HANDS; HANDS, IMPOSITION, LAYING ON OF

im-po-zish'-un (epithesis cheiron, Acts 8:18 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6 Hebrews 6:2): The act or ceremony of the imposition of hands appears in the Old Testament in various connections: in the act of blessing (Genesis 48:14); in the ritual of sacrifice (hands of the offerer laid on head of victim, Exodus 29:10, 15, 19 Leviticus 1:4; Leviticus 3:2, 8, 13; Leviticus 4:4, 24, 29; 8:14; 16:21); in witness-bearing in capital offenses (Leviticus 24:14). The tribe of Levi was set apart by solemn imposition of hands (Numbers 8:10); Moses appointed Joshua to be his successor by a similar act (Numbers 27:18, 23 Deuteronomy 34:9). The idea in these cases varies with the purpose of the act. The primary idea seems to be that of conveyance or transference (compare Leviticus 16:21), but, conjoined with this, in certain instances, are the ideas of identification and of devotion to God.

In the New Testament Jesus laid hands on the little children (Matthew 19:13, 15 parallel Mark 10:16) and on the sick (Matthew 9:18 Mark 6:5, etc.), and the apostles laid hands on those whom they baptized that they might receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17, 19; Acts 19:6), and in healing (Acts 12:17). Specially the imposition of hands was used in the setting apart of persons to a particular office or work in the church. This is noticed as taking place in the appointment of the Seven (Acts 6:6), in the sending out of Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:3), at the ordination of Timothy (1 Timothy 4:14 2 Timothy 1:6), but though not directly mentioned, it seems likely that it accompanied all acts of ordination of presbyters and deacons (compare 1 Timothy 5:22 Hebrews 6:2). The presbyters could hardly convey what they had not themselves received (1 Timothy 1:14). Here again the fundamental idea is communication. The act of laying on of hands was accompanied by prayer (Acts 6:6; Acts 8:15; Acts 13:3), and the blessing sought was imparted by God Himself. No ground is afforded by this symbolical action for a sacrament of "Orders."

See SACRIFICE; MINISTRY; ORDINATION.

James Orr

LAY; LAYING

la, la'-ing:

(1) sim, "to put," and the Greek equivalent, tithemi, are very frequently translated by "to lay." the Revised Version (British and American) very often changes the King James Version rendering of sim, but never that of tithemi: 1 Samuel 15:2, "how he set himself against him in the way" (the King James Version "he laid wait for him"); 2 Kings 11:16, "So they made way for her" (the King James Version "And they laid hands on her"); compare 2 Chronicles 23:15 Job 24:12, "God regardeth not the folly" (the King James Version "God layeth not folly"); Job 34:23, "For he needeth not further to consider a man" (the King James Version "For he will not lay upon man more"); Isaiah 28:17, "And I will make justice the line" (the King James Version "Judgment also will I lay to the line"); Job 17:3, "Give now a pledge" (the King James Version "Lay down now").

(2) nathan, literally, "to give," is very commonly translated by "to lay." the Revised Version (British and American) changes the translation of the King James Version in Ezekiel 4:5, "I have appointed"; Ezekiel 33:28, "I will make the land a desolation" (the King James Version "I will lay the land most desolate").

(3) "To lay" of the King James Version is frequently rendered differently in the Revised Version (British and American); Isaiah 54:11, "I will set thy stones" (the King James Version "lay thy stones"); Deuteronomy 29:22, "the sicknesses wherewith Yahweh hath made it sick" (the King James Version "sicknesses which the Lord hath laid upon"). For other differences of the Revised Version (British and American) and the King James Version compare Deuteronomy 21:8 2 Kings 9:25 m; 2 Kings 12:11 Ezra 8:31 Psalm 104:5 m; Isaiah 53:6 Jeremiah 5:26 Mark 7:8 Luke 19:44 James 1:21 1 Peter 2:1. In most of these passages the change of the Revised Version (British and American) is due to the peculiar use of the word "to lay" in the King James Version. The following expressions are found very frequently: "to lay hands on," "to lay wait," "to lay up," "to lay aside," "to lay upon," "to lay down," etc.

"Laying of wait," the King James Version, is rendered "lying in wait" in Numbers 35:20;; Acts 9:24 reads: "But their plot became known" (the King James Version "But their laying await was known"). The "laying on of hands" is a very general expression.

See HANDS, IMPOSITION, LAYING ON OF.

A. L. Breslich