Kiss

The kiss is common in eastern lands in salutation, etc., on the cheek, the forehead, the beard, the hands, the feet, but not (in Palestine) the lips. In the Bible there is no sure instance of the kiss in ordinary salutation. We have in the Old Testament naschaq, "to kiss," used (1) of relatives (which seems the origin of the practice of kissing; Joseph and his father (Exo 4:27); (2) Of friendship and affection; 1 Sam 20:41 David and Jonathan . (3) Of love; Prov 7:13 (of the feigned love of "the strange woman).

In the New Testament we have phileo, "to kiss," "to be friendly," and kataphileo, "to kiss thoroughly," "to be very friendly"-- Mt 26:48; Mk 14:44; Lk 22:47. The kiss with which Judas betrayed his Master. was probably meant to be taken as an expression of special regard, which is expressed by the kataphileo of Mt 26:49; Mk 14:45. The same word is used of the father's greeting of the returning prodigal, 5:20; and of the farewell to Paul of the Ephesian Christians, Acts 20:37.

The word philema, "a kiss," "a mark of friendship," is used by Our Lord as that which Simon omitted to give him (which may refer to ordinary hospitality), but which the woman had bestowed so impressively, Lk 7:45; and of the "holy kiss" wherewith Christians greeted each other, which, according to the general usage we have seen, would be as the members of one family in the Lord, or as specially united in holy love , Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Thes 5:26; 1 Pet 5:14. There is reason to believe that, as a rule, men only thus greeted men, and women, women.

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