And so much was this ceremony observed, that in blessing the whole congregation at once, which cannot be done by laying on of hands, yet Aaron ( Levit. 9:22) “did lift up his hands toward the people when he blessed them.” And we read also of the like ceremony of consecration of temples amongst the heathen, as that the priest laid his hands on some post of the temple, all the while he was uttering the words of consecration. So natural it is to design any individual thing, rather by the hand, to assure the eyes, than by words to inform the ear, in matters of God’s public service.

This ceremony was not therefore new in our Saviour’s time. For Jairus (Mark 5:23), whose daughter was sick, besought our Saviour not to heal her, but “to lay His hands upon her that she might be healed.” And ( Matt. 19:13), “they brought unto Him little children that He should put His hands on them and pray.”