weapons for the right side and the left side

δεξιός, ά, όν (Hom.+; Ath. 15, 2 κατὰ τὴν τέχνην ‘artistically appropriate’)

① right as opposed to left in a frame of reference, right.

ⓐ Used w. a noun χείρ (Hippocr.; Epid. 5, p. 88 [2, 8]) Mt 5:30; Lk 6:6; Ac 3:7; Rv 1:16f; 10:5 (Dt 32:40); 13:16; eye (Hippocr., Epid. 3, 1, 3 [44] ed. Kühlewein I 218, 19) Mt 5:29 (the right eye is esp. valuable because its loss is a handicap to the warrior: Jos., Ant. 6, 69–71; here in 71 also the thought: it is better to suffer the loss of the right eye than to ἀπολωλέναι in possession of all the other members); cheek vs. 39 (s. D 1:4); ear (s. on οὖς 1) Lk 22:50; J 18:10; shoulder Hs 9, 2, 4; foot (Artem. 2, 51; 5, 70) Rv 10:2. τὰ δ. μέρη the right side J 21:6; Hv 3, 1, 9; 3, 2, 1 (as the lucky side as Il. 12, 239; 13, 821; Artem. 5, 92; Quint. Smyrn. 12, 58).—Abs. ἡ δ. (sc. χείρ) the right hand (Hom.+; LXX; ApcEsdr 3:7 p. 27, 15 Tdf.; Jos., Ant. 17, 184) Mt 6:3 in a warning against ‘strategic’ giving; 27:29; Rv 1:17, 20; 2:1; 5:1, 7—τὰ δ. (sc. μέρη; s. above) the right side (X., An. 1, 8, 4); περιέβλεπεν τὰ δ. καὶ τὰ ἀριστερά GJs 11:1 (s. ἀριστερός). ἐκ δεξιῶν on the right (X., Cyr. 8, 5, 15 al.; oft. pap [Mayser 226]; LXX; En 13:7; Jos., Ant. 4, 305) w. gen. (Tob 1:2; Zech 4:3; Sir 12:12 al.; TestAbr A 12 p. 91, 2 [Stone p. 30] al.; TestJob 33:3) Mt 25:33f (cp. Plut., Mor. 192f ἐκέλευε τοὺς μὲν ἐπὶ δεξιᾷ τοῦ βήματος θεῖναι, τοὺς δʼ ἐπʼ ἀριστερᾷ … τ. βελτίονας … τοὺς χείρονας); Mk 15:27; Lk 1:11; Pol 2:1; abs. (1 Esdr 9:43; Ex 14:22, 29; 3 Km 7:25, 35 al.) Mt 27:38; Lk 23:33; B 11:10; Hv 3, 2, 1f; 4; Hs 9, 6, 2. Also ἐν τοῖς δ. Mk 16:5 or δεξιά (s. εὐώνυμος, end) Hs 9, 12, 8. Pl. ἐκ δεξιῶν τινος εἶναι stand at someone’s side Ac 2:25 (Ps 15:8; of geographical location En 13:7 Ἑρμωνοεὶμ δύσεως ‘to the right of Hermon’).—In imagery of spiritual equipment ὅπλα δ. καὶ ἀριστερά weapons for the right side and the left side 2 Cor 6:7 (sword and shield, offense and defense).

ⓑ freq. in symbolism (on symbolic use s. SFlory, Medea’s Right Hand: Promise and Revenge: TAPA 108, ’78, 69–74; cp. δεξιτερή [sc. χείρ] Il. 22, 320 Achilles is about to avenge the death of Patroclus; s. also Soph., Phil. 813. The pl. δεξιαί is used in Hom. of pledges given in good faith with the right hand Il. 2, 341=4, 159; for use of the term in contracts s. Preis. s.v., esp. PFay 124, 13 [II A.D.]) and imagery relating to prestige or power. Abs. (sc. χεῖρ): of position at the right hand of an eminent pers., esp. a royal figure (for a king’s right hand as emblematic of prestige s. 1 Cl 28:3 [Ps 138:10]); B 12:11 (Is 45:1). δ. διδόναι give the right hand (on this abs. use cp. the Eng. expression ‘give me five’) as a sign of friendship and trust (X., An. 1, 6, 6; 2, 5, 3; Alex. Ep. XIV, 31; Diod S 13, 43, 4; Appian, Liby. 64, 284; 1 and 2 Macc; Jos., Ant. 18, 326; 328.—Dssm., NB 78f [BS 251]; Nägeli 24) Gal 2:9 (KGrayston, BRigaux Festschr., ’70, 485: ‘came to terms’; JSampley, Pauline Partnership in Christ ’80, 26–35). ἐπιτιθέναι τὴν δ. ἐπὶ τ. κεφαλήν τινος lay one’s right hand on someone’s head B 13:5a (Gen. 48:18a ἐπιβάλλειν); also μετατιθέναι … τινος transfer one’s right hand on someone’s head vs. 5b (Gen 48:18b ἐπιτιθέναι). ἐν δεξιᾷ at the right (Arrian, Anab. 6, 2, 2): ἐν δ. τινος at someone’s right: God’s (Ael. Aristid. 37, 6 K.=2 p. 15 D., w. allusion to Pind., calls Athena δεξιὰν κατὰ χεῖρα τοῦ πατρὸς [Zeus] καθεζομένη.—Pind., N. 11, 2 names Hera as the ὁμόθρονος of Zeus) Ro 8:34; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; Hb 10:12; 1 Pt 3:22. τῆς μεγαλωσύνης Hb 1:3; τοῦ θρόνου 8:1; 12:2.—The right hand in imagery of power (of God: PsSol 13, 1; Jos., Bell. 1, 378) τῇ δεξιᾷ of God (as Is 63:12) by or with his right hand (cp. Maximus Tyr. 4, 8a) Ac 2:33; 5:31 (BWeiss; Zahn; HHoltzmann; Felten; Beyer; Steinmann; Moffatt Ac 2:33); it may also be dat. of place (B-D-F §199; Rob. 526; 543) at or to his right hand (Weizsäcker; Wendt; Knopf; Belser; Hoennicke; OHoltzmann; Moffatt Ac 5:31). Pl. καθίσαι ἐκ δ. τινος sit at someone’s right, i.e. at the place of honor (3 Km 2:19; Jos., Ant. 8, 7) of the Messiah Mt 20:21, 23; Mk 10:37, 40; of God Mt 22:44 (Ps 109:1); 26:64; Mk 12:36 (Ps 109:1); 14:62; 16:19; Lk 20:42 (Ps 109:1); 22:69; Ac 2:34; Hb 1:13; 1 Cl 36:5; B 12:10 (the last 4 Ps 109:1); stand on the right as the place of honor (Ps 44:10) Ac 7:55f; Hs 9, 6, 2 (s. Bihlmeyer app.).—AGornatowski, Rechts u. Links im ant. Abergl., diss. Breslau ’36; JDaniélou, TU 73, ’59, 689–98; BLiow-Gille, ‘Dexter’ et ‘sinister’ et leur équivalents: Glotta 69, ’91, 194–201.

② pert. to being morally or spiritually correct, true σύνεσις δ., ἀριστερά understanding of what is true and what is false D 12:1 (for other interpretations s. ἀριστερός and σύνεσις).—B. 865. DELG. M-M. TW.

ἀριστερός, α, ὁν (Hom.+) left (opp. to right) ὅπλα δεξιὰ καὶ ἀ. weapons used w. the right hand, and those used w. the left= weapons for offense and defense (cp. Scipio cited in Plut, Mor. 201d and Polyaenus 8, 16, 4 ἀριστερά and δεξιά of weapons for defense and offense) 2 Cor 6:7. ἡ ἀριστερὰ (sc. χείρ B-D-F §241, 6; Rob. 652) the left hand Mt 6:3 (cp. Damasc., Vi. Isid. 283 the proverb: give not w. one hand, but w. both). τὰ ἀ. μέρη the left side (on the pl. B-D-F §141, 2) Hv 3, 1, 9; 3, 2, 1; hence ἐξ ἀριστερῶν (sc. μερῶν) on the left (Diogenes the Cynic in Diog. L. 6, 48; UPZ 121, 7 [156 B.C.]; Sb 8952, 21 [76 A.D.]; BGU 86, 27; LXX; TestAbr A 12 p. 91, 2 [Stone p. 30] al.) Mk 10:37; Lk 23:33; Hs 9, 6, 2. περιέβλεπεν τὰ δεξιὰ καὶ τὰ ἀ. she looked to the right and the left GJs 11:1 (cp. ParJer 7:11 μὴ ἐκκλίνῃς εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ μήτε εἰς τὰ ἀ.). σύνεσιν γὰρ ἕξετε δεξιὰν καὶ ἀριστεράν you will have right and left understanding=you will be able to distinguish between what is true and what is false (apparently with ref. to true and false prophets) D 12:1 (the text can also be read: γνώσεσθε—σύνεσιν γὰρ ἕξετε—δ. κ. ἀ. you will know— for you will have understanding— (the distinction between) right and left i.e., true/good and false/evil; cp. Jon 4:11).—B. 866. DELG s.v. ἀρείων (comparative of ἀγαθός). M-M.