ABSTRACT
Not the forms of courtesy merely but real courtesy characterised the old Hebrews. The usual greeting, put often interrogatively, “Shalom?” had to do with the health and general well-being of the one inquired after. It was followed by the same word used affirmatively. The fact that a remark or behest was courteously put appears in the particle which was employed to soften speech. This particle (https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780203804780/8e8941d7-e6e8-472b-9126-595762a26c13/content/ch19_page169-01_B.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/>) has sometimes the force of our “please,” at other times it renders the sentence in which it appears an entreaty or a quiet, courteous command. The wish to placate or propitiate another is revealed very frequently where the speaker was the superior of the one addressed in age or social station, and is characteristic of the people who were not haughty or overbearing. Kissing even among males was no mere matter of form, as frequent prostrations were not. The latter revealed the Hebrew's conception of the dignity and worth of life quite as much as they did the kneeler's wish to stand well in the eyes of him whom he thus recognised as his superior. The Hebrew as a Semite was thoughtful rather than light and frivolous; he took things seriously, though he was not destitute of the sense of humour, as is seen in his play upon words and in other simple and innocent ways.
