ADORATION

ADORA'TION, noun 1. The act of paying honors to a divine being; the worship paid to God; the act of addressing as a God.Adoration consists in external homage, accompanied with the highest reverence. It is used for the act of praying, or preferring requests or thanksgiving, to the Supreme Being.2. Homage paid to one in high esteem; profound reverence.Adoration, among the Jews, as performed by bowing, kneeling and prostration. Among the Romans, the devotee, with his head uncovered, applied his right hand to his lips, bowing and turning himself from left to right. The Persians fell on the face, striking the forehead against the earth, and kissing the ground. The adoration paid to the Grecian and Roman emperors, consisted in bowing and kneeling at the feet of the prince, laying hold of his robe, then withdrawing the hand and clapping it to the lips. In modern times, adoration is paid to the pope by kissing his feet, and to princes, by kneeling and kissing the hand. This word was used by the Romans for acclamation or great applause, given to public performer; and the election of a pope is sometimes by adoration that is, by sudden acclamation without scrutiny.

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The acts and postures by which the Hebrews expressed adoration bear a great similarity to those still in use among Oriental nations. To rise up and suddenly prostrate the body was the most simple method; but, generally speaking, the prostration was conducted in a more formal manner, the person falling upon the knee and then gradually inclining the body until the forehead touched the ground. Such prostration was usual in the worship of Jehovah, (Genesis 17:3; Psalms 95:6) it was the formal mode of receiving visitors, (Genesis 18:2) of doing obeisance to one of superior station, (2 Samuel 14:4) and of showing respect to equals. (1 Kings 2:19) It was accompanied by such acts as a kiss, (Exodus 18:7) laying hold of the knees or feet of the person to whom the adoration was paid, (Matthew 28:9) and kissing the ground on which he stood. (Psalms 72:9; Micah 7:17) Similar adoration was paid to idols, (1 Kings 19:18) sometimes, however, the act consisted simply in kissing the hand to the object of reverence, (Job 31:27) and in kissing the statue itself. (Hosea 13:2)

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adoration. Adoration, n. divine worship, homage, respect

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Ad′o‐ra″tion (�), n. [[L. adoratio, fr. adorare: cf. F. adoration.]] 1. 1. The act of playing honor to a divine being; the worship paid to God; the act of addressing as a god.
The more immediate objects of popular adoration amongst the heathens were deified human beings. Farmer. 2. 2. Homage paid to one in high esteem; profound veneration; intense regard and love; fervent devotion.
3. 3. A method of electing a pope by the expression of homage from two thirds of the conclave.
might have been chosen on the spot by adoration. Froude.