ADORATION (ad-o-ra'shim). This word is com pounded of ad, "to," and os,oris, "the mouth," and literally signifies to apply the hand to the mouth, that is, 'to kiss the hand." (1) Act of Worship. The act is described in Scripture as one of worship. Job says: 'If I had beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness ; and my heart had been secretly enticed, or my mouth had kissed my hand ; this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge' (Job xxxi :26, 27). And this very clearly intimates that kissing the hand was considered an overt act of worship in the East.
(2) Reverence for Royalty. The same act was used as a mark of respect in the presence of kings and persons high in office or station. Or rather, perhaps, the hand was not merely kissed and then withdrawn from the mouth, but held continuously before or upon the mouth, to which allusion is made in such texts as Judg. xviii :19; Joh xxi :5; xxix :9 ; x1:4; Ps. xxxix :9 ; in which 'laying the hand upon the mouth' is used to de scribe the highest degree of reverence and sub mission ; as such, this posture is exhibited on the monuments of Persia and of Egypt. In one of the sculptures at Persepolis a king is seated on I.,s throne, and before him a person standing in
a bent posture, with his hand laid upon his mouth as he addresses the sovereign. Exactly the same attitude is observed in the sculptures at Thebes, where one person, among several (in various postures ( f respect) who appear before the scribes to be registered, has his hand placed thus sub missively ,pon his mouth. Prayer is most com monly commenced with the act of adoration (Ps.
cii ;25, 27; Jer. xxxii :16-19).
ADORN (A-dOrre), (Gr. ranr1.460, kos-meh'o, to or nament), to deck; to make beautiful (I Tim. ii:9), followed by participle designating the act by which the honor is gained (Tit. ii:to; I Pet. iii:5).
Figurative. (I) By a holy conversation we adorn the doctrine of God; thus practically show ing to the world the purity, power, glory, and ex cellence of his truths, laws, promises, threaten ings (Tit. ii:io). (2) The church is adorned when her ordinances are pure and efficacious; her of ficers faithful and zealous; her members clothed with the imputed righteousness of Christ, and his sanctifying grace. (Is. lxiiio; Rev. xxi:2.) ADRA (a'dra). See ARAD.