The laying on of hands has great significance as a religious rite or ceremony in the Bible. This rite is associated
with the bestowal of divine blessings upon a person, and it also is used as a special form of recognition for persons set
apart for God's service.
On the Day of Atonement, the high priest placed his hand on the head of a goat before releasing it
into the wilderness. Through this rite, he symbolically transfered the sins of the people to the scrapegoat
(Lev. 16:21).
Abraham and the other patriarchs placed hands on their descendants to confirm a birthright or to convey
a special blessing, as when Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph (Gen. 48:14, 18). The ceremony sometimes
implied the transfer of authority (Num. 27:18-20). Joshua was said to be "full of the spirit of
wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him" (Deut. 34:9).
The laying on of hands apparently served also as a formal declaration of identification by the church
at Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, whom they were sending out as missionaries (Acts 13:2, 3). This
same sense of identification with sacrificial animals as a substitute for the people may be implied in the burnt offering
presented by the priests in the Old Testament times (Lev. 1:4).
Placing hands on a person in need of healing has a strong biblical precedent. The practice was used
by Jesus during His healing ministry (Matt. 9:18) and when He blessed the children (Matt.
19:15). The apostles laid their hands on the sick (Acts 14:3) and on newly baptized persons
(Acts 8:16, 17). There also appears to be a connection between the laying on of hands and the reception
of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:18).
The Levites were consecrated to service by the laying on of hands (Num. 8:10,
11). In the New Testament, the practice is associated with the ordination of decons (Acts
6:6) and ministers (1 Tim. 4:14; 5:22) and the setting apart of missionaries for divine
service (Acts 13:2, 3).
