SUPPLICATION, when addressed externally to man, cannot possibly be exhibited in any other forms than those which are used in supplication to God. Uplifted hands, kneeling, prostration, are common to both. On the Egyptian monuments, doubt that a similar practice existed among the Jews ; especially when we refer to the original words which describe the acts and attitudes of salu tation, as MIN 7hJ to bend down to the earth, ninmin to fall prostrate on the earth, rirIN ?+DN jinn to fall with the face to the earth, and connect them with allusions to the act of kissing the feet, or the hens of the garment (Matt. ix. 20 ; Luke vii. 38, 45). Kissing the hand of another as a mark of affectionate respect, we do not remember as distinctly mentioned in Scripture.
suppliant captives, of different nations, are repre sented as kneeling or standing with outspread hands. This also occurs in the sculptures of ancient Persia (Persepolis). The first of the Egyptian figures is of pecidiar interest, as representing an inhabitant of Lebanon. Pmstration, or falling at the feet of a person, is often mentioned in Scripture as an act of supplication or of reverence, or of both (r Sam. xxv. 24 ; 2 Kings iv. 37 ; Esth. viii. 3 ; Matt. xviii. 29 ; xxviii. 9 ; Mark v. 22 ; Luke viii. 41 ; John xi. 32 ; Acts x. 25). In the instance last referred to, where Cornelius threw himself at the feet of Peter, it may be asked why the apostle for bade an act which was not unusual among his own people, alleging as the reason---` I myself also am a man.' The answer is, that among the Romans, prostration was exclusively an act of adoration, rendered only to the gods, and therefore it had in him a significance which it would not have had in an Oriental (Kuinoel, ad Act. x. 26). This custom is still very general among the Orientals ; but, as an act of reverence merely, it is seldom shewn except to kings : as expressive of alarm or suppli cation, it is more frequent.
Sometimes in this posture, or with the knees bent, as before indicated, the Orientals bring their forehead to the ground, and before resuming an erect position'either kiss the earth, or the feet, or border of the garment of the king or prince before whom they are allowed to appear. There is no But as the Jews had the other forms of Oriental salutation, we may conclude that they had this also, although it does not happen to have been specially noticed. It is observed by servants or pupils to masters, by the wife to her husband, and by children to their father, and sometimes their mother. It is also an act of homage paid to the aged by the young, or to learned and religious men by the less instructed or less devout. Kissing one's
own hand is mentioned as early as the time of Job (xxxi. 27), as an act of homage to the heavenly bodies. It was properly a salutation, and as such an act of adoration to them. The Romans in like manner kissed their hands as they passed the tem ples or statues of their gods. [On the ground that adoration is derived from ad and os, it has been maintained that the kissing of the hand to the Deity was not only the primary but the only genuine species of adoration. But this etymology of the word is at best very dubious (Doderlein, Lat. Syn. ii. IR, and it is certain that this was only one mode amongst several of expressing by outward gesture reverence to the object of worship. We read in Scripture, besides, of kneeling, of bending the body, of prostration on the ground, as acts of adoration and worship (comp. Gen. xvii. 17; xxiv. 26 ; Ex. xxxiv. 8 ; 2 Kings xviii. 42 ; 2 Chron. Vi. 13 ; Job i. 20 ; Ps. xcv. 6 ; Matt. xxvi. 39 ; xvii. 14, etc.) The last of these (rninVil, 7rpoo-tailnioxs) was used especially when any favour was implored, but it was not confined to this, nor was it used exclusively as an act of homage to the Divine Being. It was sometimes accompanied with a kiss (Ex. XV11/. 7), and in cases of earnest entreaty by laying hold of the knees of the party addressed (Matt. xxviii. 9; comp. Hom. ILL 427). The most remarkable form of adoration, however, was that performed by the kissing of the hand. That this was in use from very ancient times is evident from Job xxxi. 26, 27 ; and that it pre vailed as a common custom with the heathen is attested by Minucius Felix (Ut vulgus supersti tiosus solet manum on admovens, osculum labiis pressit : Octay. C. 2, ap. fin.), and by Pliny (In adorando dexteram ad osculum referimus : tl i H. xxviii. 2, ed. Lugd. 1563). This act is best de scribed as a holding of the hand before or upon the mouth, the design of which is said originally to have been to prevent the breath from reaching the superior, but which came ultimately to indicate simply the highest degree of reverence or submis sion (comp. Judg. xviii. 19 ; Job xxi. 5; xxix. 9 ; xl. 4 ; Is. lii. 15). Comp. Brissonius, u. De formal. p. 84o.] The same is exhibited on the monuments of Persia and of Egypt. In one of the sculptures at Persepolis a king is seated on his throne, and before him a person standing in a bent posture, with his hand laid upon his mouth as he It is observable that, as before noticed, the word barak, means to bless and to bend the knee, which suggests the idea that it was usual for a person to receive a blessing in a kneeling posture.