Greek word · G783

ἀσπασμός

aspasmos

salutation

A greeting or salutation. In a Jewish setting this was usually a spoken blessing of peace ('shalom to you'), often with an embrace or kiss.

Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated November 01, 2026

What it means

ἀσπασμός, -οῦ, ὁ

(ἀσπάζομαι),

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

Range of meaning: A greeting or salutation. In a Jewish setting this was usually a spoken blessing of peace ('shalom to you'), often with an embrace or kiss.
Against the English: 'Greeting' is fine, though modern readers may hear a passing pleasantry. In Luke a greeting carries weight: Mary was troubled by what kind of greeting the angel's was (1:29), and Jesus tells his messengers that their spoken 'peace' will rest on a house or return to them (10:5–6).
Used elsewhere in the period: Luke 1:29, 41, 44; 11:43; 20:46 (scribes who love greetings in the marketplaces, a sign of honor); Col 4:18; 1 Cor 16:21. BDAG s.v. ἀσπασμός.

Range of meaning: Greeting or salutation, in speech or writing. In public it was often a formal act acknowledging the other person's status (BDAG s.v. ἀσπασμός).
Against the English: 'Greetings' suggests a casual 'hello'. NIV and NLT add 'respectful' to bring out the deference built into the act.
How it drifted: Modern Western greetings are mostly egalitarian. Ancient public greetings followed status, and who greeted whom first, and with what title, was socially meaningful.
Used elsewhere in the period: Matthew 23:7 spells it out: 'greetings in the marketplaces and being called Rabbi by people'. Mark 12:38 and Luke 20:46 apply the same charge to the scribes. Jewish tradition itself praised the opposite: m. Avot 4:15 urges, 'Be first to greet every person', and Hillel's saying in m. Avot 1:13 warns that 'a name made great is a name destroyed'. Compare Jesus' instruction to his own messengers to 'greet no one on the road' (Luke 10:4).

Range of meaning: Aspasmos is a greeting: the spoken welcome in the marketplace (Matt 23:7) or the written salutation of a letter. "With my own hand" is a set formula for the point where the sender takes the pen from the scribe.
Against the English: KJV/YLT keep the bare Greek wording ("The salutation by the hand of me Paul"). BSB keeps the noun ("This greeting is in my own hand"). WEB, NIV, ESV and NASB turn it into a first-person sentence ("I, Paul, write this greeting"), which is natural English but hides the fact that Greek has no verb here. The phrase works like a label or signature.
Used elsewhere in the period: Paul uses the same formula in 1 Cor 16:21 and 2 Thess 3:17. In 2 Thessalonians he adds that this is "the sign in every letter". Compare Gal 6:11 ("see with what large letters I write with my own hand") and Phlm 19. Rom 16:22 names the scribe, Tertius. Greek papyrus letters from Egypt often show a second handwriting in the closing lines, where the sender added the farewell personally (see Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East; Richards, Paul and First-Century Letter Writing).

Matthew · 1

Matthew 23:7 ἀσπασμοὺς greetings

the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.

Here: Formal public greetings that recognised a person's standing: the words, titles and gestures others offered. It is in the accusative as a second object of 'they love' from verse 6. The plural suggests greetings received again and again.

Mark · 1

Mark 12:38 ἀσπασμοὺς greetings

In His teaching Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces,

Here: Formal, respectful public greetings that acknowledged a man's rank. For a scholar this might mean being greeted first, being called by a title, or having people stand for him. It is the object of "liking".

Luke · 5

Luke 1:29 ἀσπασμὸς salutation

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
Luke 1:41 ἀσπασμὸν greeting

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Here: The greeting Mary spoke as she entered. In that world this was normally a spoken wish of peace (shalom). It was a real exchange, not a casual 'hello'.
Luke 1:44 ἀσπασμοῦ greeting

For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
Luke 11:43 ἀσπασμοὺς greetings

Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces.

Here: Formal public greetings that acknowledged someone's status, often with titles of respect (Matthew 23:7 adds being called 'Rabbi'). This was not a casual 'hello'.
Luke 20:46 ἀσπασμοὺς greetings

“Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets.

Here: Formal public greetings, offered first by the person of lower status, often with honorific titles such as 'Rabbi' (Matthew 23:7). Each one publicly confirmed the scribe's rank.

1 Corinthians · 1

1 Corinthians 16:21 ἀσπασμὸς greeting

This greeting is in my own hand—Paul.

Here: The act of greeting someone, here sent in writing. It gathers up the run of 'greets' in verses 19–20 and adds the last and most personal one, from Paul himself.

Colossians · 1

Colossians 4:18 ἀσπασμὸς greeting

This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Here: The closing greeting of a letter, the formal word of goodwill. Here it refers to the lines Paul now writes himself. There is no verb, so the sense is "Here is the greeting...".

2 Thessalonians · 1

2 Thessalonians 3:17 ἀσπασμὸς greeting

This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. This is my mark in every letter; it is the way I write.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.