Greet

International visitors are often caught off guard by the greeting rituals displayed in the country they are visiting. Those rituals may appear peculiar to the visitor because of their length and content and even by the nonverbal elements associated with them such as kissing, hugging, or bowing. Here our focus will be on the verbal dimension of in-person greetings rather than the greetings found in correspondence or physical gestures associated with ancient greetings.[108]

Greetings in the ancient world differed markedly from those in the modern West in terms of their breadth and length. We do not expect that our casual, “How are you doing?” will precipitate a lengthy conversation. But that is exactly the norm in the Middle East to this day. What is more, the corporate (versus individualistic) worldview virtually guarantees that the reply will take into account all of the family members, friends, and circumstances that impact the well-being of the person who has been greeted. For instance, Joseph’s inquiry into the well-being of his brothers was linked to an inquiry concerning the well-being of his father (Gen. 43:27). And Moses’s father-in-law’s inquiry into his well-being quickly led into a recitation of the history of the Israelites over the preceding years (Exod. 18:7–8). A typical greeting formula recorded in 1 Samuel 25:6 illustrates how such a conversation was initiated: “Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!”

The Church of All Nations is the traditional location of the most heinous greeting of all time, where Judas kissed Jesus while betraying him in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Certain phrases became part of the greeting, including the Hebrew shalōm. This word communicates much more than a sense of peace; it presses beyond that into an inquiry about the broader well-being of the person and all that impacts that person’s life (for example, Gen. 43:27–28; Exod. 18:7; 2 Sam. 18:28). The greeting exchanged between Boaz and his workers illustrates another set of phrases employed in greeting: “The LORD be with you!” “The LORD bless you!” (Ruth 2:4). These formulas speak of the idealized life of the believer described in Psalm 1. And in the New Testament, we encounter the shortest of the greeting formulas, on par with our quick “hi” or “hey there.” It is translated in the NIV as “greetings” and in the NASB as “hail” (Matt. 26:49; 28:9).

Whether the greeting was exchanged between family, friends, or state representatives, the connotations of acceptance and harmony lingered around the meeting. So it follows that when Jesus sent out the twelve disciples, he told them to be sure to exchange greetings with those in whose homes they stayed (Matt. 10:12). The greeting between state representatives could carry with it the additional connotation of national alliance (2 Kings 10:15–17).

Most greeting exchanges that occurred in connection with Bible events are unreported, which makes those that are recorded worthy of our notice. Some are particularly noteworthy because the greeting was unreturned, taught a lesson, or was misused. When a greeting was given and not reciprocated, it was an indication that there was a problem. Saul’s unauthorized sacrifice was quickly followed by the appearance of Samuel. Saul attempted to diffuse the situation with a greeting, but Samuel abandoned the expected response and instead asked a question: “What have you done?” (1 Sam. 13:11). When David’s men delivered a greeting to Nabal, they waited for a response but received only an insult in reply (1 Sam. 25:5–6, 9–11, 14). And the priests at the temple in Jerusalem greeted the arriving Nicanor but received an insult from the Roman general in response (1 Macc. 7:33–34). Such unreciprocated greetings were a sign of trouble.

Western visitors are often taken aback not only by the smells and sounds of modern Jerusalem but also by the public greeting customs.

In the New Testament, unusual greetings occasionally became part of the lesson. For the young girl Mary, an unusual messenger joined with an unusual greeting to help mark the special conception: “The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be” (Luke 1:28–29). The special nature of Mary’s child was again emphasized when she greeted her cousin Elizabeth and both Elizabeth and her unborn child responded in a unique way to Mary’s greeting (Luke 1:40–41, 44). Much later, Mary’s son Jesus called for his followers to adopt new greeting customs that exceeded cultural norms to illustrate the uniqueness of the kingdom of God. “And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” (Matt. 5:47). Jesus also taught how important the mission of the disciples was in spreading the gospel when he directed them to avoid the lengthy greetings that could otherwise impede their travel and give primary attention to their mission (Luke 10:4; for an Old Testament precedent, see 2 Kings 4:29).

Finally, the Bible contains examples of greetings that were misused. Jesus put the Pharisees and the teachers of the law under strict censure for the way they basked in the greetings of the general public. Those religious leaders were greeted in the marketplace in a special, distinctive way. Whether that had to do with being the first to receive a greeting or the use of special language for the greeting, these men were feeding their egos in unhealthy ways from the practice. Because the disciples would find themselves faced with a similar situation, Jesus forewarned them of this temptation (Matt. 23:7; Mark 12:38; Luke 11:43; 20:46). But the most heinous greeting mentioned in the Bible is the one offered by Judas. Greetings were well-wishes; but when Judas approached Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, he had anything but Jesus’s well-being in mind. The words, “Greetings, Rabbi!” only thinly veiled the intended betrayal (Matt. 26:49).