Right Hand References

[Lee81]

Hello...I served in the US Air Force as a Security Forces Member. In the military, the person to your right should always be the person of power or rank, or so I remember it to be. With this in mind, there are many biblical references of instances where the right hand or being to the right is of great significance. Among others, here is a for instance (all in NKJV):

Ex. 15:6 - Your right hand, O LORD, has become glorious in power;Your right hand, O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces
Ps. 16:11 - You will show me the path of life;In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore
Ps. 17:7 - Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them
Matt. 25:33 - And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
Matt. 26:64 - Jesus said to him, It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.
Acts 2:34 - For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand

Would you consider this to be a beneficial word study to conduct? If someone has done a word study on right, right hand, power of the right, mercy from God's right hand etc., how did you feel it helped you in your walk?

I ask all of this because I was speaking with my father-in-law the other day and he said he just finished looking over Ps. 16:11. I thought to myself, I should go read that to give the next conversation a little context. I noticed, as I have many times reading the scriptures in the past, that the right hand was used to show God's power but in this case it was God's mercy. So then I became a bit confused because I had always thought that the right hand was a "symbol" for power.

My wife always places me to the right out of respect; I have brothers and sisters that I have talked to about the right hand and let them know of the significance as stated in the bible. I am realizing that there is much that I have missed regarding the right. Thanks to all!

**EDIT: minor text changes; edited first sentence**

 

[Rich Koster]

I thank God, that in his power, he has shown the elect mercy !!!

 

[py3ak]

Matthew 25:33, which you cited, shows clearly that more is involved in the terminology of "right hand" than simply power: it is the place of favor and privilege. Now in a reference like Exodus 15:6, the idea of power may predominate; but when used as a description of where someone else will be (like Acts 2:34), there the idea of favor is more prominent.

 

[Iconoclast]

The phrase “right hand” is used in the Bible in over 100 different verses, 34 of those in the Psalms alone. The scripture refers to the right hand as … power(Ex 15:6), Judgment(Ex 15:12), fellowship(2Sam 20:9), authority(1Kings 2:19), protection(Ps 16:8), anointing(Gen 48:14), service(1Ch 6:39), salvation(Ps 17:7), pleasures(Ps 16:11), sustainment(Ps 18:35), Victory(Ps 44:3), blessings(Prov 3:16), righteousness(Ps 48:10), the Messiah(Ps110:1), guidance(Ps139:10), Worship(Ps 118:15), confidence (Is 41:13), creator(Is 48:13) and Jesus is now seated at the “right hand”of the Father,(Mark 16:19), just to quote a few examples. There are many more examples, and practically every attribute of God is represented in scripture by the expression… “Right Hand.” What makes this so amazing, is that it’s not just one book or one author, but covers almost every book in the Bible. No wonder we have our leaders place their left hand on the Bible and hold up their “right hand” to swear them into office! Of course, Satan, as the great counterfeiter, places the mark of the beast in either the forehead or the “right hand,” which is the last time the phrase is used in the Bible.(Rev 13:16).

 

[Lee81]

Thanks...I'm in Strong's right now; though I don't find a reference for 'right hand,' I do see references to 'right' and 'hand.'

Has anyone ever accomplished a study of the significance of the right?

 

[chbrooking]

You'll notice that God doesn't have a left hand at all -- that's the unclean one.

 

[Lee81]

Seems a little odd that you would say He does not have a left hand; it may just be that I'm misunderstanding what you're saying. Would it be correct to say that Matt. 25:33 clearly shows that God has a left hand? I do agree that the left is considered the unclean one (the fact that the goats go to His left proves this). Thanks brother!

You'll notice that God doesn't have a left hand at all -- that's the unclean one.

---------- Post added at 09:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:28 PM ----------

Looks like I have some studying to do! Thanks for the references...I meant to ask, where'd you pull these from? I pulled out the Strong's and couldn't find 'right hand'...

The phrase “right hand” is used in the Bible in over 100 different verses, 34 of those in the Psalms alone. The scripture refers to the right hand as … power(Ex 15:6), Judgment(Ex 15:12), fellowship(2Sam 20:9), authority(1Kings 2:19), protection(Ps 16:8), anointing(Gen 48:14), service(1Ch 6:39), salvation(Ps 17:7), pleasures(Ps 16:11), sustainment(Ps 18:35), Victory(Ps 44:3), blessings(Prov 3:16), righteousness(Ps 48:10), the Messiah(Ps110:1), guidance(Ps139:10), Worship(Ps 118:15), confidence (Is 41:13), creator(Is 48:13) and Jesus is now seated at the “right hand”of the Father,(Mark 16:19), just to quote a few examples. There are many more examples, and practically every attribute of God is represented in scripture by the expression… “Right Hand.” What makes this so amazing, is that it’s not just one book or one author, but covers almost every book in the Bible. No wonder we have our leaders place their left hand on the Bible and hold up their “right hand” to swear them into office! Of course, Satan, as the great counterfeiter, places the mark of the beast in either the forehead or the “right hand,” which is the last time the phrase is used in the Bible.(Rev 13:16).

 

[chbrooking]

Left side, yes. Left hand, no. But you got the point. I won't belabor it.