ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA GRIEGA
Cheír (G5495) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
χείρ (cheír) is the standard Greek noun for the hand, used literally for the body part and figuratively for power, agency, and the working of God.
Significado de la palabra
In its literal sense χείρ refers to the human hand as a physical body part. The example verses show the hand performing ordinary actions: holding a fan (Matthew 3:12), washing before a meal (Matthew 15:2), being stretched out to touch or heal (Matthew 8:3, 8:15, 9:25, 12:13, 14:31), being withered (Matthew 12:10), and being laid on someone for restoration (Matthew 9:18). The noun also appears in gestures of identification, such as Jesus pointing toward his disciples as his true family (Matthew 12:49).
In addition to the literal body part, χείρ is used by metonymy for the power or activity of a person. The lexicon entry notes this transfer in passages where the delivered-over-into-hands idiom speaks of being given over to another's power. This usage is also visible in the New Testament image of the right hand that causes one to stumble, where the hand stands for the agent or capacity that leads to sin (Matthew 5:30).
The lexicon entry further classifies χείρ as a means or instrument, often in phrases such as διά χειρός (through the hand of) or ἐπί χειρῶν (on the hands). Matthew 4:6 uses ἐπὶ χειρῶν in the promise that angels will bear the Messiah on their hands, presenting the hand as the medium by which support is given.
Uso en las Escrituras
χείρ is the ordinary Greek word for hand and one of the most common nouns in the New Testament. In the Gospels it fills both narrative scenes (touching, healing, pointing) and programmatic sayings (the right hand that causes stumbling, the fan in the hand, the washing of hands). The hand is the body's instrument of action, so the word naturally extends to mean the power that performs the action.
Because Hebrew frequently uses the same idiom for power and instrument, the lexicon notes that χείρ in the Greek Old Testament corresponds chiefly to the Hebrew word for hand and carries the same range from literal limb to divine activity. In the New Testament this background shows up in sayings about being delivered into someone's hands and in passages that describe the working of God.
La palabra en detalle
- G5495 Strong's G5495, χείρ (cheír): the hand, used literally for the body part and figuratively for power, agency, or instrument; in the Greek Old Testament chiefly corresponds to the Hebrew word for hand.
Versículos de ejemplo
- Matthew 3:12 The fan in his hand presents χείρ as the instrument that holds and wields an object for cleansing, a concrete image of agency.
- Matthew 5:30 The right hand that causes stumbling turns χείρ into a figure for the agency or attachment that leads to sin, not just a body part.
Preguntas frecuentes
What is the basic meaning of χείρ?
χείρ is the standard Greek noun for the hand. It can refer to the physical body part or, by extension, to power, agency, and the activity of a person or God.
Does χείρ always mean a literal hand?
No. The lexicon entry lists figurative uses where χείρ stands for the power or activity of a person, and phrases like 'on their hands' or 'through the hand of' treat the hand as a means or instrument.
Is χείρ connected to Hebrew usage?
Yes. The lexicon notes that in the Greek Old Testament χείρ corresponds chiefly to the Hebrew word for hand, which gives the Greek noun its range from literal limb to instrument of power.