{"id":9297,"date":"2026-01-22T00:51:04","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T07:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlineseminary.info\/?p=9297"},"modified":"2026-01-24T12:42:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T19:42:28","slug":"nails-in-his-hands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlineseminary.info\/index.php\/2026\/01\/22\/nails-in-his-hands\/","title":{"rendered":"Nails In His Hands"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\"\"What the Bible\u2019s Original Language Teaches Us About the Location of the Nail Marks of Jesus<\/h4>

When we picture the crucifixion of Jesus, most of us imagine the nails driven through the palms of His hands. This image has been passed down through centuries of Christian art and tradition, and it\u2019s deeply familiar.<\/p>

But here\u2019s a thoughtful Bible-study question worth exploring:<\/p>

\u201cDoes Scripture itself actually tell us where the nails were placed?\u201d<\/p>

Let\u2019s take a closer look\u2014by going back to the original language of the New Testament.<\/p>

Click HERE<\/a> to read a DTS Research White Paper on this subject.<\/strong><\/p>

A Moment After the Resurrection<\/h3>

The key passage comes after the resurrection, when Jesus appears to His disciple Thomas. Thomas struggles to believe until he can see and touch the wounds himself.<\/p>

Jesus says to him in John 20:27 (KJV):<\/p>

\u201cReach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.\u201d<\/p>

At first glance, this seems simple: Jesus shows Thomas His hands. But understanding what the Bible teaches sometimes requires us to ask how words were used in the original language.<\/p>

What Does the Greek Word for \u201cHand\u201d Mean?<\/h3>

The New Testament was written in Greek, and the word translated as \u201chand\u201d in this passage is \u03c7\u03b5\u03af\u03c1 (cheir).<\/p>

Here\u2019s the important point for Bible students: \u03c7\u03b5\u03af\u03c1 does not always mean \u201cpalm only.\u201d<\/p>

In everyday Greek usage\u2014including in the New Testament\u2014the word \u201chand\u201d can refer to the whole hand region, including the area near the wrist.<\/p>

Scripture Explaining Scripture<\/h3>

We can see this clearly elsewhere in the Bible. In Acts 12:7, Peter is chained in prison. When an angel frees him, the Bible says the chains fell \u201cfrom his hands.\u201d<\/p>

But chains aren\u2019t fastened to someone\u2019s palms\u2014they\u2019re placed around the wrists or forearms.<\/p>

Yet Scripture still uses the word \u201chands.\u201d<\/p>

This shows us that, biblically speaking, \u201chand\u201d can include the wrist area. The Bible itself defines how the word works.<\/p>

Returning to Thomas and the Nail Marks<\/h3>

When John\u2019s Gospel says the \u201cmark of the nails\u201d was \u201cin\u201d Jesus\u2019 hands, the Greek grammar tells us two key things:<\/p>

  1. The nails are connected to the \u201cmark,\u201d not anatomically to a specific sub-part of the hand.<\/li>
  2. The location is identified broadly as the \u201chand region,\u201d without narrowing it further.<\/li><\/ol>

    In other words, the text tells us where the wounds were visible\u2014but not exactly which part of the hand they were in.<\/p>

    Why This Is Helpful for Christian Learning<\/h3>

    This study isn\u2019t about challenging faith or tradition. It\u2019s about understanding Scripture more carefully and accurately.<\/p>

    The Bible does not insist on a palm-only interpretation, nor does it require a wrist-only one. Instead, it uses language that allows for either\u2014based on how Greek actually works.<\/p>

    That\u2019s a good reminder for all of us:<\/p>

    \u201cSometimes Scripture gives us theological truth without supplying every anatomical detail.\u201d<\/p>

    And that\u2019s okay.<\/p>

    A Faith-Strengthening Conclusion<\/h3>

    By examining the Bible in its original language, we learn that:<\/p>

    • The New Testament clearly teaches that Jesus bore real, physical wounds.<\/li>
    • The Greek word translated \u201chands\u201d is broad enough to include the wrist area.<\/li>
    • Scripture itself does not force a single anatomical picture.<\/li><\/ul>

      This kind of careful study doesn\u2019t weaken faith\u2014it strengthens it. It helps us trust that God\u2019s Word is reliable, meaningful, and worthy of close attention.<\/p>

      And it reminds us that the most important truth remains unchanged:<\/p>

      \u201cJesus truly suffered, truly died, and truly rose again.\u201d<\/p>

      <\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      What the Bible\u2019s Original Language Teaches Us About the Location of the Nail Marks of Jesus When we picture the crucifixion of Jesus, most of us imagine the nails driven through the palms of His hands. This image has been passed down through centuries of Christian art and tradition, and it\u2019s deeply familiar. But here\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlineseminary.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlineseminary.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlineseminary.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlineseminary.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlineseminary.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9297"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/onlineseminary.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9366,"href":"https:\/\/onlineseminary.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9297\/revisions\/9366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlineseminary.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlineseminary.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlineseminary.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}