Judas had a signal (Mk 14:44-14:44)

“Now the betrayer

Had given them

A sign.

He said.

‘The one I will kiss

Is the man.

Seize him!

Lead him away

Under guard!’”

 

δεδώκει δὲ ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν σύσσημον αὐτοῖς λέγων Ὃν ἂν φιλήσω αὐτός ἐστιν· κρατήσατε αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπάγετε ἀσφαλῶς.

 

This is almost word for word in Matthew, chapter 26:48.  In Luke, chapter 22:47, there is an abbreviated version of only Judas kissing Jesus.  In John, chapter 18:2-9, there is long dialogue of Jesus with the crowd, with no Judas kiss at all.  It is interesting to note that John left this out in his otherwise well detailed description.  Mark said that this betrayer or deliverer of Jesus, Judas, had given the crowd a sign (δεδώκει δὲ ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν σύσσημον αὐτοῖς).  Judas had told them that the one that he kissed (λέγων Ὃν ἂν φιλήσω) would be the man to seize or hold (αὐτός ἐστιν·κρατήσατε αὐτὸν).  They were to lead him away securely under guard (καὶ ἀπάγετε ἀσφαλῶς).  Judas had this all set up, so that there would be no mistaken identity, as regards Jesus.

Punishment for idolatry (Hos 13:2-13:3)

“Now they keep on sinning.

They make a cast image

For themselves.

They make idols

Of silver,

According to their understanding.

All of them are

The work of artisans.

‘Sacrifice to these!’

They say.

People are kissing calves!

Therefore,

They shall be

Like the morning mist,

Like the dew

That goes early away,

Like the chaff

That swirls

From the threshing floor,

Like smoke

From a window.”

Yahweh, via Hosea, had this main complaint against the northern Israelites that they kept on adoring these idol Baal images. They kept on sinning. They made their own silver idols. They made their own images without any understanding, clearly the work of artisans. When they were finished, they wanted the people to sacrifice to these idols. They wanted people to kiss these idol calves. Yahweh was going to punish them. They were going to become like the morning mist that disappears during the day. They were going to be like chaff that blows in the wind from the threshing floor. They were going to be like smoke from a window. They would disappear before their very own eyes.

Come to my house (Song 8:1-8:2)

Female lover

“O that you were

Like a brother to me!

You have nursed at my mother’s breast!

If I met you outside,

I would kiss you.

No one would despise me.

I would lead you.

I would bring you

Into the house of my mother.

I would bring you

Into the chamber of the one who bore me.

I would give you

Spiced wine to drink.

I would give you

The juice of my pomegranates.”

This female lover wishes that her lover was her brother so that both of them would have been nursed with her mother’s breast. If she met him outside, she would kiss him and not feel ashamed. She would lead him to her mother’s house. She wanted to bring him into the chamber room of her mother. She wanted to give him spiced wine and the juice of her pomegranates. Clearly this was an invitation to her lover to come to where she lived like earlier in chapter 3.

Love prologue (Song 1:2-1:4)

Female lover

“Let him kiss me

With the kisses of his mouth!

Your love is better than wine.

Your anointing oils are fragrant.

Your name is perfume poured out.

Therefore the maidens love you.

Draw me after you.

Let us make haste.

The king has brought me

Into his chambers.

We will exult in you.

We will rejoice in you.

We will extol your love

More than wine.

Rightly do they love you.”

The opening prologue to this poetic love song is uttered by the female lover. These few verses are assigned to a female writer. This woman longs for her male lover. She wants him to kiss her on the mouth. His love is greater than wine. His oils are fragrant, sweet smelling. His name is like a poured out perfume. Obviously then, many maidens love him. However, she wants him to hurry up and bring her to his royal chambers because he seems to be the king or at least a prince. Together they would exult and rejoice in him. Once again, his love was greater than wine. It was obvious why the young girls loved him. This romantic love tale has been interpreted as an allegorical love between Yahweh and Israel, or later by the Christians as Christ and his church. However, the basic story is what it is.

The seduction of the prostitute (Prov 7:10-7:20)

“Then a woman comes toward him.

She is decked out like a prostitute.

She has a wily heart.

She is loud.

She is wayward.

Her feet do not stay at home.

She is now in the street.

She is now in the market squares.

At every corner she lies in wait.

She seizes him.

She kisses him.

With an impudent face

She says to him.

‘I had to offer sacrifices.

Today I have paid my vows.

So now I have come out to meet you.

I seek you eagerly.

I have found you.

I have decked my couch with coverings.

I have colored spreads of Egyptian linen.

I have perfumed my bed with myrrh.

I have perfumed my bed with aloes.

I have perfumed my bed with cinnamon.

Come!

Let us take our fill of love until morning!

Let us delight ourselves with love!

My husband is not at home.

He has gone on a long journey.

He took a bag of money with him.

He will not come home until full moon.”

This is a story of seduction. The young woman was dressed like a prostitute, whatever that means. She was loud and rarely at home, since she was out in the town square as well as in the market places. She then seized this simpleton and started to kiss him. No soft sell here. She said that she had spent her money at the Temple and was looking for him. They may in fact have been friends. Then she explained why he should come with her. She had a decked out couch and a bed with Egyptian linens full of myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon, so that it smelt nice. She wanted to spend the whole night with him in love making until the morning. She explained that her husband was on a long business trip. He would be gone for a while until the end of the month or the full moon. The woman adulteress was the clear initiator, while the male was a young simpleton.

Serve Yahweh (Ps 2:10-2:12)

“Now therefore,

O kings!

Be wise!

Be warned!

O rulers of the earth!

Serve Yahweh with fear!

Serve Yahweh with trembling!

Kiss his feet!

He will be angry.

You will perish in the way.

His wrath is quickly kindled.

Happy are all who take refuge in him.”

The rebellious kings were warned to fear Yahweh and his king. They should be wise. They have been warned. All rulers should have fear and trembling before Yahweh. They were to kiss his feet. Yahweh did not have feet, but his King David would have feet. If you got Yahweh angry, you would perish because he was quick to anger. However, those who took refuge in Yahweh would be happy and blessed. Thus we have a royal psalm about Yahweh as the real national and international king. However, he wanted his son David, and by extrapolation, a future king, the anointed one to be king of the earth. Anyone who got in his way would be in trouble. Yahweh was quick to anger and ready to destroy if he saw fit.

The prayer of Mordecai on why he did not bow to Haman (Greek text only)

“You know all things.

You know, O Lord,

That it was not in insolence

Or pride or for any love of glory

That I did this.

I refused to bow down to this proud Haman.

I would have been willing to kiss the soles of his feet,

To save Israel!

But I did this,

That I might not set human glory

Above the glory of God.

I will not bow down to anyone but you.

You are my Lord.

I will not do these things in pride.”

The Greek text prayer of Mordecai continued. The Lord knows all things. He knew that Mordecai did not act out of pride or glory. Mordecai refused to bow to the proud Haman. However, he said that he was willing to kiss the soles of his feet to save Israel. It must be remembered that this whole affair is an off shoot of Mordecai making Haman angry by not offering obeisance. He was not seeking human glory. Mordecai remained adamant that he would not bow down to anyone but the Lord.   Yet without that incident, would Haman have tried to eliminate all the Jews? We will never know.