Lexical Definition

‎יָמִין‎ yâmîyn (yaw-meen') right ^H:N-F
from ‎יָמַן‎

[phrase] left-handed, right (hand, side), south.

• the right hand or side (leg, eye) of a person or other object (as the stronger and more dexterous)
• locally, the south

1) right, right hand, right side
1a) right hand
1b) right (of direction)
1c) south (the direction of the right hand when facing East)

See Greek: δεξιός · θάλασσα · χείρ

Extended Information

meaning of: יָמִין

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎יָמִין‎₁₃₇ noun feminine^{Exod 15:6} (Prov 27:16 no except, see Now Str) right hand (Late Hebrew id.; SI³ ‎מימן‎ on the right; Aramaic ‎יַמִּינָא‎, ; Arabic right, right side, right hand, south; Ethiopic right hand, right side, Sabean ‎ימן‎ right hand, ‎ימנת‎ soth, are also quoted; Assyrian imnu, right, right side, on the right, Dl^{HWB 307}) — absolute ‎יָמִין‎ Gen 13:9 + 40 t.; construct ‎יְמִין‎ 1Sam 23:24 + 19 t.; suffix ‎יְמִינִי‎ Jer 22:24 + 6 t., etc.; always singular: —

1. right hand:
a. literally of man, often opposed to ‎שׂמאֹול‎ Gen 48:13; Gen 48:14 (compare vGen 48:18), Dan 12:7 ‎יָדַע בֵּיןיְֿמִינוֺ לִשְׂמאֹלוֺ‎ Jonah 4:11 distinguish between one's right hand and one's left; ‎שׁלח ימים‎ Judg 5:26 (|| ‎יד‎); as holding the lot Ezek 21:27* also of right hand as skilful Ps 137:5 as receiving bribes Ps 26:10 (|| ‎יָדַיִן‎); used in false swearing ‎יְמִינָם וְמִין‎ ‎שֶׁקֶר‎ Ps 144:8; Ps 144:11 their right hand is a right hand of falsehood; oft also with ‎יַד‎, ‎יַדיִֿמִינוֺ‎ Gen 48:17 (E) hand of his right = his right hand Judg 7:20; 2Sam 20:9 ‎אִטֵּר יַדיְֿמִינוֺ‎ Judg 3:15; Judg 20:16 bound as to one's right hand, i.e. left-handed.
b. figurative, of right hand as held by ‎׳‎‎י‎ Isa 41:13; Isa 45:1 so ‎יַדיֿמיני‎ Ps 73:23.
c. right hand of ‎׳‎‎י‎, as instrument of delivering Israel Exod 15:6 (twice in verse); Exod 15:12 +, compare ‎בִּגְכוּרוֺת יֵשַׁע יְמִינוֺ‎ Ps 20:7* ‎שְׁנוֺת‎ ‎יְמִין עֶלְיוֺן‎ Ps 77:11* || ‎זְרוֺעַ‎ Ps 98:1 as acquiring the temple-site Ps 78:54 as holding his servant Ps 18:36* (line omitted in || 2Sam 22:36), compare Ps 63:9* & ‎בִּימִין צִדְקִי‎ Isa 41:10 as finding, lighting upon (‎מצא‎) his enemies Ps 21:9* (|| ‎יד‎); as full of ‎צֶדֶק‎ Ps 48:11* as dispensing blessings Ps 16:11 ‎נעימות בימינך‎ (compare Prov 3:16 of wisdom, personified); used in divine oath is Ps 62:8* (|| ‎זְרוֺעַ‎).

2. of situation on, or direction toward, the right:
a. of situation, with ‎מִן‎, ‎מִימִינָם וּמְשְּׂמאֹלָם‎ Exod 14:22; Exod 14:29 a wall on their right hand and on their left hand; similarly 2Sam 16:6; 1Kgs 7:39; 1Kgs 7:49 = 2Chr 3:17; 2Chr 4:6; 1Kgs 22:19 (= 2Chr 18:18 with ‎על‎), 2Chr 4:7; 2Chr 4:8; Ps 91:7 (|| ‎מִצִּדְּךָ‎); for protection Ps 16:8 ‎מימין ל‎ 2Kgs 23:13; Ezek 10:3 with ‎לְ‎, ‎וַתֵּשֶׁב לִימִינוֺ‎ 1Kgs 2:19, so Ps 110:1; Ps 45:10*; Ps 109:31 with ‎עַלֿ‎ Zech 3:1; 1Chr 6:24*; 2Chr 18:18 (= 1Kgs 22:19 with ‎מן‎), Neh 8:4; Job 30:12; Ps 109:6 compare Ps 110:5 without preposition ‎יְמִין הָעִיר‎ 2Sam 24:5; Job 23:9.
b. of direction toward, literal ‎נָטָה ימין‎ Num 20:17; Num 22:26 (both J E); ‎סוּר ימין‎ Deut 2:27; 1Sam 6:12 ‎׳‎‎פָּרַץ ימין ושׂ‎ Isa 54:3 also (verb ‎הִפָּרֶד‎ in prev. clause) Gen 13:9 ‎הַבֵּיט ימין‎ Ps 142:5* and looking is implied also in Ezek 1:10 (with ‎אֶלֿ‎; opposed to ‎מֵהַשְּׂמאֹול‎); with ‎עַל‎, ‎נטה (לָלֶכֶת) על הַיָּמִין‎ 2Sam 2:19; 2Sam 2:21 ‎פנה עליֿמין‎ Gen 24:49 followed by ‎אֶל‎, of course (‎הלך‎) of boundary Josh 17:1 with ‎לְ‎, ‎לַיָמִין מֵעַל לַחוֺמָה‎ Neh 12:31 (verb omitted, went) to the right above the wall; figurative of moral deviation, ‎סוּר מִןהַֿדָּבָריָ֗֗֗מִין‎ ‎וּשְׂמאֹול‎ Deut 17:11, so Deut 5:29; Deut 17:20; Deut 28:14; Josh 1:7; Josh 23:6; 2Kgs 22:2 = 2Chr 34:2 ‎׳‎‎נטה ימין ושׂ‎ Prov 4:27 also (very late) of the right as morally good, ‎לֵב חָכָן לִימִינוֺ‎ (opposed to ‎שׂמאל‎) Eccl 10:2 De Reuss Now.

3. of other parts of the body, besides hand (see ‎יַדיֿמינו‎ etc. above): right thigh ‎יֶרֶךְ יְמִינוֺ‎ Judg 3:16; Judg 3:24 eye ‎עֵין יָמִין‎ 1Sam 11:2 ‎עין ימינו‎ Zech 11:17 (twice in verse); especially ‎שׁוֺק הַיָּמִין‎ i.e. the right (upper) leg of sacrificial animal Exod 29:22; Lev 7:32; Lev 7:33; Lev 8:25; Lev 8:26; Lev 9:21; Num 18:18.

4. = south, because when facing east the right hand is toward the south: ‎מִימִין הַיְשִׁימוֺן‎ 1Sam 23:19 ‎אֶליְֿמִין‎ v1Sam 23:24 ‎ישׁב‎ ‎מִימִינֵךְ‎ Ezek 16:46 (|| ‎עלשֿׂמאולך‎); ‎צָפוֺן וְיָמִין‎ Ps 89:13* perhaps also Ps 107:3, see ‎יָם‎

9.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References