שָׁחָה172 H7812
To bow down, prostrate oneself in worship or obeisance; also: to bow low (Qal), to depress or weigh down (Hiphil).
One of the most physically vivid worship words in the Hebrew Bible. The Hitpael form—by far the most common—depicts the full-body prostration of a person before God or a human superior, face to the ground. Abraham bows before the Hittites (Gen 23:7), all nations bow before the Lord (Ps 22:27). German anbeten ('to worship') and Spanish postrarse capture the reverence, while Swahili -sujudu echoes the Islamic cognate for the same physical posture. Rarely, the Qal imperative means simply 'bow down' (Isa 51:23), and the Hiphil in Proverbs 12:25 describes anxiety 'weighing down' the heart—a striking metaphorical extension of this physical verb.
1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship — The dominant Hitpael reflexive sense: to prostrate oneself, bow down in worship or obeisance. This covers nearly all 173 occurrences and encompasses bowing before God in worship (Exod 34:8, Ps 95:6), before idols (Exod 20:5), and before human superiors in social deference (Gen 18:2, Gen 23:7, Gen 33:3). The multilingual evidence is remarkably consistent—Spanish postrarse/inclinarse, French se prosterner, German sich beugen/anbeten—all reflecting the dual worship-and-respect register of this verb. 173×
AR["فَسَجَدَ","فَـ-سَجَدَ","وَ-سَجَدَ","وَ-سَجَدَتْ","وَسَجَدَ","وَسَجَدَت"]·ben["আর-প্রণাম-করল","এবং-প্রণাম-করল","এবং-প্রণাম-করলেন","এবং-সে-প্রণাম-করল","ও-প্রণাম-করলেন"]·DE["und-betete-an","und-beugte-sich-hinab","und-er-beugte-sich-hinab","und-er-verneigte-sich","und-er-verneigte-sich-hinab","und-es-verneigte-sich","und-sie-verneigte-sich-hinab","und-verneigte-sich"]·EN["and-bowed","and-bowed-down","and-he-bowed-down","and-she-bowed-down"]·FR["et-elle-s'inclina-en-bas","et-il-s'inclina-en-bas","et-s'inclina","et-s'inclina-en-bas"]·heb["ו-השתחו","ו-השתחוה","ו-השתחווה","ו-השתחוותה","ו-ישתחו","ו-ישתחוו","ו-תשתחו"]·HI["और-झुक","और-झुका","और-दण्डवत-किया","और-दण्डवत-की","और-माथा-टेका-उसने","और-सजद-किय"]·ID["dan-dia-sujud","dan-ia-sujud","dan-menyembah","dan-menyembahlah","dan-sujud","dan-sujud-menyembahlah-ia","dan-sujudlah"]·IT["e-egli-bowed-giù","e-egli-si-inchinò-giù","e-ella-bowed-giù","e-ella-si-inchinò-giù","e-si-inchinò","e-si-inchinò-giù"]·jav["Lajeng-sujud","Lan-sujud","lajeng-sujud","lan-piyambakipun-sujud","lan-sujud"]·KO["그리고-경배하였다","그리고-경배했다","그리고-그녀가-절했다","그리고-절하며","그리고-절하였다","그리고-절했다"]·PT["E-prostrou-se","e-adorou","e-inclinou-se","e-prostrou-se"]·RU["И-поклонился","и-поклонилась","и-поклонился"]·ES["Y-se-inclinó","Y-se-postró","e-inclinó","y-se-inclinó","y-se-postró"]·SW["Israeli-akamwinamia","akasujudu","na-akaabudu","na-akamsujudia","na-akasujudu"]·TR["Ve-eğildi","ve-eğildi","ve-secde-etti","ve-tapındı"]·urd["اور-اُس-نے-سجدہ-کیا","اور-جھکا","اور-جھکی","اور-سجدہ-کیا"]
Gen 18:2, Gen 19:1, Gen 23:7, Gen 23:12, Gen 24:26, Gen 24:52, Gen 33:3, Gen 47:31, Gen 48:12, Exod 18:7, Exod 34:8, Num 22:31 (+38 more)
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. sense 2 — The rare Qal imperative 'bow down' (Isa 51:23), where enemies command Zion to prostrate herself so they can walk over her back. This is not reflexive worship but a forced, humiliating posture imposed by oppressors. Spanish incínate and English 'bow down' preserve the physicality without the volitional worship connotation of the Hitpael. 1×
AR["انْحَنِي"]·ben["নত-হও"]·DE["anbeten"]·EN["bow-down"]·FR["se-prosterner"]·heb["שחי"]·HI["झुक"]·ID["tunduklah"]·IT["adorare"]·jav["Tumungkula"]·KO["엎드려라"]·PT["Inclina-te"]·RU["нагнись"]·ES["incínate"]·SW["jiname"]·TR["egil"]·urd["جھک"]
3. sense 3 — The Hiphil causative in Proverbs 12:25: anxiety 'weighs down' or 'depresses' the heart. A metaphorical extension where the physical motion of bowing is internalized—the heart is bent low under emotional burden. Spanish lo abate ('it casts it down') and English 'weighs it down' capture this psychological transfer from bodily prostration to emotional dejection. 1×
AR["يُحْنيهِ"]·ben["তাকে-অবনত-করে"]·DE["betete-an"]·EN["weighs-it-down"]·FR["se-prosterner"]·heb["ישחנה"]·HI["झुकाती-है-उसे"]·ID["menekannya"]·IT["weighs-esso-giù"]·jav["ndamel-susah"]·KO["그것-을-낮춘다"]·PT["a-abate"]·RU["пригибает-его"]·ES["lo-abate"]·SW["unamlemea"]·TR["eğer-onu"]·urd["جھکاتی-ہے-اُسے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
[שָׁחָה172] vb. bow down (NH id.; J Aram. שְׁחִי (rare); akin to שׁוח, שׁחח);— Qal Imv. fs. שְׁחִי Is 51:23 bow down. Hiph. Impf. 3 ms. sf. יַשְׁחֶ֑נָּה Pr 12:25, fig., anxiety depresses it (sc. לֵב; opp. שִׂמֵּחַ). Hithpaʿlēl170 (Ges§ 75 kk) Pf. 3 ms. הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה Ez 46:2; 2 ms. הִשְׁתַּחֲוִ֫יתָ Dt 4:19 + 3 times; 1 s. הִשְׁתַּחֲוֵ֫יתִי 1 S 16:4 + 2 times; 3 mpl. הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ Je 8:2, etc.;…