The rare Greek term dexiolabos (from dexios = right + lambanō = take/hold) refers to a soldier who grips a weapon in the right hand — most likely a spearman or lance-bearer. It appears in the military escort assembled to transfer Paul safely from Jerusalem to Caesarea.
The extraordinary security detail dispatched for Paul — 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen (Acts 23:23) — illustrates how God uses Roman imperial power to protect His apostle. What began as a plot to assassinate Paul became an occasion for a 400-man armed convoy. The dexiolaboi (spearmen) represent the secular arm of God's providential protection, fulfilling His promise: 'Do not be afraid... I am with you' (Acts 23:11).