In the context of the Bible, the act of hugging, while not explicitly mentioned as a common practice, can be inferred through various expressions of affection, greeting, and comfort found throughout the Scriptures. The Bible often emphasizes the importance of love, compassion, and fellowship among believers, which can be expressed through physical gestures such as hugging.

Expressions of Affection and Greeting

In the ancient Near Eastern culture, physical expressions of affection were common, and while the Bible does not frequently mention hugging specifically, it does describe other forms of affectionate greetings. For example, the "holy kiss" is mentioned several times in the New Testament as a sign of love and fellowship among believers. In Romans 16:16, Paul instructs, "Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings." This practice, while not identical to a hug, shares a similar purpose of expressing warmth and unity.

Comfort and Compassion

The Bible frequently highlights the importance of comforting one another, which can be associated with the act of hugging. In times of sorrow or distress, physical touch can be a powerful means of providing solace. In the account of Job, his friends initially come to comfort him in his suffering. Although their words later fail him, their initial presence and intention to console reflect the biblical principle of offering comfort to those in need (Job 2:11-13).

Family and Brotherhood

The Bible places a strong emphasis on familial love and brotherhood, which can naturally include physical expressions of affection such as hugging. The relationship between Jacob and Esau provides an example of reconciliation and familial affection. After years of estrangement, when Jacob and Esau finally meet, the Bible describes their emotional reunion: "But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they both wept" (Genesis 33:4). This embrace signifies forgiveness and the restoration of their brotherly bond.

Parental Affection

Parental love is another context in which hugging can be inferred. The Bible often speaks of the deep love and care parents have for their children. In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus illustrates the father's love and forgiveness through a vivid image of physical affection: "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him" (Luke 15:20). This embrace symbolizes the father's unconditional love and acceptance.

Conclusion

While the Bible does not explicitly mention hugging as a common practice, the principles of love, compassion, and fellowship are deeply embedded in its teachings. These principles often manifest in physical expressions of affection, such as hugging, which serve to strengthen bonds, offer comfort, and demonstrate the love of Christ among believers.1. (v. i.) To cower; to crouch; to curl up.

2. (v. i.) To crowd together; to cuddle.

3. (v. t.) To press closely within the arms; to clasp to the bosom; to embrace.

4. (v. t.) To hold fast; to cling to; to cherish.

5. (v. t.) To keep close to; as, to hug the land; to hug the wind.

6. (n.) A close embrace or clasping with the arms, as in affection or in wrestling.

1723. enagkalizomai -- to take into one's arms, to embrace
... embrace, hug. From en and a derivative of agkale; to take in one's arms, ie
Embrace -- take up in arms. see GREEK en. see GREEK agkale. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1723.htm - 6k2263. chabaq -- to clasp, embrace
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to clasp, embrace NASB Word Usage embrace (7),
embraced (3), embracing (1), folds (1), hug (1). embrace, fold. ...
/hebrew/2263.htm - 6k

Righteous Hatred
... a little fox, take heed of it, for it will spoil the grapes; if it come to thee
as a warring lion, seeking whom it may devour; or if it come with the hug of a ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/righteous hatred.htm

External Form of the New Testament.
... The reader may see a collection of examples in Hug's Introduction to the New Testament,
Sec.43, where are also some curious examples of the wrong division of ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxv external form of.htm

The Good Shepherd: a Farewell Sermon
... You never throw off your cloak in a storm, but you hug it the closer; so the law
makes a man hug close his corruptions, (Romans 7:7, 8, 9) but when the gospel ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/the good shepherd a farewell.htm

Matthew.
... [911] Matt. 5:17; 15:24; comp. 10:6. [912] Hug, Bleek, Olshausen ... [925] So Wetstein,
Hug, De Wette, Bleek, Ewald, Ritschl, Holtzmann, Keim, Delitzsch, Keil. ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 80 matthew.htm

Early Training.
... By this time both were thoroughly frightened; for while visiting one of the parks
in Chicago once, they had seen a bear hug his keeper until he could not stand ...
/.../byrum/the value of a praying mother/chapter iii early training.htm

After this Diamond Recovered So Fast, that in a Few Days He was ...
... cried. The cab-master had never been so fond of a horse himself as to
hug him like that, but he saw in a moment how it was. And ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 14 after this diamond.htm

Thomas and Jesus
... man can do, went away to brood in a corner by himself, and so to exaggerate all
his idiosyncrasies, to distort the proportion of truth, to hug his despair, by ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/thomas and jesus.htm

Salvation: Grace: Faith
... And from these, as the shepherd drags the kid from the claws of the lion or the
bear's hug, the salvation of the Gospel wrenches and rescues men. ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/salvation grace faith.htm

Literature.
... II. The historico-critical Introductions, or literary Histories of the New Testament
by Hug, De Wette, Credner, Guericke, Horne, Davidson, Tregelles, Grau ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 74 literature.htm

Sojourners with God
... Do we congratulate ourselves on our own cleverness, tact, and skill, saying, 'mine
hand hath done it,' or do we hug ourselves on our own good fortune, and burn ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/sojourners with god.htm

Embrace (11 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) To clasp in the arms with affection; to take in the arms; to hug. ... (n.) Intimate
or close encircling with the arms; pressure to the bosom; clasp; hug. ...
/e/embrace.htm - 11k

Hug (1 Occurrence)
... 4. (vt) To hold fast; to cling to; to cherish. 5. (vt) To keep close to; as, to
hug the land; to hug the wind. ... Multi-Version Concordance Hug (1 Occurrence). ...
/h/hug.htm - 7k

Press (57 Occurrences)
... 7. (v.) To embrace closely; to hug. 8. (v.) To oppress; to bear hard upon. 9. (v.)
To straiten; to distress; as, to be pressed with want or hunger. 10. ...
/p/press.htm - 46k

Syriac (2 Occurrences)
... been strenuously denied, but since Dr. Hort in his Introduction to Westcott and
Hort's New Testament in the Original Greek, following Griesbach and Hug at the ...
/s/syriac.htm - 26k

Huge (19 Occurrences)

/h/huge.htm - 12k

Valley (187 Occurrences)
... As a consequence the roads leading up the valley find it necessary to hug the base
of the mountains on either side to avoid the abrupt descent into the ...
/v/valley.htm - 75k

Huddled (1 Occurrence)

/h/huddled.htm - 6k

Jordan (188 Occurrences)
... As a consequence the roads leading up the valley find it necessary to hug the base
of the mountains on either side to avoid the abrupt descent into the ...
/j/jordan.htm - 70k

Versions
... been strenuously denied, but since Dr. Hort in his Introduction to Westcott and
Hort's New Testament in the Original Greek, following Griesbach and Hug at the ...
/v/versions.htm - 81k

What does it mean to have a double tongue? | GotQuestions.org

How should a Christian view the #metoo movement? | GotQuestions.org

Is it wrong for a Christian to have a roommate of the opposite sex? | GotQuestions.org

Hug: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus