Salutation
Easton's Bible Dictionary
“Eastern modes of salutation are not unfrequently so prolonged as to become wearisome and a positive waste of time. The profusely polite Arab asks so many questions after your health, your happiness, your welfare, your house, and other things, that a person ignorant of the habits of the country would imagine there must be some secret ailment or mysterious sorrow oppressing you, which you wished to conceal, so as to spare the feelings of a dear, sympathizing friend, but which he, in the depth of his anxiety, would desire to hear of. I have often listened to these prolonged salutations in the house, the street, and the highway, and not unfrequently I have experienced their tedious monotony, and I have bitterly lamented useless waste of time” (Porter, Through Samaria, etc.). The work on which the disciples were sent forth was one of urgency, which left no time for empty compliments and prolonged greetings (Luke 10:4).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Greeting
gret'-ing (sha'-al; chairo, aspasmos, aspazomai):
(1) Sha'-al means "to ask," "to inquire of anyone respecting welfare," hence, "to greet." In the Old Testament the word "greet" occurs only once in the King James Version or the Revised Version (British and American), namely, in 1 Sam 25:5, "Go to Nabal, and greet him in my name." But it is implied in other places where shalom ("well," "prosperity," "peace"), the common Hebrew greeting, is used; e.g. in Gen 37:4, it is said of Joseph that "his brethren could not speak peaceably unto him," i.e. could not give him the common friendly greeting of "Peace!" "Peace be to thee!" So, in Gen 43:27, the Revised Version (British and American) "He asked them of their welfare" (King James Version margin "peace"); Exod 18:7, "They asked each other of their welfare"(King James Version, margin "peace"); 2 Sam 11:7, "how Joab did, and how the people did" (the Revised Version (British and American) "fared," the King James Version margin "of the peace of"); Joab said to Amasa (2 Sam 20:9), the Revised Version (British and American) "Is it well with thee, my brother?" (Hebrew "Art thou in peace, my brother?"); Boaz greeted his reapers with "Yahweh be with you," and they answered, "Yahweh bless thee" (Ruth 2:4; compare Ps 129:8, "The blessing of Yahweh be upon you; we bless you in the name of Yahweh"). For the king, we have, the King James Version and the English Revised Version God save the king (m "Let the king live," the American Standard Revised Version "(Long) live the king") (1 Sam 10:24, etc.); "Let my lord king David live for ever" (1 Kgs 1:31; see also Neh 2:3; Dan 2:4, etc.). In Ecclesiasticus 6:5 it is said "a fair-speaking tongue will increase kind greetings," the Revised Version (British and American) "multiply courtesies" (euprosegora).
(2) When Jesus sent forth His disciples to proclaim the kingdom, they were to "salute" the house they came to (Matt 10:12), saying (Luke 10:5), "Peace (eirene) be to this house!"; if it was not worthy, the blessing should return to themselves. After His resurrection He greeted His disciples saying, "Peace be unto you" (Luke 24:36; John 20:19; John 20:21; John 20:26); He left His "peace" with them as His parting blessing (John 14:27)--"not as the world giveth," in a formal way. A frequent form of greeting in the New Testament is chairo ("to rejoice," imperative and infinitive, chaire, chairete, "Joy to thee," "Joy to you," translated "Hail!" and "All hail!" Matt 26:49; Matt 27:29; Matt 28:9; Mark 15:18; Luke 1:28; John 19:3), "Rejoice!" (Phil 3:1; the English Revised Version, margin "farewell"). Another word for greeting is aspasmos, "greetings in the markets" (the King James Version Matt 23:7; Mark 12:38, "salutations"; Luke 11:43, "greetings," Luke 20:46; also Luke 1:29; Luke 1:41; Luke 1:44; 1 Cor 16:21; Col 4:18; 2 Thess 3:17; in all these places the Revised Version (British and American) has "salutation").
(3) Of epistolary greetings we have examples in Ezra 4:17, "Peace" (shelam), etc.; 5:7; Dan 4:1; Dan 6:25. These are frequent in the Apoc: 1 Esdras 6:7, "to King Darius greeting" (chairo); 8:9; 1 Macc 10:18, etc.; 2 Macc 1:10, "greeting, health," etc. We have the same form in Acts 15:23; Acts 23:26. In 3 John 1:14 it is, "Peace (be) unto thee. The friends salute thee." Paul opens most of his epistles with the special Christian greeting, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3, etc.). Also at the close, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you" (1 Cor 16:23; 2 Cor 13:14, etc.). He directs greetings to be given to various persons, and sends greetings from those who are with him (Rom 16:5-23; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Cor 13:13; Phil 4:21; Col 4:10, etc.). In those cases the word is aspazomai, and the Revised Version (British and American) translates "salute," etc. (compare Jas 1:1; 1 Pet 1:2; 1 Pet 5:14; 2 Pet 1:2; 2 John 1:3; 2 John 1:13; Jude 1:2).
See GODSPEED; KISS.
W. L. Walker
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
sal-u-ta'-shun (aspasmos): A greeting which might be given in person, orally (Luke 1:29; Luke 1:41; Luke 1:44), or in writing, usually at the close of a letter (1 Cor 16:21; Col 4:18; 2 Thess 3:17; compare use of chairein, "greeting," "joy" in Jas 1:1). The Pharisaic Jews loved salutations in public places (Matt 23:7; Mark 12:38, the King James Version "greeting," the Revised Version (British and American) "salutation"; Luke 11:43; Luke 20:46). Often these salutations were very elaborate, involving much time in prostrations, embracings, etc. When Jesus therefore sent out the Seventy, He forbade salutation by the way (Luke 10:4), though He ordinarily encouraged proper civilities of this sort (Matt 5:47; Matt 10:12).
Edward Bagby Pollard
Kilde: Easton's Bible Dictionary (M.G. Easton, 1897) og International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (red. James Orr, 1915/1939), public domain. Translated into Danish with AI and not yet proofread (fully or partially). Links to people and places: Theographic Bible Metadata (CC BY-SA 4.0).