προσκῠν-έω G4352
To prostrate oneself in worship before God or in reverent homage before a person of authority; to bow down, do obeisance.
The verb προσκυνέω captures the ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman practice of falling prostrate before someone of supreme authority. In the New Testament it spans the full range from true divine worship -- the kind the Father seeks (John 4:23-24) -- to the reverent homage that supplicants pay when falling at Jesus' feet (Matt 8:2; 9:18). The line between these senses is often deliberately ambiguous, as those who bow before Jesus may be recognizing more than they fully understand. German 'anbeten' and Spanish 'adorar' both lean toward the worship end, while the underlying Greek preserves the physical gesture of prostration.
Senses
1. worship God or deity — Full religious worship directed toward God, a divine being, or an object of devotion, expressing adoration and reverence. This covers 40 occurrences and includes worship of the true God (John 4:23-24; Rev 4:10), idolatrous worship (Matt 4:9; Rev 13:4), and angelic refusal of worship (Rev 19:10; 22:9). Spanish 'adorar,' French 'adorer,' and German 'anbeten' all converge on the devotional, religious dimension. The Samaritan woman dialogue (John 4:20-24) provides the richest theological exploration of this sense. 40×
AR["الساجِدونَ", "الساجِدينَ", "السُّجُودُ", "تَسْجُدُوا", "سَيَسجُدونَ", "لِ-نَسْجُدَ", "لِأَسْجُدَ", "يَسجُدونَ", "يَسْجُدوا", "يَسْجُدونَ", "يَسْجُدُ", "يَسْجُدُوا", "يَسْجُدُونَ"]·ben["উপাসনা-করতে", "উপাসনা-করবে", "উপাসনা-করিতে", "উপাসনা-করে", "উপাসনাকারীদের", "উপাসনাকারীরা", "তারা-প্রণাম-করবে", "তারা-প্রণাম-করে", "পূজা-করতে", "পূজাকারীদের", "প্রণাম-করতে", "প্রণাম-করবে"]·DE["anbeten", "betet-an"]·EN["they-will-worship", "to-worship", "will-worship", "worshiping", "would-worship"]·FR["adorer", "se-prosterner"]·heb["הַמִּשְׁתַּחֲוִים", "יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ", "יִשְׁתַחֲווּ", "לְ-הִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת", "לְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת", "לְהִשְׁתַחֲווֹת", "שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ"]·HI["आराधना-करना", "आराधना-करना।", "आराधना-करने", "आराधना-करेंगे", "आराधनाकरनेवाला", "के-पैरों", "दंडवत-करनेवाले", "दंडवत-करनेवालों", "दंडवत-करें", "दंडवत-करेंगी", "दंडवत-करेंगे", "दण्डवत-करने", "दण्डवत-करने-को", "दण्डवत-करेंगे", "पूजनेवालों", "पूजनेवालों-को", "पूजा-करने-को", "वे-दंडवत-करें"]·ID["akan-menyembah", "menyembah", "menyembah.", "mereka-menyembah", "untuk-menyembah", "yang-menyembah"]·IT["adorare"]·jav["badhe-nyembah", "badhé-sujud", "ingkang-nyembah", "nyembah", "nyèmbah", "piyambakipun-nyembah", "piyambakipun-sedaya-nyembah", "sujud", "sujud.", "supados-nyembah", "tiyang-tiyang-ingkang-nyembah"]·KO["경배하게", "경배하기-위해", "경배하는-자들을", "경배하는-자들이", "경배하니", "경배하다", "경배하러", "경배하려고", "경배할-것이니", "경배할-것이다", "예배하는-자들을", "예배하다", "예배하리라", "절할-것이다"]·PT["adorando", "adorar", "adorar.", "adorarem", "adorarão", "adorassem", "adorem", "para-adorar", "que-adoravam"]·RU["будут-поклоняться", "поклонились", "поклониться", "поклонялись", "поклонятся", "поклоняться", "поклоняющиеся", "поклоняющихся"]·ES["a-adorar", "adorando", "adorar", "adorarán", "adoren", "para-adorar", "que-adoran"]·SW["kuabudu", "kumsujudia", "kumwabudu", "kusujudu", "mwabudu", "waabuduo", "wamuabudu", "wamwabudu", "wanaoabudu", "wanaoiabudu", "wasiabudu", "wasujudu", "watamusujudia", "watamwabudu"]·TR["ibadet-etmek-için", "tapacak", "tapmak", "tapınacaklar", "tapınanlar", "tapınanları", "tapınanların", "tapınmak", "tapınmak-için", "tapınsınlar"]·urd["سجدہ-کرنا", "سجدہ-کرنے", "سجدہ-کرنے-والوں", "سجدہ-کرنے-والوں-کو", "سجدہ-کرنے-والے", "سجدہ-کریں", "سجدہ-کریں-گی", "سجدہ-کریں-گے", "عبادت-کرنے", "عبادت-کرنے-والا", "پوجنے", "پوجیں-گے", "چاہیے"]
2. bow down in homage — Prostrating oneself in respectful homage or supplication before a person of perceived authority or greatness, without necessarily implying full divine worship. Across 20 occurrences, this includes the Magi before the infant Jesus (Matt 2:11), the leper kneeling before Jesus for healing (Matt 8:2), and Jairus falling at Jesus' feet (Matt 9:18). The multilingual evidence shows interesting tension: Spanish 'adorar' and German 'anbeten' still use worship vocabulary, reflecting the Gospel writers' christological point that such homage may be more than mere social deference. 20×
AR["ساجِدَةً", "سَجَدنَ", "سَجَدوا", "سَجَدَ", "سَجَدَتْ", "سَجَدُوا", "وَ-سَجَدُوا", "يَسْجُدوا"]·ben["উপাসনা-করল", "তাঁরা-প্রণাম-করলেন", "তিনি-প্রণাম-করলেন", "পূজা-করেছিল", "প্রণাম-করছিল", "প্রণাম-করতে", "প্রণাম-করল", "প্রণাম-করলেন", "সে-প্রণাম-করল"]·DE["anbeten", "betet-an"]·EN["bowed-down-to", "he-worshiped", "they-worshiped", "they-worshipped", "was-worshiping", "was-worshipping", "worshiped", "worshiping", "worshipped"]·FR["adorer", "se-prosterner"]·heb["הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה", "הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ", "הִשְׁתַחֲו-וּ", "הִשְׁתַחֲוָה", "הִשְׁתַחֲווּ", "מִשְׁתַּחֲוָה"]·HI["उसे", "दंडवत-किया", "दंडवत-की", "दण्डवत-करता-था", "दण्डवत-किया", "दण्डवत्-किया", "पूजा-की", "प्रनम-करति-हुइ", "प्रनम-किय"]·ID["menyembah", "mereka-menyembah"]·IT["adorare"]·jav["nyembah", "nyembah-sujud", "nyembah.", "nyembah;", "nyèmbah", "piyambakipun-sedaya-nyembah", "sami-nyembah", "sujud"]·KO["경배하였다", "경배하였으니", "경배했다", "그들이-경배하지", "절하며", "절했다"]·PT["adorando,", "adoraram", "adorava", "adorou", "prostrou-se-diante-de"]·RU["кланялась", "кланялся", "кланяясь,", "поклонились", "поклонился"]·ES["adoraba", "adoraron", "adorándole", "adoró", "le-adoraba", "le-adoraron"]·SW["akamsujudia.", "akamwabudu", "ali-m-abudu", "aliinama", "alimsujudia", "alimwabudu", "msujudia", "na", "wakamsujudia", "wakasujudu", "walimsujudia", "walimwabudu"]·TR["secde-etti", "taptı", "tapınarak", "tapındı", "tapındılar", "tapınıyordu"]·urd["سجدہ-کر-رہا-تھا", "سجدہ-کرتی-ہوئی", "سجدہ-کیا"]
Matt 2:11, Matt 8:2, Matt 9:18, Matt 14:33, Matt 15:25, Matt 18:26, Matt 20:20, Matt 28:9, Matt 28:17, Mark 5:6, John 9:38, Acts 10:25 (+8 more)
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
προσκῠν-έω, future -ήσωRefs 6th c.BC+: aorist προσεκύνησα Refs 5th c.BC+, infinitive -κύσαι Refs, participle -κύσας Refs: perfect -κεκύνηκαLXX+1st c.BC+:—passive, present infinitive προσκυνεῖσθαι Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist προσεκυνήθην Refs 2nd c.AD+:— make obeisance to the gods or their images, fall down and worship, with accusative, Refs 5th c.BC+, of deprecating the wrath of Nemesis, Refs 5th…