Touch

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

Touch —The word ‘touch’ is always associated in the Gospels with Christ Himself, except in one instance. The exception is  Luke 11:46 ‘Ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers,’ a passage requiring no exposition.

I. Christ’s touch

1. Christ’s touch of healing. —Christ habitually established outward contact with the sick as a sign and means of healing. Besides the word ἄπτεσθαι, ‘touch,’ there are used such phrases as ἐπιτιθέναι τὴν χεῖρα, ‘to lay the hand upon,’ and κρατεῖν τῆς χειρός, ‘to take by the hand.’ It might at first be supposed that there was a slightly more mediatorial significance about the latter phrases, as though our Lord were rather acting as the delegate of another than on His own authority, but it will be found, on examination of parallel passages, that this distinction cannot be observed. The wide extent of Christ’s contact by touch with human malady is seen as soon as the passages recording this act are enumerated. By a touch only, recorded in its simplest form (ἄπτεσθαι), Christ healed a leper ( Matthew 8:3), fever ( Matthew 8:15 where  Mark 1:31 has κρατήσας τῆς χειρός), blind people ( e.g.  Matthew 9:29), the ear of Malchus ( Luke 22:51). By a touch, recorded in its stronger form of grasp or imposition of hands, He healed one deaf and dumb ( Mark 7:33), the blind man at Bethsaida ( Mark 8:22-26), a woman with a spirit of infirmity ( Luke 13:13), the epileptic lad ( Mark 9:27), many divers diseases ( Mark 6:5), and the dead daughter of Jairus ( Matthew 9:25).

2. Christ’s touch, other than of healing. —Here four instances are to be noted: the arresting touch laid upon the bier of the widow of Nain’s son ( Luke 7:14 ἥψατο τῆς σοροῦ); the upholding touch or grasp offered to Simon Peter upon the sea ( Matthew 14:31 ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἐπελάβετο αὐτοῦ); the encouraging touch laid upon the disciples after the Transfiguration, when ‘he touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid’ ( Matthew 17:7 ἥψατο αὐτῶν; cf.  Revelation 1:17 ‘He laid his right hand [ἔθηκε τὴν δεξιάν] upon me, saying, Fear not’); the touch of blessing vouchsafed to the children brought by their mothers ( Matthew 19:15 ἐπιθεὶς αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας).

The Incarnation itself has been truly described in one of its aspects as God’s coming into touch with men, or God’s putting Himself where men can touch Him. St. Paul says that men ‘seek the Lord, if haply they may feel after [lit. ‘handle’] him’ (ψηλαφήσειαν,  Acts 17:27); and one purpose of the Incarnation is that in Christ this desire may be satisfied. And, accordingly, to recognize something symbolic about the ‘touches’ of Christ mentioned in the Gospels, is no mere exercise of fancy.

(1) In the instances recorded above we are, as a first step, permitted to see the broad fact of Divine love seeking friendly contact with those for whom it cares. Our Lord is not ashamed to call men brethren. He lays His hand upon the bier; takes children in His arms; holds up a sinking disciple; encourages by touch as well as by word those who otherwise are overwhelmed by fear. Thus we see already an acted parable of how in the Incarnation our Lord ‘ taketh hold of the seed of Abraham’ ( Hebrews 2:16 ἐπιλαμβάνεται, the word already quoted of Jesus ‘catching’ Peter on the waves to hold him up). In Christ, ‘God put on the garment of humanity, and drew near in person, that we might clasp Him as a kinsman in our arms’ (Ker, Sermons , 1st ser. 191). Instead of the spoken ‘word’ of the OT prophets, addressed only to the hearing, there is now the living ‘Word,’ meeting the lives of men in warm and friendly contact.

(2) But a further and deeper truth suggests itself when we pass to the many records of Christ’s touch of healing. There we see what might be called the victorious vitality of the Incarnate Saviour, whose touch represents not only a sign of friendliness, but the opening of a channel of life imparting power. If it be true that the ‘fundamental meaning of the symbol’ of laying on of hands in the OT—on an offering, a criminal, a young disciple, etc.—was ‘identification by contact’ (Swete in Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible iii. 85a), then even to the self-consciousness of Jesus there must have been something deeply significant about the deliberate touch or imposition of hands on others. It meant that He identified Himself with them in their weakness; and that He identified them with Himself in His superabounding life. ‘He touched nothing which He did not’— heal . Christ said to men, ‘Because I live, ye shall live also’ ( John 14:19). He revealed this Divine power amid immense variety of malady, and amid the human helplessness of many of the cases.

(3) Still another step is offered to us when we observe that Christ healed by touch such a disease as leprosy , where contact with the polluting ailment was distinctly forbidden by the Levitical law ( Leviticus 13:46). For here we see a vivid representation of Christ’s identification with mankind, not only in weakness but in defilement . To touch the blind or deaf was the act of a Divine physician; but to touch the leper was more than this—it was the act of One who could triumph over pollution, who could come in contact with defilement and yet not be defiled. ‘Another would have defiled himself by touching the leper: but He, Himself remaining undefiled, cleansed him whom He touched; for in Him health overcame sickness, and purity defilement, and life death’ (Trench, Miracles , 233). Thus the life revealed in the Incarnation not only sustains and heals, but delivers from the guilt which it is not afraid to meet in closest contact.

(4) Finally, in many of the instances we can discern in Christ’s touch an admirable means of suggesting the presence of a Healer, and so of challenging faith . ‘Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you’ ( Matthew 9:29). The touch of our Lord must often have been of the nature of a challenge. It provoked attention, proffered help, and awaited response.

II. Touching Christ .—The occasions on which men are recorded in the Gospels to have touched, or sought to touch, our Lord may be arranged as follows. The principle guiding the arrangement will be referred to when the instances have been collected.

1. The touch of desire or faith (the verb in this first group is ἅπτεσθαι).—‘As many as had plagues pressed upon him, that they might touch him’ ( Mark 3:10). ‘They besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment’ ( Mark 6:56 ||). ‘A woman … came in the crowd behind and touched his garment. For she said, If I touch but his garment, I shall be whole’ ( Mark 5:27-28 ||). With these may be associated the act of the woman in Simon’s house, who washed Christ’s feet with tears, and anointed them with ointment, and of whom the Pharisee said later, ‘This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is which toucheth him’ ( Luke 7:39).

2. The touch of curiosity or indifference. —The most vivid instance of this is in the story above referred to of the woman with an issue of blood, where, in the different Gospels, no less than four Greek words are used to depict the thronging of the multitude, so finely distinguished from the significant touch of faith which brought healing to the sufferer. Mk.’s word is συνθλίβειν, ‘throng’ ( Mark 5:31). Lk. uses no fewer than three words: συμπνίγειν, lit. ‘choke’; συνέχειν, ‘press’; ἀποθλίβειν, ‘crush’ ( Luke 8:42;  Luke 8:45). ‘Out of that thronging multitude one only touched with the touch of faith. Others crowded upon Him, but did not touch Him, did not so touch that virtue went forth from Him on them’ (Trench).

3. The hostile hold of restraint or enmity. —Since, in dealing with the touch of Christ, we included instances of His ‘laying hands’ on others, so in pathetic contrast the following instances must be included here. ‘And when his friends heard it, they went out to lay hold on him’ (κρατῆσαι αὐτόν, the word often used of Christ’s more kindly activity) ( Mark 3:21). ‘No man laid hands on him (ἐπέβαλεν τὴν χεῖρα), for his hour was not yet come’ ( John 7:30). Though the connexion be not one of verbal identity, such references to a false or hostile touch of Christ suggest themselves as the betraying kiss of Judas ( Mark 14:45), and the smiting in the high priest’s palace ( Mark 14:65).

4. It is better to class separately the very interesting references to the touching of our Lord after the Resurrection . These are as follows: ‘They came and took hold of his feet (ἐκράτησαν αὐτοῦ τοὺς πόδας), and worshipped him’ ( Matthew 28:9)—the permitted grasp of recognition and adoration. ‘Handle me (ψηλαφήσατέ με), and see’ ( Luke 24:39); ‘Reach hither thy hand (φέρε τὴν χεῖρά σου), and put it into my side’ ( John 20:27)—the solicited touch of reverent experiment. ‘Touch me not (μή μου ἄπτου), for I am not yet ascended unto the Father’ ( John 20:17)—the forbidden handling of selfish and premature rapture.

When God and man were brought near in the Incarnation, it was natural that the Divine hand should be seen stretched out manwards in healing and help (see above); but natural also that human hands should be seen groping Godwards, seeking closer contact. An American missionary bishop tells of an Indian who knocked one day at his door, and said: ‘I have often gone out into the woods, and tried to talk to a Great [Note: reat Cranmer’s ‘Great’ Bible 1539.] Spirit of whom my father told me. But I could never find Him. Perhaps you don’t know what I mean. You never stood in the dark, and reached out your hand, and could not take hold of anything.’ The idea is precisely that of St. Paul; men ‘seek the Lord, if haply they may handle him’ (ψηλαφήσειαν αὐτόν,  Acts 17:27). Now it is this identical word, strangely enough, that our Lord uses in the gracious invitation to His disciples: ‘Why are ye troubled? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me and see.’ In the Incarnation this longing has been responded to. So that, when St. John sets forth the main purpose of his First Epistle, he uses this same word again, and with what Westcott declares to be a ‘distinct reference’ to the passage in Luke, he states that purpose to be the disclosure to others of ‘that which we beheld, and our hands handled , concerning the Word of life’ ( 1 John 1:1).

In the Incarnation, then, God has put Himself where men might touch Him; and in the various instances of touching Christ, grouped above, we see how men responded to this opportunity. There were those who sought with all their hearts for closer contact, impelled by the sense of need, or by the impulse of adoring love; ‘the history of all God’s dealings with man is the record of an approach nearer still, and nearer … until faith puts its fingers into the print of the nails, its hand into the wounded side, and constrains us to cry, My Lord, and my God’ (Ker, l.c. ). There were those who merely jostled and thronged our Lord, but obtained no blessing, because enlightened by no deep desire. And there were those whose only impulse towards God manifest in the flesh was one of repudiation and dislike.

Only one passage of those quoted above seems at first sight to put itself outside the general symbolism. This is the record of our Lord’s saying to Mary Magdalene: ‘Touch me not , for I am not yet ascended unto the Father,’—a passage of which the interpretations are nearly as numerous as the commentators. But is not the explanation to be found in the present tense of the injunction, combined with the contrasted command, ‘But go ,’ etc.—as though our Lord were saying, ‘Keep not on touching me, making sure of me in a selfish rapture, for the duty of the moment calls thee to be a witness to others; handle me not, but go to my brethren, and say unto them’? And if it be objected, as by Godet, that on that view the following words, ‘I am not yet ascended,’ present’ absolutely no sense,’ the answer is that the hour was coming later, when, after the gift of the Spirit, close and intimate communion with Christ could be given along with the work of witness and service,—when it would be possible for a soul to be both in contact with the living Lord and also a messenger for Him,—when (in other words) the disciple could be in ‘touch’ with Christ by His Spirit and also ‘go’ on His errands.

R. Stevenson.

Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

Bringing into bodily contact of one thing with another. The Hebrew naga [נָגַע] and Greek hapto [Ἅπτω] (-omai) are the main biblical terms for "touch." In addition to the many ordinary uses, they embrace several important theological themes.

The Old Testament. God's Touch as All-Powerful. The Old Testament depicts God's supremacy through the image of touch in several ways. Although God created all things by his spoken word ( Genesis 1 ),  Genesis 2:7,21-22 pictures him as personally shaping man and woman from the dust of the earth. Expressions such as God touches "the earth and it melts" (  Amos 9:5 ) and "the mountains, and they smoke" ( Psalm 104:32;  144:5 ) describe his supreme power over the created order. In contrast, idols are powerless. They are insensible, unable to touch: "they have hands, but cannot feel" ( Psalm 115:7 ).

The biblical expression "to lay hands on" can mean to exact vengeance on. God is so pictured in judging Egypt ( Exodus 7:4 ), Israel ( Jeremiah 15:6 ), and the nations ( Ezekiel 39:21 ). Trust in the wicked cannot ward off the touch of a divine scourge ( Isaiah 28:15;  Jeremiah 14:15 ). Conversely, whoever touches God's people "touches the apple of his eye" ( Zechariah 2:8 ) and will themselves be punished.

Through his divine touch, God turns people to him ( 1 Samuel 10:26 ), purifies them from sin ( Isaiah 6:7;  Jeremiah 1:9 ), and imparts divine truth through them ( Jeremiah 1:9;  Daniel 10:16,18 ). Israel is also urged to lay hold of God by learning his ways ( Proverbs 4:4;  Isaiah 64:7 ).

Satan's Touch as Limited by God. God limits Satan's power and freedom to harm people. In Job's case, Satan was unable to touch him beyond what God had permitted ( Job 1:12;  2:6 ).

Touching and Moral Cleanness. Old Testament laws governing ceremonial cleanness prohibit touching unclean things, mainly food ( Leviticus 11;  Deuteronomy 14:1-21 ), bodily discharges ( Leviticus 15 ), and corpses ( Numbers 19 ). They had hygienic and religious significance in preventing the spread of disease and in distinguishing Israel from her ancient contemporaries, who had no laws against many of these unclean practices. They ultimately reveal, however, something of God's holy and gracious character and the sinful condition of humanity. On the one hand, God's holiness was severe: upon the threat of immediate death, no one was to touch Mount Sinai while God's glory was upon it ( Exodus 19:12 ) or the sacred furnishings of the tabernacle except Aaron and his sons ( Numbers 4:15; cf.  2 Samuel 6:6-7 ). On the other hand, God graciously gave these prohibitions (cf.  Leviticus 27:34 ) to provide a way for sinful people to approach him. The link to moral purity is evident in  Leviticus 7:21 : "if anyone touches something unclean and then eats any of the meat of the fellowship offering , that person must be cut off from his people." These laws helped clarify the terms of purification by which one could come to God and, in turn, God's expectations for the continuing moral cleanness of his people.

The New Testament. The New Testament takes up these same themes of touching, but now expresses them mainly through Jesus Christ.

Jesus' Touch as All-Powerful. All four Gospels present Jesus' touch as all-powerful over nature, sickness, and death. Concerning the created order, Jesus walked on water ( Mark 6:45-56; pars. ) and twice multiplied enough food with his hands from meager rations to feed thousands of people ( Mark 6:30-44; pars. 8:1-3; par. ). Concerning physical healing, Jesus' touch cured people of various infirmities and restored life to the dead. Three Greek expressions are synonomously used: haptesthai, "to touch, " kratein tes cheiros, "to take by the hand, " and epitithenai ten cheira, "to lay the hand upon." Examples include a man with leprosy ( Mark 1:41; pars. ), Simon's feverish mother-in-law ( Matthew 8:15; pars. ), many sick people ( Mark 6:5 ,;  Luke 4:40 ), two dead children ( Mark 5:41; pars.  Luke 7:14 ), blind men ( Matthew 9:29;  Mark 9:22-25;  John 9:6 ), a deaf/mute man ( Mark 7:33 ), a boy with an evil spirit ( Mark 9:27 ), a crippled woman ( Luke 13:13 ), and a servant with a severed ear ( Luke 22:51 ). Many were also healed by touching Jesus or his clothes ( Mark 3:10; par.  Mark 5:25-34; pars.  Mark 6:56; par. ). Through Jesus' name the early church communicated similar miraculous healing powers over sickness and death through touch ( Acts 2:43;  3:1-16;  9:17;  19:12 ).

Touching the Resurrected Jesus as First-Century Christian Apology. The doubt of the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead and his subsequent appearances to them gave rise to early Christian apology concerning the historicity of Jesus' bodily resurrection. Crucial to this apology was the physical contact the disciples had with the resurrected Jesus: "They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him" ( Matthew 28:9 ); "Touch me and see" ( Luke 24:39 ); "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side" ( John 20:27 ). It is this Jesus whom "our hands have touched" ( 1 John 1:1 ). Physical contact with the resurrected Jesus no doubt formed some of the "many convincing proofs" he had given them before ascending to heaven ( Acts 1:3 ).

Jesus as Touched by Our Sin. In redeeming humanity from sin and spiritual death, Jesus bore in his body our sin, thus bringing its deadly consequences upon himself: "he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" ( Isaiah 53:4-5,11; cf.  2 Corinthians 5:21;  1 Peter 2:24;  1 John 3:5 ).

Satan's Touch as Limited by Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, Satan's power to harm believers is also limited by deity; but in this instance, it is by "the one who was born of God, " Jesus Christ ( 1 John 5:18 ). Here Jesus' work uniquely parallels Yahweh's.

Touching and Moral Cleanness. The contrast in touch between the giving of the law and the gospel could not be greater. In the first, the obedient are to refrain on the pains of death from coming close to God's presence ( Hebrews 12:18-21 ); but in the second, through Christ's blood they enter eternally into God's very presence (vv. 22-24). The appropriate charge to believers, therefore, is to live a holy life befitting this intimate relationship (vv. 14-17,25-19), which at present is spiritual but will become a physical reality at Jesus' return (cf.  Revelation 21:1-22:5 ). Believers must avoid evil ( 1 Thessalonians 4:3;  5:22;  1 Peter 2:11; cf.  Colossians 2:21;  1 Timothy 4:3 ) and lay hold of God and Christ through Christ-like living (cf.  Matthew 11:12;  Luke 16:16 ).

H. Douglas Buckwalter

See also Anthropomorphism

Bibliography. R. Stevenson, Hasting's Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, 2: 736-37; N. Turner, IDB, 4: 675; R. Grob, NIDNTT, 3: 859-61.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Ἅπτω (Strong'S #681 — Verb — hapto — hap'-to )

primarily, "to fasten to," hence, of fire, "to kindle," denotes, in the Middle Voice (a) "to touch," e.g.,  Matthew 8:3,15;  9:20,21,29; (b) "to cling to, lay hold of,"  John 20:17; here the Lord's prohibition as to clinging to Him was indicative of the fact that communion with Him would, after His ascension, be by faith, through the Spirit; (c) "to have carnal intercourse with a woman,"  1—Corinthians 7:1; (d) "to have fellowship and association with unbelievers,"  2—Corinthians 6:17; (e) (negatively) "to adhere to certain Levitical and ceremonial ordinances," in order to avoid contracting external defilement, or to practice rigorous asceticism, all such abstentions being of "no value against the indulgence of the flesh,"  Colossians 2:21 , AV (RV, "handle"); (f) "to assault," in order to sever the vital union between Christ and the believer, said of the attack of the Evil One,  1—John 5:18 . See Handle , No. 2, Kindle, Light

2: Θιγγάνω (Strong'S #2345 — Verb — thingano — thing-gan'-o )

"to touch," a lighter term than No. 1, though  Hebrews 11:28 approximates to it, in expressing the action of the Destroyer of the Egyptian firstborn; in   Hebrews 12:20 it signifies "to touch," and is not to be interpreted by   Psalm 104:32 , "He toucheth (No. 1 in the Sept.) the hills and they smoke;" in  Colossians 2:21 , RV (AV, "handle"). See Handle , No. 2.

3: Προσψαύω (Strong'S #4379 — Verb — prospsauo — pros-psow'-o )

"to touch upon, to touch slightly," occurs in  Luke 11:46 .

4: Ψηλαφάω (Strong'S #5584 — Verb — pselaphao — psay-laf-ah'-o )

"to feel, to handle," is rendered "that might be touched" in  Hebrews 12:18 . See Feel , No. 3. HANDLE, No. 1.

5: Κατάγω (Strong'S #2609 — Verb — katago — kat-ag'-o )

"to bring down," is used of bringing a ship to land in  Acts 27:3 . See Bring No. 16.

6: Συμπαθέω (Strong'S #4834 — Verb — sumpatheo — soom-path-eh'-o )

for which see Compassion , A, No. 3, is rendered "be touched with" in  Hebrews 4:15 .

7: Παραβάλλω (Strong'S #3846 — Verb — paraballo — par-ab-al'-lo )

for which see Arrive , No. 4, Compare No. 2, is rendered "touched at" in  Acts 20:15 , RV.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( v. t.) To induce to give or lend; to borrow from; as, to touch one for a loan; hence, to steal from.

(2): ( n.) Tallow; - a plumber's term.

(3): ( v. t.) To come to; to reach; to attain to.

(4): ( n.) A set of changes less than the total possible on seven bells, that is, less than 5,040.

(5): ( v. t.) To relate to; to concern; to affect.

(6): ( v. t.) To try; to prove, as with a touchstone.

(7): ( n.) An act of borrowing or stealing.

(8): ( v. t.) To handle, speak of, or deal with; to treat of.

(9): ( v. t.) To perceive by the sense of feeling.

(10): ( v. t.) To affect the senses or the sensibility of; to move; to melt; to soften.

(11): ( v. t.) To compare with; of be equal to; - usually with a negative; as, he held that for good cheer nothing could touch an open fire.

(12): ( v. t.) To mark or delineate with touches; to add a slight stroke to with the pencil or brush.

(13): ( v. t.) To come in contact with; to hit or strike lightly against; to extend the hand, foot, or the like, so as to reach or rest on.

(14): ( v. t.) To infect; to affect slightly.

(15): ( v. t.) To meddle or interfere with; as, I have not touched the books.

(16): ( v.) The sense by which pressure or traction exerted on the skin is recognized; the sense by which the properties of bodies are determined by contact; the tactile sense. See Tactile sense, under Tactile.

(17): ( v.) An emotion or affection.

(18): ( v.) Personal reference or application.

(19): ( v.) A stroke; as, a touch of raillery; a satiric touch; hence, animadversion; censure; reproof.

(20): ( v.) A single stroke on a drawing or a picture.

(21): ( v.) Feature; lineament; trait.

(22): ( v.) Act or power of exciting emotion.

(23): ( v. i.) To be brought, as a sail, so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.

(24): ( v.) A slight and brief essay.

(25): ( v.) The act of the hand on a musical instrument; bence, in the plural, musical notes.

(26): ( v. t.) To make an impression on; to have effect upon.

(27): ( v. t.) To strike; to manipulate; to play on; as, to touch an instrument of music.

(28): ( v. t.) To perform, as a tune; to play.

(29): ( v. t.) To influence by impulse; to impel forcibly.

(30): ( v.) A small quantity intermixed; a little; a dash.

(31): ( v.) A hint; a suggestion; slight notice.

(32): ( v. t.) To harm, afflict, or distress.

(33): ( v. t.) To affect with insanity, especially in a slight degree; to make partially insane; - rarely used except in the past participle.

(34): ( v. t.) To be tangent to. See Tangent, a.

(35): ( a.) To lay a hand upon for curing disease.

(36): ( v.) The act of touching, or the state of being touched; contact.

(37): ( v.) A touchstone; hence, stone of the sort used for touchstone.

(38): ( v. i.) To be in contact; to be in a state of junction, so that no space is between; as, two spheres touch only at points.

(39): ( v. i.) To fasten; to take effect; to make impression.

(40): ( v. i.) To treat anything in discourse, especially in a slight or casual manner; - often with on or upon.

(41): ( n.) A boys' game; tag.

(42): ( v.) Hence, examination or trial by some decisive standard; test; proof; tried quality.

(43): ( v.) The particular or characteristic mode of action, or the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the fingers; as, a heavy touch, or a light touch; also, the manner of touching, striking, or pressing the keys of a piano; as, a legato touch; a staccato touch.

(44): ( v.) The broadest part of a plank worked top and but (see Top and but, under Top, n.), or of one worked anchor-stock fashion (that is, tapered from the middle to both ends); also, the angles of the stern timbers at the counters.

(45): ( n.) That part of the field which is beyond the line of flags on either side.

King James Dictionary

TOUCH, tuch. L. tango, originally tago, our vulgar tag. pret. tetigi, pp. tactus.

1. To come in contact with to hit or strike against.

He touched the hollow of his thigh.  Genesis 32 .  Matthew 9

Esther drew near, and touched the top of the scepter.  Esther 5

2. To perceive by the sense of feeling.

Nothing but body can be touch'd or touch.

3. To come to to reach to attain to.

The god vindictive doom'd them never more,

Ah men unbless'd! to touch that natal shore.

4. To try, as gold with a stone.

Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed--

5. To relate to to concern.

The quarrel toucheth none but thee alone.

This sense is now nearly obsolete.

6. To handle slightly. 7. To meddle with. I have not touched the books. 8. To affect.

What of sweet

Hath touch'd my sense, flat seems to this.

9. To move to soften to melt.

The tender sire was touch'd with what he said.

10. To mark or delineate slightly.

The lines, though touch'd but faintly--

11. To infect as men touched with pestilent diseases. Little used. 12. To make an impression on.

Its face must be--so hard that the file will not touch it.

13. To strike, as an instrument of music to play on.

They touch'd their golden harps.

14. To influence by impulse to impel forcibly.

No decree of mine,

To touch with lightest moment of impulse

His free will.

15. To treat slightly. In his discourse, he barely touched upon the subject deemed the most interesting. 16. To afflict or distress.  Genesis 26

To touch up, to repair or to improve by slight touches or emendations.

To touch the wind, in seamen's language, is to keep the ship as near the wind as possible.

TOUCH, tuch. To be in contact with to be in a state of junction, so that no space is between. Two spheres touch only at points.

1. To fasten on to take effect on.

Strong waters will touch upon gold,that will not touch silver.

2. To treat of slightly in discourse.

To touch at, to come or go to, without stay.

The ship touched at Lisbon.

The next day we touched at Sidon.  Acts 27 .touch on or upon, to mention slightly.

If the antiquaries have touched upon it, they have immediately quitted it.

1. In the sense of touch at. Little used.

TOUCH, n. tuch. Contact the hitting of two bodies the junction of two bodies at the surface, so that there is no space between them. The mimosa shrinks at the slightest touch.

1. The sense of feeling one of the five senses. We say, a thing is cold or warm to the touch silk is soft to the touch.

The spider's touch how exquisitely fine!

2. The act of touching. The touch of cold water made him shrink. 3. The state of being touched.

--That never touch was welcome to thy hand

Unless I touch'd.

4. Examination by a stone. 5. Test that by which any thing is examined.

Equity, the true touch of all laws.

6. Proof tried qualities.

My friends of noble touch.

7. Single act of a pencil on a picture.

Never give the least touch with your pencil, till you have well examined your design.

8. Feature lineament.

Of many faces, eyes and hearts,

To have the touches dearest priz'd.

9. Act of the hand on a musical instrument.

Soft stillness and the night

Become the touches of sweet harmony.

10. Power of exciting the affections.

Not alone

The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches,

Do strongly speak t'us.

11. Something of passion of affection.

He both makes intercession to God for sinners, and exercises dominion over all men, with a true, natural and sensible touch of mercy.

12. Particular application of any thing to a person.

Speech of touch towards others should be sparingly used.

13. A stroke as a touch of raillery a satiric touch. 14. Animadversion censure reproof.

I never bore any touch of conscience with greater regret.

15. Exact performance of agreement.

I keep touch with my promise.

16. A small quantity intermixed.

Madam, I have a touch of your condition.

17. A hint suggestion slight notice.

A small touch will put him in mind of them.

18. A cant word for a slight essay.

Print my preface in such forms, in the bookseller's phrase, will make a sixpenny touch. Not in use.

19. In music, the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the fingers as a heavy touch, or light touch. 20. In music, an organ is said to have a good touch or stop,when the keys close well. 21. In ship-building, touch is the broadest part of a plank worked top and butt or the middle of a plank worked anchor-stock fashion also, the angles of the stern timbers at the counters.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words

A. Verb.

Nâga‛ ( נָגַע , Strong'S #5060), “to touch, strike, reach, smite.” Common throughout the history of the Hebrew language, this word is also found in Aramaic. It is used some 150 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. Nâga‛ first occurs in Gen. 3:3 in the Garden of Eden story, where the woman reminds the serpent that God had said: “Ye shall not eat of [the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden], neither shall ye touch it.…” This illustrates the common meaning of physical touch involving various kinds of objects: Jacob’s thigh was “touched” by the man at Jabbok (Gen. 32:25, 32); the Israelites were commanded not “to touch” Mount Horeb under pain of death (Exod. 19:12); and unclean things were not “to be touched” (Lev. 5:2-3).

Sometimes nâga‛ is used figuratively in the sense of emotional involvement: “And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched” (1 Sam. 10:26; NEB, “had moved”). The word is used to refer to sexual contact with another person, such as in Gen. 20:6, where God tells Abimelech that He did not allow him “to touch” Sarah, Abraham’s wife (cf. Prov. 6:29). To refer to the touch of God’s hand means that divine chastisement has been received: “… Have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me” (Job 19:21). The word is commonly used also to describe “being stricken” with a disease: King Uzziah “was smitten” with leprosy (2 Chron. 26:20).

B. Noun.

Nega‛ ( נֶגַע , Strong'S #5061), “plague: stroke; wound.” This noun formed from naga’ —occurs about 76 times in the Old Testament. The word refers to a “plague” most frequently (Gen. 12:17; Exod. 11:1). Nega‛ can also mean “stroke” (Deut. 17:8; 21:5) or “wound” (Prov. 6:33). Each meaning carries with it the sense of a person “being stricken or smitten in some way.”