Great weeping. No marvel if all the godly did entirely love this holy man. for it had been a point of too gross unthankfulness to despise him whom the Lord had so beautified with so many excellent gifts. And the chief cause of their weeping was, as Luke noteth, because they should see him no more. For they did bewail their own condition, and the condition of all the whole church of Asia, not in vain, which they saw to be deprived of an inestimable treasure. And when the Spirit commendeth their tears by the mouth of Luke, as witnesses of sincere godliness, he condemneth the rashness of those who require at the hands of the faithful hard and cruel constancy. For that is false whereof they dream that those affections proceed only of corruption, which we have naturally from God. Wherefore, the perfection of the faithful consisteth not in this, that they put off all affections; but that they be moved therewith only for just causes, and that they may moderate the same.

Wept sore - Wept much. Greek: "There was a great weeping of all."
And fell on Paul's neck - Embraced him, as a token of tender affection. The same thing Joseph did when he met his aged father Jacob, Genesis 46:29.
And kissed him - This was the common token of affection. See the Matthew 26:48 note; Luke 15:20 note; Romans 16:16 note; 1-Corinthians 16:20 note.

Fell on Paul's neck - Leaned their heads against his shoulders, and kissed his neck. This was not an unusual custom in the east.

(12) And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him,
(12) The Gospel does not take away natural affections, but rules and bridles them in good order.

And they all wept sore,.... At the thoughts of parting with such a faithful and affectionate friend and servant of Christ; and no doubt but their affections were greatly moved by his prayers for them, as well as by his discourse to them. Christians are not Stoics, religion does not take away and destroy the natural affections, but regulates and governs them, and directs to a right use of them:
and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him; as Esau fell on Jacob's neck and kissed him, Genesis 33:4 and Joseph on his brother Benjamin's, and his father Jacob's, Genesis 45:14. And it was usual with the eastern nations, particularly the Persians (l), for friends and relations to kiss at parting, as well as at meeting; see Ruth 1:9.
(l) Xenophon. Cyclopedia, l. 1. c. 20.

They all wept - Of old, men, yea, the best and bravest of men, were easily melted into tears; a thousand instances of which might be produced from profane as well as sacred writers. But now, notwithstanding the effeminacy which almost universally prevails, we leave those tears to women and children.