Bible Lexicons

τοῖχος, ὁ,

wall of a house or enclosure, abs., Od. 2.342, Ar. V. 130, etc.; ἅπαντ' ἐρευνῶν τ. dub. in E. Hec. 1174; τ. δώματος Il. 16.212; μεγάροιο 18.374, cf. Od. 19.37; τ. καὶ θριγκοί (of the αὐλή) 17.267, cf. Hes. Op. 732; τὸν τῆς αὐλῆς τ. PEnteux. 12.3 (iii B. C.); wall of a temple, IG 12.372.51, al.; οἰκίας Pl. R. 574d; ἐν τοῖσι τ. ἔγραφ' Ἀθηναῖοι καλοί Ar. Ach. 144, cf. Pl. Lg. 859a; εἰς τὸν τ. ἀντεγγραψάτω IG 12.94.24; νόμους ἀναγράφειν εἰς τοῖχον Decr. ap. And. 1.84; κοινοὶ τ. party- walls, OGI 483.101, al. (Pergam., ii A. D.); τοίχῳ προσιστάμενοι γυμνάζονται Gal. 6.144: of the side of a tent or hut, Il. 9.219, 24.598, E. Ion 1158. metaph., τοῖχε κεκονιαμένε, as a term of abuse, Acts 23:3.

2. pl., sides of a ship, Od. 12.420, Thgn. 674, E. Hel. 1573, Th. 7.36, Theoc. 22.12; τοίχου ἄρχω τοῦ δεξιοῦ Luc. DMeretr. 14.3, cf. JTr. 49.

3. of other things, as the human body, εἰς ἀμφοτέρους τοίχους (by metaph. from a ship) E. Tr. 118 (anap.), cf. Luc. Asin. 9; of a cup, Pherecr. 143.2; of a vessel, Arist. Mete. 359a3; of a bath (πύελος), Gal. 15.709.

4. prov., τοίχους τοὺς δύο ἐπαλείφειν 'to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds', Paus. 6.3.15, cf. Suid. s.v. δύο τοίχους; ὁ εὖ πράττων τ. 'the snug side of the ship', 'the right side of the hedge', Ar. Ra. 537 (lyr.); ἐς το'ν εὐτυχῆ τ. χωρεῖν E. Fr. 89. (Akin to τεῖχος, but used in a special sense; later = τεῖχος, LXX Isaiah 25:12, prob. so in JHS 24.39 (Cyzicus).)