Topical Bible: Bowing

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Topical Encyclopedia

Bowing is a physical act of lowering the body, often by bending the knees or inclining the head, as a gesture of respect, submission, or worship. In the biblical context, bowing is frequently mentioned as an expression of reverence towards God, respect towards others, or as a sign of humility and supplication.

Bowing in Worship and Reverence to God

Bowing is prominently featured in the Bible as an act of worship and reverence towards God. In the Old Testament, bowing is often associated with worship and the acknowledgment of God's sovereignty. For instance, in Exodus 34:8, Moses "bowed down to the ground at once and worshiped" when he encountered the presence of the Lord. Similarly, in Psalm 95:6, the psalmist invites the congregation to worship God with the words, "Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker."

The act of bowing in worship is not limited to physical posture but also signifies the heart's attitude of submission and reverence. In 2 Chronicles 7:3, when the Israelites witnessed the glory of the Lord filling the temple, "they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD."

Bowing as a Gesture of Respect

Bowing is also depicted in the Bible as a gesture of respect towards others, particularly those in positions of authority or honor. In Genesis 18:2, when Abraham saw three visitors approaching, he "bowed low to the ground" as a sign of hospitality and respect. Similarly, in Genesis 33:3, Jacob bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother Esau, demonstrating humility and a desire for reconciliation.

In the cultural context of the ancient Near East, bowing was a common practice to show deference to kings and leaders. For example, in 1 Samuel 24:8, David bowed with his face to the ground to show respect to King Saul, despite Saul's pursuit to harm him.

Bowing in Supplication and Humility

Bowing is also associated with supplication and humility before God. In 2 Kings 1:13, a captain of fifty men approached the prophet Elijah and "fell on his knees before Elijah and begged him," illustrating a posture of pleading and humility. This act of bowing in supplication is a physical manifestation of one's dependence on God's mercy and grace.

In the New Testament, bowing continues to be a symbol of humility and submission. In Philippians 2:10, it is prophesied that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth," signifying the ultimate acknowledgment of Christ's lordship by all creation.

Bowing and Idolatry

While bowing is a significant act of worship and respect, the Bible also warns against bowing to idols or false gods. In Exodus 20:5, as part of the Ten Commandments, God commands, "You shall not bow down to them or serve them," emphasizing the exclusive worship due to the Lord alone. The act of bowing to idols is repeatedly condemned throughout Scripture, as seen in the accounts of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refusing to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image in Daniel 3.

Conclusion

Bowing in the Bible is a multifaceted act that encompasses worship, respect, humility, and supplication. It serves as a physical expression of one's inner attitude towards God and others, reflecting the values of reverence, submission, and honor that are central to the biblical narrative.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

A mode of showing respect. Abraham "bowed himself to the people of the land" (Genesis 23:7); so Jacob to Esau (Genesis 33:3); and the brethren of Joseph before him as the governor of the land (Genesis 43:28). Bowing is also frequently mentioned as an act of adoration to idols (Joshua 23:7; 2 Kings 5:18; Judges 2:19; Isaiah 44:15), and to God (Joshua 5:14; Psalm 22:29; 72:9; Micah 6:6; Psalm 95:6; Ephesians 3:14).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Bow.

2. (n.) The act or art of managing the bow in playing on stringed instruments.

3. (n.) In hatmaking, the act or process of separating and distributing the fur or hair by means of a bow, to prepare it for felting.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

BOW; BOWING

bou, bou'-ing.

See ADORATION; ATTITUDES.

BOWING

bou'-ing (naTah, "to incline," "bulge"): The Psalmist's assailants expected that he would be "like a leaning (the King James Version "bowing") wall" (Psalm 62:3) before their united attack, as when an ill-built, bulging wall gives way under a sudden and heavy fall of rain (compare Ezekiel 13:11; Ezekiel 38:22).

Greek

4352. proskuneo -- to do reverence to
... and kuneo (to kiss) Definition to do reverence to NASB Word Usage bow down (1),
bow down before (1), bowed down (1), bowed down before (2), bowing before (1 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4352.htm - 10k

Strong's Hebrew

7812. shachah -- to bow down
... ourselves down (1), bow yourselves down (1), bow down (21), bowed (16), bowed in
worship (1), bowed themselves down (2), bowed down (14), bowing (1), bowing ...
/hebrew/7812.htm - 6k

6739. tsela -- to pray
... pray. (Aramaic) probably corresponding to tsala' in the sense of bowing; pray --
pray. see HEBREW tsala'. 6738, 6739. tsela. 6740 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6739.htm - 6k

7817. shachach -- to bow, be bowed down, crouch
... root Definition to bow, be bowed down, crouch NASB Word Usage been humbled (1),
bow down (1), bowed down (3), bowing (1), bows down (1), bring down (1 ...
/hebrew/7817.htm - 6k

3721. kaphaph -- to bend, bend down, be bent or bowed
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to bend, bend down, be bent or bowed NASB
Word Usage bow (1), bowed down (3), bowing (1). bow down self. ...
/hebrew/3721.htm - 6k

Library

February the Ninth the Rock and the Bowing Wall
... FEBRUARY The Ninth THE ROCK AND THE BOWING WALL. PSALM lxii. Here are two symbols
by which the psalmist describes the confidence of the righteous. ...
/.../my daily meditation for the circling year/february the ninth the rock.htm

Chambers of Imagery
... First, those with whom my text is concerned, who, in some underground room, vaulted
and windowless, were bowing down before painted animal forms upon the walls ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/chambers of imagery.htm

The Delays of Love
... If the weight is lifted, the elastic substance beneath springs up again. As soon
as the wind passes over the cornfield, the bowing ears raise themselves. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/the delays of love.htm

Devout Customs and Usages
... Bowing."The head is bowed at the name of Jesus in the Creeds to "testify by this
outward ceremony and gesture a due acknowledgment that the Lord Jesus Christ ...
/.../regester/the worship of the church/devout customs and usages.htm

Strength and Indwelling.
... "I bow my knees unto the Father" (ver.14). The intense reverence of the Apostle
in this allusion to bowing his knees is particularly noteworthy. ...
/.../thomas/the prayers of st paul/viii strength and indwelling.htm

Luther's Fourth Preface
... Psalm 14.and liii.: "They call not on the Lord; there feared they where no fear
was." That is, they may have much show of humiliation and bowing and bending in ...
/.../bacon/the hymns of martin luther/luthers fourth preface.htm

Of the Most Holy Miracle of St Francis in Taming the Fierce Wolf ...
... this for thee, thou must promise, on thy side, never again to attack any animal
or any human being; dost thou make this promise?" Then the wolf, bowing his head ...
/.../ugolino/the little flowers of st francis of assisi/chapter xxi of the most.htm

The Net Spread
... put his own private interpretation on the prostration, and said to himself, 'I have
nothing to do with the meaning that others attach to bowing before Haman. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the net spread.htm

The Fiery Furnace
... provided for, and a decree went forth that on the day of the dedication all should
show their supreme loyalty to the Babylonian power by bowing before the image ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 41 the fiery furnace.htm

Abiding in Love
... than mere outward conformity by action. It is the inward harmony of will,
and the bowing of the whole nature. It is, in fact, the ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/abiding in love.htm

Thesaurus

Bowing (35 Occurrences)
...Bowing is also frequently mentioned as an act of adoration to idols (Joshua 23:7;
2 Kings 5:18; Judges 2:19; Isaiah 44:15), and to God (Joshua 5:14; Psalm 22:29 ...
/b/bowing.htm - 19k

Gesture
... whole body was bowed, sometimes to the ground (Genesis 18:2; Genesis 19:1; Genesis
33:7; 42:06:00; 33:3), falling on the face to the ground and bowing to the ...
/g/gesture.htm - 20k

Bow (248 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,;/ to crush; to subdue.
5. (vt) To express by bowing; as, to bow one's thanks. ... II, 4. BOW; BOWING. ...
/b/bow.htm - 42k

Attitudes (1 Occurrence)
... We shall call attention to just four postures: (1) standing, (2) bowing,
(3) kneeling, and (4) falling on the face or prostration. ...
/a/attitudes.htm - 20k

Obeisance (45 Occurrences)
... obedience) originally signified the vow of obedience made by a vassal to his lord
or a slave to his master, but in time denoted the act of bowing as a token of ...
/o/obeisance.htm - 22k

Knees (47 Occurrences)
... is found in three places (one being a free quotation of another): Job 4:4, "Thou
hast made firm the feeble (kara`, "bending," "bowing") knees," and Hebrews 12 ...
/k/knees.htm - 23k

Roofs (13 Occurrences)
... Zephaniah 1:5 And those bowing themselves On the roofs to the host of the heavens,
And those bowing themselves, Swearing to Jehovah, and swearing by Malcham ...
/r/roofs.htm - 10k

Prostration
... 2. (n.) The act of falling down, or of bowing in humility or adoration; primarily,
the act of falling on the face, but usually applied to kneeling or bowing in ...
/p/prostration.htm - 7k

Prayer (406 Occurrences)
... praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chronicles 32:20); "seeking unto God and making
supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Psalm 73:28); "bowing the knees ...
/p/prayer.htm - 80k

Swearing (17 Occurrences)
... Zephaniah 1:5 And those bowing themselves On the roofs to the host of the heavens,
And those bowing themselves, Swearing to Jehovah, and swearing by Malcham ...
/s/swearing.htm - 12k

Resources

What does the Bible say about bowing or kneeling in prayer? | GotQuestions.org

What is genuflection? What does it mean to genuflect? | GotQuestions.org

Is penance mentioned in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Bowing: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Bowing (35 Occurrences)

Matthew 8:2
and lo, a leper having come, was bowing to him, saying, 'Sir, if thou art willing, thou art able to cleanse me;'
(YLT)

Matthew 9:18
While He was thus speaking, a Ruler came up and profoundly bowing said, "My daughter is just dead; but come and put your hand upon her and she will return to life."
(WEY YLT)

Matthew 15:25
And having come, she was bowing to him, saying, 'Sir, help me;'
(YLT)

Matthew 18:26
The servant then, having fallen down, was bowing to him, saying, Sir, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all;
(YLT)

Matthew 20:20
Then came near to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, bowing and asking something from him,
(YLT NAS)

Matthew 27:29
and having woven a crown out of thorns, they put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and, bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
(DBY)

Matthew 28:9
And then suddenly they saw Jesus coming to meet them. "Peace be to you," He said. And they came and clasped His feet, bowing to the ground before Him.
(WEY)

Mark 15:19
They struck his head with a reed, and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him.
(WEB KJV ASV WBS YLT NAS)

John 19:30
As soon as Jesus had taken the wine, He said, "It is finished." And then, bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.
(WEY)

Hebrews 11:21
by faith Jacob dying -- each of the sons of Joseph did bless, and did bow down upon the top of his staff;
(See RSV)

Revelation 14:11
and the smoke of their torment doth go up to ages of ages; and they have no rest day and night, who are bowing before the beast and his image, also if any doth receive the mark of his name.
(YLT)

Revelation 16:2
and the first did go away, and did pour out his vial upon the land, and there came a sore -- bad and grievous -- to men, those having the mark of the beast, and those bowing to his image.
(YLT)

Genesis 24:52
And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.
(KJV WBS)

Genesis 33:3
And he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
(See RSV)

Genesis 37:9
And he dreameth yet another dream, and recounteth it to his brethren, and saith, 'Lo, I have dreamed a dream again, and lo, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars, are bowing themselves to me.'
(YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 11:8
And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down unto me, saying: Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee; and after that I will go out.' And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.
(See NIV)

Deuteronomy 4:19
And lest thou lift up thine eyes towards the heavens, and hast seen the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of the heavens, and thou hast been forced, and hast bowed thyself to them, and served them, which Jehovah thy God hath apportioned to all the peoples under the whole heavens.
(See NIV)

Deuteronomy 17:3
and he doth go and serve other gods, and doth bow himself to them, and to the sun, or to the moon, or to any of the host of the heavens, which I have not commanded --
(See NIV)

Judges 2:19
But whenever the judge died, they turned back and behaved worse than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them; they did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.
(DBY RSV)

Ruth 2:10
Then she fell on her face, and bowed down to the ground, and said unto him: 'Why have I found favour in thy sight, that thou shouldest take cognizance of me, seeing I am a foreigner?'
(See NAS RSV)

2 Kings 4:37
Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed down to the ground; and she took up her son, and went out.
(See RSV)

2 Kings 5:18
For this thing Jehovah be propitious to thy servant, in the coming in of my lord into the house of Rimmon to bow himself there, and he was supported by my hand, and I bowed myself 'in' the house of Rimmon; for my bowing myself in the house of Rimmon Jehovah be propitious, I pray thee, to thy servant in this thing.'
(YLT)

2 Kings 19:37
and it cometh to pass, he is bowing himself in the house of Nisroch his god, and Adramelech and Sharezar 'his sons' have smitten him with the sword, and they have escaped to the land of Ararat, and Esar-Haddon his son reigneth in his stead.
(YLT)

Nehemiah 9:3
and rise up on their station, and read in the book of the law of Jehovah their God a fourth of the day, and a fourth they are confessing and bowing themselves to Jehovah their God.
(YLT)

Nehemiah 9:6
Thou 'art' He, O Jehovah, Thyself -- Thou hast made the heavens, the heavens of the heavens, and all their host, the earth and all that 'are' on it, the seas and all that 'are' in them, and Thou art keeping all of them alive, and the host of the heavens to Thee are bowing themselves.
(YLT)

Esther 3:2
and all servants of the king, who 'are' in the gate of the king, are bowing and doing obeisance to Haman, for so hath the king commanded for him; and Mordecai doth not bow nor do obeisance.
(YLT)

Esther 3:5
And Haman seeth that Mordecai is not bowing and doing obeisance to him, and Haman is full of fury,
(YLT)

Job 4:4
The stumbling one do thy words raise up, And bowing knees thou dost strengthen.
(YLT)

Psalms 17:11
They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
(KJV DBY WBS)

Psalms 62:3
How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.
(KJV DBY WBS)

Isaiah 37:38
And it cometh to pass, he is bowing himself in the house of Nisroch his god, and Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons have smitten him with the sword, and they have escaped to the land of Ararat, and Esar-Haddon his son reigneth in his stead.
(YLT)

Isaiah 58:5
Is such the fast that I have chosen? the day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
(See NAS NIV)

Isaiah 60:14
And come unto thee, bowing down, Have sons of those afflicting thee, And bowed themselves to the soles of thy feet Have all despising thee, And they have cried to thee: 'City of Jehovah, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.'
(YLT NAS NIV)

Ezekiel 8:16
And He bringeth me in unto the inner court of the house of Jehovah, and lo, at the opening of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, about twenty-five men, their backs toward the temple of Jehovah, and their faces eastward, and they are bowing themselves eastward to the sun.
(YLT NIV)

Zephaniah 1:5
And those bowing themselves On the roofs to the host of the heavens, And those bowing themselves, Swearing to Jehovah, and swearing by Malcham,
(YLT)

Subtopics

Bowing

Bowing in Worship

Related Terms

Gesture

Bow (248 Occurrences)

Attitudes (1 Occurrence)

Obeisance (45 Occurrences)

Knees (47 Occurrences)

Roofs (13 Occurrences)

Prostration

Prayer (406 Occurrences)