Meaning
"near, nigh," frequently rendered "at hand," is used (a) of place, e.g., of the Lord's sepulchre, Joh 19:42, "nigh at hand;" (b) of time, e.g., Mat 26:18, Luk 1:21-31, RV, "nigh," AV, "nigh at hand;" in Phi 4:5, "the Lord is at hand," it is possible to regard the meaning as that either of (a) or (b); the following reasons may point to (b): (1) the subject of the preceding context has been the return of Christ, Phi 1:3-21; (2) the phrase is a translation of the Aramaic "Maranatha," 1Co 16:22, a Christian watchword, and the use of the title "the Lord" is appropriate; (3) the similar use of the adverb in Rev 1:3, Rev 22:10; (4) the similar use of the corresponding verb (see B) in Rom 13:12, Heb 10:25, "drawing nigh," RV; Jam 5:8; cp. 1Pe 4:7. See NEAR, NIGH, READY.
See APPROACH, A.
Notes: (1) In 2Th 2:2, AV, the verb enistemi, "to be present" (en, "in," histemi, "to cause to stand"), is wrongly translated "is at hand;" the RV correctly renders it, "is (now) present;" the Apostle is counteracting the error of the supposition that "the Day of the Lord" (RV), a period of Divine and retributive judgments upon the world, had already begun.
(2) In 2Ti 4:6, AV, the verb ephistemi, "to stand by, to come to or upon" (epi, "upon," histemi, "to make to stand"), is rendered "is at hand," of the Apostle's departure from this life; the RV "is come" represent the vivid force of the statement, expressing suddenness or imminence.
