The Two Hands

Εὐώνυμος αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὴν κεφαλήν μου καὶ ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτοῦ περιλήμψεταί με... Εὐώνυμος ὁ νόμος, δεξιὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον. Ἢ καὶ εὐώνυμος ὁ παρὼν βίος, δεξιὰ ὁ μέλλων, ἥτις με περιλήψεται ὅταν τοῖς ἐκ δεξιῶν εἴπῃ· Δεῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου. Λέγει δὲ καὶ ἑτέρωθι· Μῆκος βίου καὶ ἔτη ζωῆς, ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς σοφίας· ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀριστερᾷ, πλοῦτος καὶ δόξα. Δεξιὰ γοῦν αὐτῆς ἡ τῶν θείων ἐπιστήμη, ἐξ ἧς ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή· ἀριστερὰ δὲ ἡ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων γνῶσις, ἐξ ὧν πλοῦτος καὶ δόξα. Λέγει τοίνυν, ὅτι Ὑπερέχει ὁ νοῦς μου τὰ ἀνθρώπινα· καὶ ἡ θεία γνῶσις καλύψει με. Καὶ γὰρ εἴρηται πάλιν· Τίμησον αὐτὴν, ἵνα σε περιλάβῃ. Δείκνυσι τοίνυν, ὅτι ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ νυμφίος καὶ τοξότης ἡμῶν ἐστι, νύμφη τε καὶ βέλος ἡ κεκαθαρμένη ψυχή· ὡς βέλος οὖν πρὸς τὸν ἀγαθὸν εὐθύνει σκοπόν. Ὡς νύμφην εἰς κοινωνίαν ἀναλαμβάνει τῆς ἀφθάρτου ἀϊδιότητος, μῆκος βίου καὶ ἔτη ζωῆς, διὰ τῆς δεξιᾶς χαριζόμενος· διὰ δὲ τῆς ἀριστερᾶς, τὸν τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν πλοῦτον καὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξαν, ἧς οἱ τὴν τοῦ κόσμου ζητοῦντες δόξαν ἀμέτοχοι γίνονται. Διὰ τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι Εὐώνυμος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν μου, δι' ἧς εὐθύνεται ὑπὸ τὸν σκοπὸν τὸ βέλος· ἡ δὲ δεξιὰ αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἑαυτόν με διαλαβοῦσα καὶ ἐφελκυσαμένη, κούφην με πρὸς ἄνω φορὰν ἀπεργάζεται· κἀκεῖ πεμπομένην, καὶ τοῦ τοξότου μὴ χωριζομένην, μᾶλλον ἐπαναπαύεσθαι. Ἅγιος Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Ἐξὴγησις Εἰς Τo Ἀσμα Των Ἀσμάτων Source: Migne PG 69.1281c-1284a

His left hand is beneath my head and his right hand shall embrace me... 1 The left hand is spoken of for the Law and the right for the Gospel. Or the left hand should be understood as this present life, and the right as the future, which shall embrace me when it is said to those on the right: 'Come, blessed of my Father,' 2 Indeed it says elsewhere: 'The length of the years of life is in the right hand of wisdom, and in the left are riches and glory.' 3 Thus the right hand is the knowledge of Divine things, by which eternal life is achieved, and the left hand is the understanding of human things, from which comes wealth and glory. Thus she says here: 'My mind surpasses human things and Divine knowledge shall enfold me.' For again it is said, 'Honour wisdom and she will embrace you.' 4 Therefore this shows the groom to be our archer, and the bride, which is the purified soul, is the arrow, which he directs to a good target like a shaft. So he takes up the bride for the participation in incorruptible eternity, the right hand giving the long years of life, and the left the wealth of the eternal goods and the glory of God, of which they who seek the glory of the world are deprived. Therefore it says that his left hand is beneath my head, by which the shaft is directed to the target, and the right hand grasps and draws me to him because He makes the flight to heavenly things swift, not being separated from the archer but rather finding rest. Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary On The Song Of Songs 1 Song 2.6 2 Mt 25.34 3 Prov 3.16 4 Prov 4.8