Lexical Summary euónumos: Left, left-hand Original Word: εὐώνυμος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance on the left. From eu and onoma; properly, well-named (good-omened), i.e. The left (which was the lucky side among the pagan Greeks); neuter as adverbial, at the left hand -- (on the) left. see GREEK eu see GREEK onoma NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom eu and onoma Definition of good name, euph. for left NASB Translation left (9). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2176: εὐώνυμοςεὐώνυμος, εὐώνυμον (εὖ and ὄνομα); 1. of good name (Hesiod, Pindar), and of good omen (Plato, polit., p. 302 d.; legg. 6, p. 754 e.); in the latter sense used in taking auguries; but those omens were euphemistically called εὐώνυμα which in fact were regarded as unlucky, i. e. which came from the left, sinister omens (for which a good name was desired); hence, 2. left (so from Aeschylus and Herodotus down): Acts 21:3; Revelation 10:2; ἐξ εὐωνύμων (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 27, 3; § 19 under the word δεξιά; Buttmann, 89 (78)), on the left hand (to the left): Matthew 20:21, 23; Matthew 25:33, 41; Matthew 27:38; Mark 10:37 (R G L), Euōnymos denotes the “left” side in spatial orientation, standing in deliberate contrast to dexios, the “right.” In the New Testament the term is never used metaphorically alone; its meaning is shaped by the wider narrative in which right and left are set in tension—honor and disgrace, acceptance and rejection, blessing and judgment. The nine occurrences divide naturally into three thematic groups: requests for honor (Matthew 20:21-23; Mark 10:40), scenes of judgment (Matthew 25:33, 25:41), and descriptions of historical or apocalyptic setting (Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27; Acts 21:3; Revelation 10:2). Honor sought but not granted When the mother of James and John asks that her sons may sit “one at Your right and the other at Your left in Your kingdom” (Matthew 20:21), she is seeking a share in royal authority. Jesus replies that such seats “belong to those for whom they have been prepared by My Father” (Matthew 20:23). By pairing right and left, the Lord teaches that all stations in glory are by sovereign appointment. The disciples’ grasping ambition is exposed, and the pathway to honor is redirected toward the cup of suffering (Mark 10:38-40). The left seat, though secondary to the right, is still a seat of privilege; yet it is not a prize for presumption but a grace bestowed. Left side at the last judgment The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats turns the earlier pursuit of distinction into a warning. “He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left” (Matthew 25:33). Those on the left hear the dreadful sentence, “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). Here euōnymos is incontrovertibly associated with rejection and eternal loss. The spatial image crystallizes the moral divide: to be on Christ’s left in that day is to be outside His covenant mercies. Crucifixion and irony of placement At Calvary two criminals are crucified “one on His right and one on His left” (Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27). The Messiah is enthroned on a cross, and the coveted places next to Him are occupied, not by ambitious apostles, but by condemned malefactors—an ironic fulfillment of the earlier request. Luke records that one of those criminals believed (Luke 23:39-43), underscoring that physical nearness is not salvific; repentance and faith alone secure eternal fellowship. Directional observations Acts 21:3 offers the only purely geographic use: “After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria” (literally, “Cyprus being on the left”). The detail verifies Luke’s precision as a historian and shows the ordinary function of euōnymos in navigation. Similarly, Revelation 10:2 pictures a mighty angel who “placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land.” Sea and land alike submit to divine authority; the distinction between right and left serves to emphasize total cosmic claim. Biblical symbolism of left and right Throughout Scripture the right hand is the emblem of power and favor (Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3). The left side is consequently the lesser place, yet its significance is derivative, not inherently evil. The usage pattern in the New Testament mirrors this broader biblical idiom: The dichotomy is ethical only when tied to the moral acts of the persons placed there. Geography and orientation remain value-neutral. Theological implications 1. Divine sovereignty governs every station. The Father assigns even the smallest detail of kingdom seating (Matthew 20:23). Pastoral and ministry applications • Teach humility: aspiring to greatness in the church must surrender to Christlike service. Historical echoes outside Scripture Greek literature sometimes used euōnymos euphemistically for “favorable” (literally “of good name”), a reminder that language carries cultural layers. The New Testament writers, however, employ the common spatial sense, adapting it to redemptive history without adopting pagan superstition. Summary Euōnymos serves as far more than a mere directional term. Its nine New Testament appearances weave through aspiration, crucifixion, navigation, judgment, and cosmic disclosure. Each occurrence, whether mundane or majestic, ultimately magnifies the authority of Christ, who alone assigns places in His kingdom, wields judgment, and claims dominion over land and sea. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 20:21 Adj-GMPGRK: εἷς ἐξ εὐωνύμων σου ἐν NAS: on Your right and one on Your left. KJV: the other on the left, in thy INT: one on [the] left hand of you in Matthew 20:23 Adj-GMP Matthew 25:33 Adj-GMP Matthew 25:41 Adj-GMP Matthew 27:38 Adj-GMP Mark 10:40 Adj-GMP Mark 15:27 Adj-GMP Acts 21:3 Adj-AFS Revelation 10:2 Adj-AMS Strong's Greek 2176 |
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