Biblical Significance Of Handshaking Greetings
While handshaking is a common greeting in many cultures today, biblical texts do not explicitly mention handshaking as a form of salutation. Instead, various other forms of greeting and their significance are described, with the kiss being a prominent example [1, 9, 10].
Salutations in biblical times were often expressions of blessing and well-wishing. Phrases such as "God be gracious unto thee," "The Lord be with you," or "The Lord bless thee" were common greetings [2]. The act of blessing could even be synonymous with saluting [2]. Greetings were exchanged between individuals of different social standings, including inferiors to superiors, superiors to inferiors, and among brethren [3]. They were also customary upon entering a house [3].
The "holy kiss" or "kiss of charity" is frequently mentioned in the New Testament as a form of greeting among early Christians [5, 6, 7, 14]. This practice was rooted in the custom of the ancient patriarchs and Jews, where kissing served as a token of friendship, peace, and brotherly love [10, 11, 12]. It was a common way to greet others in the ancient world, especially among Jews [16]. The apostle Paul, for instance, instructs believers to "Salute one another with an holy kiss" [15]. This kiss was intended to be "holy," distinguishing it from unchaste or hypocritical gestures, and signifying sincere affection and friendship [12]. The custom became a standard feature of Christian liturgy by the second century, often observed with men kissing men and women kissing women [14, 16].
Beyond the kiss, other gestures and actions carried symbolic weight. The hand itself was a symbol of human action [4]. Washing hands could symbolize innocence or sanctification [4]. Giving the right hand was a pledge of fidelity [4]. While not a handshake in the modern sense, the symbolic use of hands for pledges suggests a cultural understanding of hand gestures in significant interactions. The term "Hail!" (Greek: Chaire) was a salutation expressing a wish for welfare, meaning "Rejoice" [8]. Greetings were considered more significant than a simple "hello," often conveying a blessing [13].
The practice of the holy kiss eventually diminished in the Church, not necessarily due to abuse, but because the growing number of believers made it impractical [11]. Adam Clarke notes that while handshaking is a modern equivalent for expressing friendship and peace, the kiss served this purpose in ancient times [10, 11].
Sources
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Kiss — Kissing the lips by way of affectionate salutation was customary among near relatives of both sexes, in both patriarchal and later times. (Genesis 29:11; Song of Solomon 8:1) Between individuals of the same sex, and in a limited degree between those of different sexes, the kiss on the cheek as a mark of respect or an act of salutation has at all times been customary in the East, and can hardly be said to be extinct even in Europe. In the Christian Church the kiss of charity was practiced not only as a friendly salutation, but as an act symbolical of love and Ch”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Salutation — Salutations may be classed under the two heads of conversational and epistolary. The salutation at meeting consisted in early times of various expressions of blessing, such as "God be gracious unto thee," (Genesis 43:29) "The Lord be with you;" "The Lord bless thee." (Ruth 2:4) Hence the term "bless" received the secondary sense of "salute." The salutation at parting consisted originally of a simple blessing, (Genesis 24:60) but in later times the form "Go in peace," or rather "Farewell" (1 Samuel 1:17) was common. In modern times the ordinary mode of add”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Salutations — Antiquity of -- Ge 18:2; 19:1. Were given By brethren to each other. -- 1Sa 17:22. By inferiors to their superiors. -- Ge 47:7. By superiors to inferiors. -- 1Sa 30:21. By all passers-by. -- 1Sa 10:3,4; Ps 129:8. On entering a house. -- Jdj 18:15; Mt 10:12; Lu 1:40,41,44. Often sent through messengers -- 1Sa 25:5,14; 2Sa 8:10. Often sent by letter -- Ro 16:21-23; 1Co 16:21; Col 4:18; 2Th 3:17. Denied to persons of bad character -- 2Jo 1:10. Persons in haste excused from giving or receiving -- 2Ki 4:29; Lu 10:24. Expressions used as Peace be with thee. -”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Hand — Called by Galen "the instrument of instruments." It is the symbol of human action (Ps. 9:16; Job 9:30; Isa. 1:15; 1 Tim. 2:8). Washing the hands was a symbol of innocence (Ps. 26:6; 73:13; Matt. 27:24), also of sanctification (1 Cor. 6:11; Isa. 51:16; Ps. 24:3, 4). In Ps. 77:2 the correct rendering is, as in the Revised Version, "My hand was stretched out," etc., instead of, as in the Authorized Version, "My sore ran in the night," etc. The right hand denoted the south, and the left the north (Job 23:9; 1 Sam. 23:19). To give the right hand was a pledge of fid”
- King James Version “[KJV] 1 Peter 5:14 — Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.”
- I Peter “I Peter 5:14 (BSB) — Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”
- Romans “Romans 16:16 (BSB) — Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Hail! — A salutation expressive of a wish for the welfare of the person addressed; the translation of the Greek Chaire, "Rejoice" (Luke 1:8). Used in mockery in Matt. 27:29.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Kiss — Of affection (Gen. 27:26, 27; 29:13; Luke 7:38, 45); reconciliation (Gen. 33:4; 2 Sam. 14:33); leave-taking (Gen. 31:28, 55; Ruth 1:14; 2 Sam. 19:39); homage (Ps. 2:12; 1 Sam. 10:1); spoken of as between parents and children (Gen. 27:26; 31:28, 55; 48:10; 50:1; Ex. 18:7; Ruth 1:9, 14); between male relatives (Gen. 29:13; 33:4; 45:15). It accompanied social worship as a symbol of brotherly love (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26; 1 Pet. 5:14). The worship of idols was by kissing the image or the hand toward the image (1 Kings 19:18; Hos. 13:”
- 1 Corinthians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 16:20: With a holy kiss - The ancient patriarchs, and the Jews in general, were accustomed to kiss each other whenever they met; and this was a token of friendship and peace with them, as shaking of hands is with us. The primitive Christians naturally followed this example of the Jews. See the note on Rom 16:16.”
- Romans (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Romans 16:16: Salute one another with a holy kiss - In those early times the kiss, as a token of peace, friendship, and brotherly love, was frequent among all people; and the Christians used it in their public assemblies, as well as in their occasional meetings. This was at last laid aside, not because it was abused, but because, the Church becoming very numerous, the thing was impossible. In some countries the kiss of friendship is still common; and in such countries it is scarcely ever abused, nor is it an incentive to evil, because it is customary and common. Shaking of hands”
- Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 16:15: Salute one another with an holy kiss,.... Christian salutation is a wishing all temporal, spiritual, and eternal happiness, to one another; and which, as it should be mutual, should be also hearty and sincere, and this is meant by the "holy kiss"; the allusion is to a common custom in most nations, used by friends at meeting or parting, to kiss each other, in token of their hearty love, and sincere affection and friendship for each other; and is called "holy", to distinguish it from an unchaste and lascivious one; and from an hypocritical and deceitful one, such an o”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 10:12: 10:12 give it your blessing: Greetings were more significant than a simple hello. Often, a greeting would convey a blessing for those who received it (cp. Ruth 2:4).”
- 1 Thessalonians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Thessalonians 5:26: Hence it appears this Epistle was first handed to the elders, who communicated it to "the brethren." holy kiss--pure and chaste. "A kiss of charity" (Pe1 5:14). A token of Christian fellowship in those days (compare Luk 7:45; Act 20:37), as it is a common mode of salutation in many countries. The custom hence arose in the early Church of passing the kiss through the congregation at the holy communion [JUSTIN MARTYR, Apology, 1.65; Apostolic Constitutions, 2.57], the men kissing the men, and the women the women, in the Lord. So in the Syrian ”
- Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 16:16: Salute one another with an holy kiss--So Co1 16:20; Th1 5:26; Pe1 5:14. The custom prevailed among the Jews, and doubtless came from the East, where it still obtains. Its adoption into the Christian churches, as the symbol of a higher fellowship than it had ever expressed before, was probably as immediate as it was natural. In this case the apostle's desire seems to be that on receipt of his epistle, with its salutations, they should in this manner expressly testify their Christian affection. It afterwards came to have a fixed place in the church serv”
- Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 16:16: 16:16 with a sacred kiss: The kiss was a common way to greet another person in the ancient world and particularly among the Jews. It is mentioned frequently in the New Testament as a greeting (1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Thes 5:26; see 1 Pet 5:14); the kiss of peace became a standard feature of the Christian liturgy by the second century.”