James (in tlie Syriac St. James it is only implied), St. Mark both Greek and Coptic, Abyssinian (or Ethiopic), St. Basil, Koman and Ambrosian. The gesture is one of prayer, and implies that prayer accompanied the actions described (see Job 22^ ; cf. the pviblican, Lk 18'^). Again, the refer- ences to the ' glance ' or ' look ' of our Lord are very frequent. In Mk 3* it conveys His righteous anger ( 11 Lk. does not mention the anger). In Mk 3?* 10" (and || Mt.) and Lk G*" 20", it apparently emphasizes the truth taught. In Lk 22"! it brings conviction of sin to St. Peter after his denials. In Mk 10=' it is a mark of love ; here, as so often, St. Mark alone relates the feelings of our Lord's liuman soul. The glance to emphasize truth must also be understood where we expressly read of Jesus' ' turning ' to those whom He is addressing (Mk833, Lk T 9=5 etc.). On the other hand, no special significance must be attached to passages where our Lord's ' look ' is mentioned, but where it was merely that He might see, as Mk 5'= (and H Mt.), Lk 19' 21'. Corresponding with this gesture of Jesus is the keen ' gaze ' or ' fastening of tlie eyes ' which we read of in the case of the people of l^azareth (Lk 4=»), the maidservant (Lk 22"'), St. Peter (Ac S\ cf. S'^), the Sanhedrin (Ac 6'^), St. Stephen (Ac V^), Cornelius (Ac 10''), St. Paul (Ac 139 149 23')— all having dre^ffeii-, one of St. Luke's favourite words ; in the case of St. Paul it is diffi- cult to reconcile with the idea that the ' stake in the flesh ' was ophthalmia, (c) The gesture of kneeling or prostration is mentioned only once of our Lord, in Gethsemane (Mk 14'''* and |1 Mt. Lk.), the first two Evangelists speaking of prostration, tlie third of kneeling. As standing was the usual attitude for prayer* (Mk 1P^ where see Swete's note, Lk 18"- "), we must interpret this kneeling or prostration as specially signifying deep distress, as in the early Church it signified special peni- tence, being forbidden by the 20th canon of Nic-ea on festival occasions like Sundays and Eastertide (so Tertullian, de Cor. Mil. 3). And so it was significant of deep distress in the case of St. Stephen (Ac 7'"), and probably of St. Peter when he raised Tabitha (Ac 9") ; in the case of St. Paul's farewells it would be due to the great solemnity of the occasion (Ac 205« 2P, cf. also 1 K 8", Ezr 9^ Dn 6'", Eph 3'*). Nevertheless, the usual standing to pray would not preclude the gesture of prostra- tion at intervals to express special devotion, as is the case to this day amoiiL; all Ivistcrn Christians. To signify reverence tin- ji-tinr nf kneeling or prostration is frequently 11:1. i i-i<l m the Gospels. We read of many thus kiH-clin;; tn Jesus — the leper (Mk 1« and II Mt. Lk.), demoniacs (iMk 3" 5"), Jairus (Mk 5^= and |1 Mt. Lk.), the Syrophffinician woman (Mk l'^ and II Mt.), the rich young man (Mk 10"), the blind man (Jn 9="), Mary of Bethany (Jn 1P=), the lunatic's father (Mt 17'^ not || Mk. Lk.}, Salome (Mt 20™, not II Mk.), the Magi (Mt 2"), St. J'eter at the miraculous draught of fishes (Lk 5"), and so the soldiers in derision (Mk 15" and |1 Mt.). The devil tempts our Lord to kneel to him (Mt 4" and I! Lk. ). The women prostrate themselves at the tomb (Lk 24''). Cornelius attempts to do so before St. Peter (Ac 10=^), St. John before the angel (Kev 19'° 22"). {(I) A gesture to emphasize speech may probably l)e understood in Mk 12^ where it may l>e that Jesus pointed to the scribe's phylactery, which contained the words, 'Hear, O Israel,' etc. (e) An isolated gesture is the stooping to write on the qrovnd in the ' Pericope adulterse' (Jn 'i''--"). apparently signifying 'intentional inattention.' Westcott (in /or.) remarks that the very strange- ness of the action marks the authenticity of the detail. (/) We read of gestures expressing grief. 'Our Lord sat to teach, the usual custom (Mt 5', Mk 41, Lk 420 53, Jn S-, cf. Ac 1613).
Jesus sighed at weakness of faith (Mk 7''' 8'=), and groaned (or was moved with indignation, ene^pifiri- aaro), shuddered (iripa^ev eourii'), and wept at Lazarus' grave (Jn 11^- ^•^) • He shuddered at the thought of the betrayal (Jn 13-'), and wept over Jerusalem (Lk 19^'f).
To speak generally, it may be noted that the Fourth Evangelist is more chary of chronicling our Lord's gestures than the Synoptists. He dwells rather on Jesus' words than on the actions with which He accompanied them.
3. VariouB gestures by others. — To an Oriental people, gesture is almost as natural a method of expressing the meaning as speech. We find in the Gospels frequent references to such a method of communication. This is not only when no otjher is possible, as when dumb Zacharias makes signs (Lk 1") and the people make signs to him (v.*^ : perhaps he was also deaf) ; just as in Acts, St. Peter has to make signs to procure silence in Ac 12", and St. Paul in Ac 21^" and perhaps 13'". But we find such expressive gestures as shaking off the dust (Mk 6" and II Mt. Lk. ; this is our Lord's command to the Twelve), to signify the dissociating of oneself from an ott'ender. So Paul and Barnabas did at Pisidian Antiocli (Ac IS'"), and so Paul ' shook out his raiment ' against the unbelieving Jews at Corinth (18*). Again, rending the garments was a common Jewish gesture of con- sternation or grief, often mentioned in OT (e.g. Gn 37-9- **, Jl 2'3) ; in the Gospels we find it men- tioned only of Caiaphas (Mk 14"^ and || Mt.) ; in Acts (14''') only of Paul and Barnabas at Lystra. Smiting the breast as a sign of grief we find in Lk 23* (where D adds to. /i^ruTra), and in Mt 11" (iKdtpaaBe) and Lk 18''. Wagging the head was the derisive gesture of the passers-by at the Crucifixion (Mk \S^ and || Mt. ; cf. 2 K 19-', Job 16*. La 2'^ Sir 12'* 13'). Pilate's gesture of washing his hands (Mt 27^) has furnished a proverbial saying, but it was familiar to the Jews (Dt 21«). The kindred idea of washing the hands to express innocency (i.e. ridding oneself of evil) is found in Ex 30""- and Ps 26" 73", and is a great feature of the Church Orders and the great Liturgies. Lastly, we notice the kiss as the sign of love, real or feigned, as in the case of the sinful woman (Lk 7''*), of Judas (Mk 14« and || Mt. Lk.), and of tlie Ephesian elders (Ac 20^'). It is true that the kiss was the ordinary way of greeting a Rabbi (see Swete on Mk 14"), but in all these cases much more than ordinary courtesy is intended by the gesture, and nrobably KaTo^iXei'i' in these passages means ' to kiss fer- vently,' or (in the case of Judas) 'ostentatiously.' For tlie kiss in OT, cf. Gn 29" S3* 45'^ Ex 18', 1 S 20*', 2 S 15M9'9 20', many of which passages speak of kisses of greeting like that of Judas, to wiich Joab's is indeed strangely similar.