Mouth of the Kishon.
KISIISHU
112
KISS
Kishshu. See Cucujiuiiit.
Kislzer, Johann Justus, a German theologian, was born at Ki>dinij;haiisen in KitU), and was educated at the nniversities of Jena and Gicsscn. In 1G04 he became l)rofessor of philosophy at Kinteln University, and the year following proi'essor of theology. He died March 25, 171-1. For a list of his writings, mainly disserta- tions, see During, Gdehrte Theolor/en Deutschlands des ly'"' iiml W'^Jahrh. ii, 102.
Ki'son (Psa. Ixxxiii, 9). Sec Kisiiox. l»!iss ( p'4;3, nashaJc'; Gr. ^jXew, to love, and deriva- livos). Originally the act of kissing had a symbolical character, as a natural species of language, expressive of tender affection and respect. It appears from the case of Laban and Jacob (Gen. xxix. 111) that this method of salutation was even then established and rec- ognised as a matter of course. In Gen. xxvii, 26, 27, a kiss is a sign of affection between a parent and child ; in Cant, viii, 1, between a lover and his bride. It was also, as with some modern nations, a token of friendship and regard bestowed when friends or relations met or separated (Tobit vii, G; x, 12; LuliC vii, 45; xv, 20; Acts XX, 37 ; Matt, xxvi, 48 ; 2 Sam. xx, 9) ; the same custom is still usual in the East (Tischendorf, Reise, i, 255). The Church of Ephesus -wept sore at Paul's de- parture, and fell on his neck and kissed him. When Orpah quitted Naomi and Ruth (Ruth i, 14), after the three had lifted up their voice and wept, she " kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her."
It was usual to kiss the mouth (Gen. xxxiii, 4 ; Exod. iv, 27; xviii,7; ISam. xx, 41; Prov. xxiv, 2G). Kiss- ing the lips by way of affectionate salutation was not only permitted, but customary among near relatives of both sexes, both in patriarchal and in later times (Gen. xxix, 11; Cant, viii, 1). Between individuals of the same sex, and in a limited degree between those of dif- ferent sexes, the kiss on the cheek as a mark of respect or an act of salutation has at all tim^s been customary in the East, and can hardly be said to be extinct even in Europe. Mention is made of it (1) between parents and children (Gen. xxvii, 2G, 27 ; xxxi, 28, 55 ; xlviii, 10 ; 1, 1 ; Exod. xviii, 7 ; Ruth i, 9, 14 ; 2 Sam. xiv, 33 ; 1 Kings xix, 20 ; Luke xv, 20 ; Tobit vii, 6 ; x, 12) ; (2) between brothers, or near male relatives or intimate friends (Gen. xxix, 13 ; xxxiii, 4 ; xlv, 15 ; Exod. iv, 27 ; 1 Sam. XX, 41); (3) the same mode of salutation be- tween persons not related, but of equal rank, whether friendly or deceitful, is mentioned (2 Sam. xx, 9 ; Psa. Ixxv, 10 ; Prov. xxvii, G ; Luke vii, 45 [1st clause] ; xxii, 48 ; Acts XX, 37) ; (4) as a mark of real or affected con- descension (2 Sam. XV, 5 ; xix, 39) ; (5) respect from an inferior (Luke vii, 38, 45, and perhaps viii, 44). In other cases the kiss is imprinted on the beard (see Ar- vieux, iii, 182) ; sometimes on the hair of the head (see U'Grville, Ad Chariton, viii, 4), which was then taken hold of by the hand (2 Sam. xx, 9). Among the Arabs the women and children kiss the beards of their hus- bands or fathers. TIic superior returns the salute by a kiss on tlie forehead. Kissing the hand of another ap- pears to be a modern practice. In I'^gypt an inferior kisses the hand of a sujierior, generally on the back, but sometimes, as a special favor, on tlie palm also. To tes- tify abject submission, and iu asking favors, the feet are often kissed iustead of the hand (Luke vii, 38). "The son kisses the hand of his father, the wife that of her husband, the slave, and often the free servaut, that of the master. The slaves and servants of a grandee kiss their lord's sleeve, or the skirt of his clotlnng" (Lane, Mod. A'f/. ii, 9; compare Arvieux, Trar. p. 151 ; Rurck- hardt, 7';-«r. i,3G9 ; Niebuhr, I'o//. i, 329 ; ii.93; Layard, Nin. i, 174; Wellsted, .1 rnhia, i,'341 ; Malcolm, SJcf-tches f)/'/V/■.s■^^^ p. 271). Friends saluting each other join the right hand, then each kisses liis owu liand. .'md puts it to his lips and forehead, or l)reast ; after a lung absence they embrace each other, kissing tirst on the right side of the face or neck, and then on the left, or on both sides
of the beard (Lane, ii, 9, 10 ; comp. Irby and IMangles, p. IIG ; Chardin, Voi/df/e, iii, 421 ; Burckhardt, Notes, i, 3G9 ; Russell, A leppo, i, 240). The jjassage of Job xxxi, 27, '• Or my mouth hath kissed my hand," is not iu point (see Menken, Dissert, in p. 1., Lipsiw, 1711; Doughta'i, Analecl. i, 211 ; Kieseling, in the Kov. JllisceU. Lips, ix, 595; Biittiger, Kuiistmi/t/iol. i, 52), and refers to idola- trous usages (sec L. Weger, T)e osc. maims iJolairica, Reglom. 1G98), namely, the adoration of the heavenly bodies (comp. Cicero, ]'ei: iv, 43 ; Gesenius, Comment, on Isa. xlix, 23). See Adoratiox. It was the custom to throw liisses towards the images of the gods, and to- wards the sun and moon (1 Kings xix, 18 ; IIos. xiii, 2 ; comp. Minuc. Felix, ii, 5 ; Tacit. I/ist. iii, 24, 3 ; Lucian, De /Salt. c. 17; Pliny, Hist. Aat. xxviii, 5). The kiss- ing of princes was a token of homage (Psa. ii, 12 ; 1 Sam. X, 1 ; Xenophon, Cijrop. vii, o, 32). So probably in Gen. xli, 40, " Upon thy mouth shall all my jieojilc kiss," where the Auth.Yers. interpets, "According to thy word shall all my people be ruled" (see Gesenius, Thesaur. Ileh. p. 923). AVc may compare the jMohammedan cus- tom of kissing the Kaaba at ]\Iecca (Burckhardt, Trar. i, 250, 298, 323; Crichton. Arabia, ii, 215). Xenophon says (Ar/esH. v, 4) that it was a national custom with the Persians to kiss whomsoever they honored ; and a curious passage to this effect may be found in the Ci/ro- pcedia (i, 4, 27). Kissing the feet of princes was a token of subjection and obedience, which was sometimes car- ried so far that the print of the foot received the kiss, so as to give the impression that the very dust had be- come sacred by the royal tread, or that the subject was not worthy to salute even the prince's foot, but was con- tent to kiss the earth itself near or on which he trod (Isa. xlix, 33; Micah vii, 17; Psa. Ixxii, 9; comp. Gen. xli, 40 ; 1 Sam. xxiv, 8 ; Matt, xxviii, 9 ; see Dion Cass, lix, 27 ; Seneca, De Bene/, ii, 12). Similar usages pre- vail among the Orientals to the present day (see Wil- kinson, Anc. Erj. ii, 203 ; Layard, Ninev. i, 274 ; Harmer, Obs. i, 33G; Niebuhr, Travels, i, 414; comp. Assemani, Bibl. Or. i, 377 ; Otho, Lex. Rab. p. 233 ; Barhebr. Chron. p. 148, 189, 569). The Rabbins, in the meddlesome, scrupulous, and falsely delicate spirit which animated much of what they wrote, did not permit more than three kinds of kisses — the kiss of reverence, of reception, and of dismissal (^Breshith Rabba on Gen. xxix. 11).