What Does 1 Thessalonians 5:26 Mean in the King James?
Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The kiss makes set-apart belonging touchable, and “all” extends that welcome across the whole community.
THE MEANING
This verse speaks to you as part of a community where welcome takes bodily form: affection passes through a greeting shared with every sibling. “Holy” gives that touch the character of something set apart for this belonging.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that sacred belonging must stay abstract or emotionally distant.
THE ROOT
φιλήματι
philēmati
GROWS FROM
φιλέω
phileō
To love or show affection.
The noun for “kiss” carries the root of love and affection. The verse makes that affection visible in a greeting shared with the whole community.
ALSO GROWS
phileō: To love or show affection.
φιλέω
The root beneath “kiss” keeps the greeting connected to love.
kataphileō: To kiss warmly or fervently.
καταφιλέω
This related verb shows the same affection-root expressed through a kiss.
philadelphia: Brotherly or sibling love.
φιλαδελφία
It brings affection and sibling belonging together, as this greeting does.
ἁγίῳ
hagiō
GROWS FROM
ἅγιος
hagios
Set apart; sacred.
“Holy” marks the greeting as set apart for shared belonging. Here, sacredness is carried through a gesture of affection between people.
ALSO GROWS
hagiazō: To set apart or make sacred.
ἁγιάζω
This verb shows the action associated with what is called holy.
hagiasmos: Setting apart; sanctification.
ἁγιασμός
It names the state or process of being set apart, the quality given to this greeting.
THE PATTERN
Belonging becomes visible through a shared, embodied greeting.
And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.THE THREAD
Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.Luke’s καταφιλέω (kataphileō, to kiss warmly) carries the same φιλέω (phileō, to love or show affection) root as the φίλημα (philēma, kiss) here. There, the missing kiss marks welcome withheld; here, the greeting extends across the whole sibling community.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us