Left Hand

The left hand in ancient Israel and the broader Near East was conventionally associated with inferiority compared to the right hand, which was the hand of power, favor, and blessing. Jacob deliberately crossed his hands to give the primary blessing with his right to Ephraim over Manasseh (Gen. 48:14). The right-hand seat was the position of honor (1 Kgs. 2:19; Ps. 110:1). In the Last Judgment parable the sheep stand at Christ's right hand and the goats at his left (Matt. 25:33). Nevertheless, the Old Testament acknowledges skilled left-handed warriors among the Benjaminites (Judg. 3:15; 20:16), treating the trait as a tactical asset.