KISON (ki'son), an incorrect form of Kishon (Ps. lxxxiii:9). (See Kisuox).
KISS (kis), (Heb. naw-shak' ; Gr. oanua firay-mah). Kissing the lips by way of affection ate salutation was customary among near relatives of both sexes, both in patriarchal and in later times (Gen. xxix:ii; Cant. viii:1).
Originally the act of kissing had a symbolical character, and, though this import may now be lost sight of, yet it must be recognized the mo ment we attempt to understand or explain its signification.
(1) Significance of Action. Acts speak no less, sometimes far more forcibly than words. In the early period of society, when the foundation ',vas laid of most even of our NVestern customs, action constituted a large portion of what we may term human language, or the means of intercom munication between man and man. Words were then less numerous, books unknown, the entire machinery of speaking being, in its rudimental and elementary state, less developed and called into play. The Oriental character inclined men to general taciturnity, with occasional outbreaks of fervid, abrupt, or copious eloquence. In this lan guage of action, a kiss was naturally the ex pression and the symbol of affection, regard, re spect, and reverence; and if any deeper source of its origin were sought for, it would, doubtless, be found in the fondling and caresses with which the mother expresses her tenderness for her babe.
(2) Biblical Allusions. That the custom is of very early date appears from Gen. xxix :13, where we read—'When Laban heard of the tidings of Jacob, his sister's son, he' ran to meet hirn, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house': the practice was even then estab lished and recognized as a matter of course.
In Gen. xxvii :26, 27, a kiss is a sign of affection between a parent and child. It was also, as with some modern nations, a token of friendship and regard bestowed when friends or relations met or separated (Tobit vii :6; x :12; Luke vii :45; xv :20 ; Acts xx :37 ; Matt. xxvi :48 ; 2 Sart]. XX :9 1.
The church of Ephesus wept sore at Paul's departure, 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 ; I Sam. xx : 41 •, Prov. xxiv :26) or the beard, which was then taken hold of by the hand (2 Sam. xx :9). Kiss ing of the feet was an expression of lowly and tender regard (Luke vii :38).
(3) Idolatrous Usage. Kissing of the hand of another appears to be a modern practice: the pas sage of Job xxxi :27, 'Or my mouth hath kissed my hand,' is not in point, and refers to idolatrous usages, namely, the adoration of the heavenly bodies. It was the custom to throw kisses to
wards the images of the gods, and towards the sun and moon (1 Kings xix :18; Hosea xiii :2; Minuc. Felix, ii, 5 ; Tac. Hist. iii, 24, 3; Lucian, De Salt. c. 17; Plin. Hist. Nat. xxviii, 5).
(4) Salutation of Princes. The kissing of princes was a token of homage (Ps. ii :12; I Sam.
x :1 ; Xenoph. Cyrop. vii, 5, 32). Xenophon says (Agesil. v, 4) that it was a natural custom with the Persians to kiss whomsoever they honored; and a curious passage to this effect may be found in the Cyropaqia (i, 4, 27). Kissing the feet of princes was a token of subjection and obedience; which was sometimes carried so far that the print of the foot received the kiss, so as to give the im pression that the very dust had become sacred by the royal tread, or that the subject was not worthy to salute even the prince's foot, but was content to kiss the earth itself near or on which he trod (Is. xlix:23; Micah vii :17; Ps. lxxii :9 ; Dion Cass. lix, 27; Seneca, De Bencf. 12).
(5) Limited by the Rabbins. The Rabbins, in the meddlesome, scrupulous, and falsely deli cate 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 (Breschith Rabba on Gcn. xxix:ii).
(6) Custom of Primitive Church. The pecu liar tendency of the Christian religion to encour age honor toward all men, as men, to foster and develop the softer affections, and, in the trying condition of the early church, to make its mem bers intimately known one to another, and unite them in the closest bonds, led to the observance of kissing as an accompaniment of that social wor ship which took its origin in the very cradle of our religion. Hence the exhortation—'Salute each other with a holy kiss' (Rom. xvi :16; see also Cor. XVi :20 ; 2 COr. Xiii :I2 ; Thess. v :26; in Pet. v:14, it is termed 'a kiss of charity'). The observance was continued in later days, and has not yet wholly disappeared, though the peculiar circumstances have vanished which gave propriety and emphasis to such an expression of brotherly love and Christian friendship.
(7) Literature. Pfanner, De °sculls Christi anon Veter.; M. Kempius, De °sculls, Francof. 168o; Jac. Herrenschmidius, Osculogia, Viteb. 163o; P. Muller, De Osculo Sancto. 1674; Boberg, De °sculls Hebr. J. R. B.
KITE (kit). See GLEDE.