Thelaying on of hands is a widely-usedreligious practice.
InJudaism,semikhah (Hebrew:סמיכה, "leaning [of the hands]")[1] accompanies the conferring of a blessing or authority. InChristian churches,chirotony[2] is used as both a symbolic and formal method of invoking theHoly Spirit primarily duringbaptisms andconfirmations,healing services,blessings, andordination ofpriests,ministers,elders,deacons, and other church officers, along with a variety of other churchsacraments and holy ceremonies.
The laying on of hands was an action referred to on numerous occasions in theHebrew Bible to accompany the conferring of a blessing or authority.Moses ordainedJoshua throughsemikhah—i.e. by the laying on of hands:Num 27:15–23,Deut 34:9. The Bible adds that Joshua was thereby "filled with the spirit of wisdom". Moses also ordained the 70 elders (Num 11:16–25). The elders later ordained their successors in this way. Their successors in turn ordained others. This chain of hands-onsemikhah continued through the time of theSecond Temple, to an undetermined time. The exact date that the originalsemikhah succession ended is not certain. Many medieval authorities believed that this occurred during the reign of Hillel II, circa 360 CE.[3] However, it seems to have continued at least until 425 CE whenTheodosius II executedGamaliel VI and suppressed thePatriarchate andSanhedrin.[4]
Laying on of hands can also refer to the practice of laying hands over one's sacrificial animal (sin-offering), before it was slaughtered,[5] based on a teaching in Leviticus 4:24: "And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat." InPseudo Jonathan's Aramaic translation of thePentateuch, the translator of the verse explains its sense: "And he shall lay his right hand with force on the head of the goat." According toPhilo of Alexandria, the custom of laying on of hands was done in conjunction with a declaration, where the owner of the animal would say: "These hands have not taken a bribe to distort justice, neither have they divided the spoil, etc."[6] According toJewish tradition, the first dispute in Israel concerned whether or not it was permissible to lay hands upon one's sacrificial animal by applying one's full body weight on aFestival Day.[5]
In theNew Testament the laying on of hands was associated with the receiving of theHoly Spirit (seeActs8:14–19). Initially theApostles laid hands on new believers as well as believers (seeActs 6:5–6).
TheNew Testament also associates the laying on of hands with the conferral of authority or designation of a person to a position of responsibility. (SeeActs6:6,Acts13:3; and1 Timothy 4:14. Also possiblyActs14:23, where "ordained"—Greek:χειροτονήσαντες—may be translated "extended the hand".) The use of the laying on of hands for theordination of church officers has continued in many branches of Christianity.
Laying on of hands is part of Anglican confirmation,[7]anointing of the sick,[8] and other parts of liturgy and pastoral offices. The rubric in the confirmation service requires the bishop to lay only one hand, symbolising that he has less spiritual authority than an apostle (who laid both hands).
In theRoman Catholic Church, the laying on of hands has been and continues to be used in some of the rites for the SevenSacraments of the Catholic Church. First, it is the essential gesture (or "matter") for the Sacrament ofHoly Orders (diaconate, priesthood, and episcopacy). Second, it accompanies the anointing with SacredChrism in the Sacrament ofConfirmation. Third, it is part of the ritual for the Sacrament of theAnointing of the Sick, taken after the command in theEpistle of James: "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord" (James 5:14 ESV).
InEastern Christianity, laying on of hands is used for the ordination (calledcheirotonia) of thehigher clergy (bishops, priests and deacons), and is also performed at the end of the sacrament ofunction.
InEvangelical Christianity, the laying on of hands takes place for pastoralordination.[9]
In fewBaptist churches, the laying on of hands rarely takes place after abeliever's baptism although this is traditional to some sects and not practiced as a Biblical command nor example.[10] This is one of the two points which was added in the1689 Baptist Confession of Faith in 1742.[11][12]Southern Baptist Christians employ the laying on of hands during theordination of clergymen (such as deacons, assistant, and senior pastors) as well as situations of calling fordivine healing.
Pentecostal Christians practice the laying on of hands as part of prayer for divine healing (faith healing) and the anointing of the sick.[13]
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Members ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe the restoration of Christ's priesthood came about by the laying on of hands by the resurrectedJohn the Baptist toJoseph Smith andOliver Cowdery in 1829,[14] and laying on of hands is seen as a necessary part of Confirmation.[15] Latter-day Saints lay on hands when ordaining members[16] to theAaronic andMelchizedek priesthoods and when setting members apart to serve in other positions in the church.[17] When asked by a member who is ill, two elders of the Church anoint the sick member's head with consecrated olive oil and then lay hands upon their head and as guided by the Holy Spirit, bless them.[18]
TheSan peoples of Southern Africa use the laying on of hands as ahealing practice. As described by professor Richard Katz, the healers of the!Kung people lay their hands on a sick person to draw the sickness out of them and into the healer in a "difficult, painful" process.[19]
A similar practice of laying on of hands is also used inNavajo religious ceremonies.[20]
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The laying on of hands, known as theroyal touch, was performed bykings inEngland andFrance, and was believed to curescrofula (also called "King's Evil" at the time), a name given to a number of skin diseases. The rite of the king's touch began in France withRobert II the Pious, but legend later attributed the practice toClovis asMerovingian founder of theHoly Roman kingdom, andEdward the Confessor in England. The belief continued to be common throughout theMiddle Ages but began to die out withthe Enlightenment.Queen Anne was the last British monarch to claim to possess this divine ability, though theJacobitepretenders also claimed to do so. The French monarchy maintained the practice up until the 19th century. The act was usually performed at large ceremonies, often atEaster or other holy days.
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