23:6), “commandment” (e.g., Deut. 17:20), and “commandments” (e.g., Deut. 28:14) may also be the object of deviation. In the same way, the verbal forms “to go right” and “to go left” are used together meaning “to depart from in any way” (II Sam. 14:19; Isa. 30:21). The meaning “everywhere” is also very common for this merism (I Kings 22:19; Isa. 9:19; Zech. 12:6, etc.). In extra-biblical sources, right and left are often used as a merism which may be seen from the following Akkadian and Ugaritic passages: panukki Šēdu arkātuk Lamassu imnuk mešrû(!) šumēlukki dumqu, “Before you is the protective spirit, behind you is the protective goddess, at your right riches, at your left prosperity” (E. Ebeling, Die akkadische Gebetsserie Šu-ilu “Handerhebung”… (1953), 60:16–17); yʿdb uymn ušmal bphm “[things] are placed in their mouths ‘on right and on left'” (C.H. Gordon, Ugaritic Textbook (1965), 52:63–64; cf. Isa. 9:19).
“As is the case in many cultures, right is favored over left. . . .”
Thanks Gene! That is interesting. I had a feeling it had something to do with culture. The people of those earlier OT times understood its usage and NT times too. I think there is a larger meaning, as for example in this reference which includes Gabriel’s remarks in quotation marks.
136:3.5 While he tarried on the mountain, talking with Gabriel, the Constellation Father of Edentia appeared to Jesus and Gabriel in person, saying: “The records are completed. The sovereignty of Michael number 611,121 over his universe of Nebadon rests in completion at the right hand of the Universal Father. I bring to you the bestowal release of Immanuel, your sponsor-brother for the Urantia incarnation. You are at liberty now or at any subsequent time, in the manner of your own choosing, to terminate your incarnation bestowal, ascend to the right hand of your Father, receive your sovereignty, and assume your well-earned unconditional rulership of all Nebadon. I also testify to the completion of the records of the superuniverse, by authorization of the Ancients of Days, having to do with the termination of all sin-rebellion in your universe and endowing you with full and unlimited authority to deal with any and all such possible upheavals in the future. Technically, your work on Urantia and in the flesh of the mortal creature is finished. Your course from now on is a matter of your own choosing.”Here’s another emample of Jesus’ words in quotation marks.182:1.3 “Father, my hour has come; now glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you. I know that you have given me full authority over all living creatures in my realm, and I will give eternal life to all who will become faith sons of God. And this is eternal life, that my creatures should know you as the only true God and Father of all, and that they should believe in him whom you sent into the world. Father, I have exalted you on earth and have accomplished the work which you gave me to do. I have almost finished my bestowal upon the children of our own creation; there remains only for me to lay down my life in the flesh. And now, O my Father, glorify me with the glory which I had with you before this world was and receive me once more at your right hand.”Any thoughts?Seems to me to indicate a favored position, or like a pat on the back for job well done???
I also believe the authors used much from bible writings in TUB in order to get into our heads a bit more easily.
I never really read the Bible so this sort of thing is interesting.And then there is this:
167:1.2 [Part IV]As Jesus lingered by the door, speaking with Abner, and after the host had seated himself, there came into the room one of the leading Pharisees of Jerusalem, a member of the Sanhedrin, and as was his habit, he made straight for the seat of honor at the left of the host. But since this place had been reserved for the Master and that on the right for Abner, the host beckoned the Jerusalem Pharisee to sit four seats to the left, and this dignitary was much offended because he did not receive the seat of honor.“. . . the leading Pharisees of Jerusalem, a member of the Sanhedrin, and as was his habit, he made straight for the seat of honor at the left of the host.”
Hmmmm. The left of the host was the most honored seat. Here’s another reference about the seating arrangement from the last supper.
179:1.4 They expected the Master to arrive any moment, but they were in a quandary as to whether they should seat themselves or await his coming and depend on him to assign them their places. While they hesitated, Judas stepped over to the seat of honor, at the left of the host, and signified that he intended there to recline as the preferred guest. This act of Judas immediately stirred up a heated dispute among the other apostles. Judas had no sooner seized the seat of honor than John Zebedee laid claim to the next preferred seat, the one on the right of the host. [snipped]Those seating arrangements are likely cultural which leads me to think that the Bible references to *right hand* mean something else not pertaining to culture. Think so?The right hand metaphor is cultural, as is the left being the seat of honor.
From the Archaeological Study Bible:
The “Right Hand” in Ancient Thinking
The hand was symbolic in the ancient world. It was believed that from it one either bestowed grace or pronounced punishment. In addition, the hand represented the authority of an individual, the instrument of carrying out a person’s intensions. The right hand, in particular, was special for two reasons. First, the left was universally acknowledged to be the one used for sanitation purposes and therefore, was less respected than its counterpart. Secondly, since most people were right-handed, the right hand was considered to have innately superior strength and capability.
Because of it special physical status, the right hand was assigned important metaphorical significance, frequently expressing blessing, fellowship or comfort. Certain acts of ritual cleansing, as well as the ordination of the Aaronic priesthood, involved the right hand or the right-hand side. The right hand was also used in taking vows in judicial matters, since it was believed to represent the character, will and actions of the individual taking the vow. In literature, it personified a king or deity’s character and deeds., while in the Hebrew Bible the right hand represented God’s ultimate strength and provision for his people.
To be seated at the right hand of a ruler or host meant occupying a place of high honor. The position itself was considered an indicator of the power and authority of the one holding it. Someone who sat at the king’s right hand was, as in the modern English idiom, his “right-hand man,” – the one acting as the principal agent of the king’s authority, through whom he carried out his most important work. In addition, sitting at the right hand was a statement of fellowship and favor between the central figure and the individual so honored. Jesus Christ is depicted several times in the Bible as sitting at the right hand of God the Father for eternity.
Sitting at the right hand of the king is not a reference to dining, where the left seat was preferred in ancient times. The culture required that the wealthy recline at a meal. The Jewish seder also required reclining. Diners would repose on cushions using their left arm as support and with their feet behind them (easier for washing). This means that they would see the back of the head of the person on their right. To speak to the person on the left would require practically placing your head on their chest, which was favored. Also, because of the left leaning, bowls of food were more easily shared with the person on your left. That’s why the left seat was favored. It has nothing to do with the right hand, except that most people are right handed and would lean left while dining.
Also, I explained this once before, in ancient times the left hand was universally used to wipe the butt (sanitation purposes as mentioned above). It was therefore never extended in greeting and would not be used for a proper blessing either.
The “Right Hand” in Ancient Thinking
Thanks Bonita, that’s interesting too. But what does “right hand of his Father” mean?
193:5.5 It was about seven forty-five this morning when the morontia Jesus disappeared from the observation of his eleven apostles to begin the ascent to the right hand of his Father, there to receive formal confirmation of his completed sovereignty of the universe of Nebadon.Maybe there is a clue in this reference to a Faithful of Days on Edentia who “stands at the right hand of the Constellation Fathers to counsel them. . . .”43:4.2 This Faithful of Days is a Trinity Son of Paradise and has been present on Edentia as the personal representative of Immanuel since the creation of the headquarters world. Ever the Faithful of Days stands at the right hand of the Constellation Fathers to counsel them, but never does he proffer advice unless it is asked for. The high Sons of Paradise never participate in the conduct of the affairs of a local universe except upon the petition of the acting rulers of such domains. But all that a Union of Days is to a Creator Son, a Faithful of Days is to the Most Highs of a constellation.I wonder if it means or has something to do with doing the bidding of that personality, for example giving counsel to that one, as in the Faithful of Days case. Of course the Faithfuls of Days are the Paradise counselors to the rulers of the constellation governments and they were created for that work. We commonly use the expression “right hand man” to mean someone who is an indispensable helper. Maybe in the largest universe arena, what this means to us mortals who aim to do the bidding of God on the journey to Paradise is that we are destined to achieve the right hand of God because we are in fact helpers in carrying out God’s plans and purposes by doing his bidding every step of the way.But what does “right hand of his Father” mean?
It’s a metaphor for an indispensable assistant.Are we indispensable assistants?
I think so, as we are made in the image of God and part of his plan and purposes. (3:4.7 ) And because our growth, achievements and attainments contribute to the growth of the Supreme. (115:6.4 ) Is not our spiritual hope the attainment of Godlikeness and therefore attaining the right hand of God? Does creature perfection imply the attainment of the right hand of God?
Are we indispensable assistants?
Well, if you believe this quote . . . .
117:4.1 Throughout the grand universe the Supreme struggles for expression. His divine evolution is in measure predicated on the wisdom-action of every personality in existence. When a human being chooses eternal survival, he is cocreating destiny; and in the life of this ascending mortal the finite God finds an increased measure of personality self-realization and an enlargement of experiential sovereignty. But if a creature rejects the eternal career, that part of the Supreme which was dependent on this creature’s choice experiences inescapable delay, a deprivation which must be compensated by substitutional or collateral experience; as for the personality of the nonsurvivor, it is absorbed into the oversoul of creation, becoming a part of the Deity of the Supreme.
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