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Bible Encyclopedias
Salutation
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (from the Lat. salus, health, i.e. a wishing well; in the A.V. "salute" is the rendering of בָּרִךְ, barak, to bless; שָׁאִל, shaal, to inquire; but more properly of שָׁלוֹ ם, shalom, peace [q.v.]; in the N.T. of ἀσπαζομαι, to embrace), a term which, in the Bible, includes two classes or modes of address. These, however, were of course often continued under various circumstances. (See COURTESY).
I. Conversation. — The frequent allusion in Scripture to the customary salutations of the Jews invests the subject with a higher degree of interest than it might otherwise claim; and it, is therefore fortunate that there are few scriptural topics which can be better understood by the help of the illustrations derivable from the existing usages of the East.
1. The forms of salutation that prevailed among the Hebrews, so far as can be collected from Scripture, are the following:
(1.) The salutation at meeting consisted, in early times, of various expressions of blessing, such as "God be gracious unto thee" (Genesis 43:29); "Blessed be thou of the Lord" (Ruth 3:10; 1 Samuel 15:13); "The Lord be with you," "The Lord bless thee" (Ruth 2:4); "The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord" (Psalms 129:8). Hence the term "bless" received the secondary sense of "salute," and is occasionally so rendered in the A.V. (1 Samuel 13:10; 1 Samuel 25:14; 2 Kings 4:29; 2 Kings 10:15), though not so frequently as it might have been (e.g. Genesis 27:23; Genesis 47:7; Genesis 47:10; 1 Kings 8:66). Most of the expressions used in meeting, and also those which were used in parting, implied that the person who employed them interceded for the other. Hence the word בָּרִךְ, barak, which originally signified "to bless," meant also "to salute" or "to welcome," and "to bid adieu" (Genesis 47:8-11; 2 Kings 4:29; 2 Kings 10:13; 1 Chronicles 18:10).
(2.) The blessing was sometimes accompanied with inquiries as to the health either of the person addressed or his relations. In countries often ravaged, and among people often ruined, by war, "peace" implied every blessing of life; and this phrase had, therefore, the force of "Prosperous be thou." This was the commonest of all salutations (Judges 19:20; Ruth 2:4; 1 Samuel 25:6; 2 Samuel 20:9; Psalms 129:8). Hence the Hebrew term used in these instances (שָׁלֹ ם, shalom) has reference to general well being, and strictly answers to our "welfare, " as given in the text (Genesis 43:27; Exodus 18:7). It is used, not only in the case of salutation (in which sense it is frequently rendered "to salute, " e.g. Judges 18:15; 1 Samuel 10:4; 2 Kings 10:13), but also in other cases, where it is designed to soothe or to encourage a person (Genesis 43:23; Judges 6:23; Judges 19:20; 1 Chronicles 12:18; Daniel 10:19; comp. 1 Samuel 20:21, where it is opposed to "hurt;" 2 Samuel 18:28, "all is well;" and 2 Samuel 11:7, where it is applied to the progress of the war). The salutation at parting consisted originally of a simple blessing (Genesis 24:60; Genesis 28:1; Genesis 47:10; Joshua 22:6); but in later times the term shalom was introduced here also in the form "Go in peace," or, rather, "Farewell" (1 Samuel 1:17; 1 Samuel 20:42; 2 Samuel 15:9). This was current at the time of our Savior's ministry (Mark 5:34; Luke 7:50; Acts 16:36), and is adopted by him in his parting address to his disciples (John 14:27). It had even passed into a salutation on meeting, in such forms as "Peace be to this house" (Luke 10:5), "Peace be unto you" (Luke 24:36; John 20:19).
The more common salutation, however, at this period was borrowed from the Greeks, their word χαίρειν (to be joyful or in good health) being used both at meeting (Matthew 26:49; Matthew 28:9; Luke 1:28) and probably also at departure. In modern times, the ordinary mode of address current in the East resembles the Hebrew: Es-selam aleykum, "Peace be on you" (Lane, Mod. Egypt. 2, 7); and the term "salam" has been introduced into our own language to describe the Oriental salutation. Accordingly, we have the exclamation χαῖρε, χαίρετε; Joy to thee! Joy to you! rendered by Hail! an equivalent of the Latin Ave! Salve! (Matthew 27:29; Matthew 28:9; Mark 15:18; Lnlke 1:28; John 19:3).
A still stronger form of this wish for the health of the person addressed was the expression "Live, my lord" (חוה אדני ), as a common salutation among the Phoenicians, and also in use among the Hebrews, but by them only addressed to their kings in the extended form of "Let the king live forever!" (1 Kings 1:31), which was also employed in the Babylonian and Persian courts (Daniel 2:4; Daniel 3:9; Daniel 5:10; Daniel 6:6; Daniel 6:21; Nehemiah 2:3). This, which in fact is no more than a wish for a prolonged and prosperous life, has a parallel in the customs of most nations, and does not differ from the "Vivat!" of the Latin, the "Vive le roi!" of the French, or our own "forever!"
2. Use of these Expressions. — The forms of greeting that we have noticed were freely exchanged among persons of different ranks on the occasion of a casual meeting, and this even when they were strangers. Thus Boaz exchanged greeting with his reapers (Ruth 2:4), the traveler on the road saluted the worker in the field (Psalms 129:8), and members of the same family interchanged greetings on rising in the morning (Proverbs 27:14). The only restriction appears to have been in regard to religion, the Jew of old, as the Mohammedan of the present day, paying the compliment only to those whom he considered "brethren," i.e. members of the same religious community (Matthew 5:47; Lane, Mod. Egypt. 2, 8; Niebuhr, Descript. p. 43). Even the apostle John forbids an interchange of greeting where it implied a wish for the success of a bad cause (2 John 1:11). In modern times the Orientals are famed for the elaborate formality of their greetings, which occupy a very considerable time; the instances given in the Bible do not bear such a character, and therefore the prohibition addressed to persons engaged in urgent business, "Salute no man by the way" (2 Kings 4:29; Luke 10:4), may best be referred to the delay likely to ensue from subsequent conversation. This, perhaps, must not be understood literally, as it would be churlish and offensive. But there is so much insincerity, flattery, and falsehood in the terms of salutation prescribed by custom that our Lord rebuked them by requiring his followers, as far as possible, to avoid them (see Thomson, Land and Book, 1, 533 sq.).
3. Modern Parallels. — As already intimated, the usages involved in these oral salutations seem not only similar to, but identical with, those still existing among the Arabians. These, indeed, as now observed, go upon the authority of religious precepts. But it is known that such enactments of the Koran and its commentaries merely embody such of the previously and immemorially existing usages as the legislature wished to be retained.
(1.) Oral Forms. — Their most common greeting, as among the Jews, is, "Peace be on you!" to this the reply is, "On you be peace!" to which is commonly added, "and the mercy of God and his blessings!" This salutation is never addressed by a Moslem to one whom he knows to be of another religion; and if he find that he has by mistake thus saluted a person not of the same faith, he generally revokes his salutation: so also he sometimes does if a Moslem refuses to return his salutations, usually saying, "Peace be on us and on (all) the right worshippers of God!" This seems to us a striking illustration of Luke 10:5-6; 2 John 1:11. Various set compliments usually follow this salam; which, when people intend to be polite, are very much extended and occupy considerable time. Hence they are evaded in crowded streets, and by persons in haste, as was the case, for the same reason doubtless, among the Jews (2 Kings 4:29; Luke 10:4). Specimens of this conventional intercourse are given by Lane (Mod. Egypt. 1, 253), who says that to give the whole would occupy a dozen of his pages. There are set answers, or a choice of two or three answers, to every question; and it is accounted rude to give any other answer than that which custom prescribes. They are such as those by which the Israelites probably prolonged their intercourse. If one is asked, "How is your health?" he replies, "Praise be to God!" and it is only from the tone of his voice that the inquirer can tell whether he is well or ill. When one greets another with the common inquiry, "Is it well with thee?" (see 2 Kings 4:26) the answer is, "God bless thee!" or "God preserve thee!" An acquaintance on meeting another whom he has not seen for several days, or for a longer period, generally says, after the salam, "Thou hast made us desolate by thy absence from us;" and is usually answered, "May God not make us desolate by thy absence!"
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