Worship/Bowing Doesn't Make One God

                                     Worship/Bowing Doesn't Make One God

The following are the most common words associated with reverence/worship/honor.

 

The Hebrew word Shachah is to bow with respect and honor

The Greek word Proskuneo is to bow with respect and honor

The Greek word Latreuo is sometimes translated to serve, worship God, but it can be used for other things as well- Acts 7:42 and Romans 1:25. However, it is never used for Jesus in worship and serving.

 

When men are "worshipping" each other,  Shachah/Proskuneo is translated as bowing down in English. However, when Jesus and God are introduced into the text, this is where we see the inconsistency.  Unfortunately, translators presupposed that whenever Jesus is in the text that the English word bow should be changed into worship, so it is easy to be deceived into thinking Jesus is God. Below, we can see that other humans "worshipped" other humans. It doesn't make them God.

 

Genesis 19:1 Brenton Septuagint Translation And the two angels came to Sodom at evening. And Lot sat by the gate of Sodom, and Lot having seen them, rose up to meet them, and he worshipped with his face to the ground, and said.

 

NOTE: See also Douay-Rheims Bible translation.

 

Genesis 23:7 English Standard Version 7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land.

 

Revelation 3:9 King James Version 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

 

Genesis 33:3 English Standard Version 3 He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

 

Genesis 37:10 Douay-Rheims Bible And when he had told this to his father and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?

 

Genesis 42:6 Smith's Literal Translation And Joseph, he the ruler over the land, and he selling grain to all the people of the earth; and Joseph's brethren will come, and will worship before him the face to the earth.

 

Genesis  43:26 Smith's Literal Translation And Joseph will come to his house and they will bring to him the gift which is in their hand to the house, and they will worship towards him to the earth.

 

Joshua 5:14 English Standard Version 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”

 

1 Samuel 20:41 Smith's Literal Translation The boy went, and David rose from the south side, and fell upon his face to the earth, and they will worship three times, and they will kiss each his friend, and they will weep, each with his friend, till David magnified.

 

1 Samuel  24:8 Smith's Literal Translation And David will rise up after him and will come forth from the cave, and he will call after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And Saul will look behind him, and David will bow down his face to the earth, and worship him.

 

1 Samuel 25:41 Smith's Literal Translation And she will rise and worship with the face to the earth, and say, Behold, thy servant for a servant to wash the feet of my lord's servants.

 

1 Chronicles 29:20 King James Version 20 And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the Lord your God. And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord, and the king.

 

EXCEPTIONS

Acts 10:25-26 English Standard Version 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “STAND UP; I TOO AM A MAN.”

 

Revelation 22:8-9 English Standard Version 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I AM A FELLOW SERVANT with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

 

 

NOTE: In both examples, the recipient considered themselves equal to the one bowing down. They were not superior to them.

 

Exodus 23:24 English Standard Version 24 you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces.

 

1 Kings 1:51-53 English Standard Version 51 Then it was told Solomon, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” 52 And Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” 53 So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

 

NOTE: There are times that bowing down/worship is wrong/insincere. God looks for true worship of the heart. False worship is rejected.


**************************************************************************                                 Which Soldiers bowed down to Jesus in John 18:3-6?



John 18:3-6 Verse 3 (Only the NASB, LSB, NLT, Good News, and amplified translations) says Roman cohort. This is not found in the other translations. Other translations has BAND. Band can be referred to a Jewish group. See 2 Maccabees 8:23 and Judith 14:11.




2 Maccabees 8:23King James Version Also he appointed Eleazar to read the holy book: and when he had given them this watchword, The help of God; himself leading the first BAND


Judith 14:11 King James Version  And as soon as the morning arose, they hanged the head of Holofernes upon the wall, and every man took his weapons, and they went forth by BANDS unto the straits of the mountain.



Further proof can be found in Luke 24:52-53, Matthew 26:47, Mark 14:43, Luke 22:47, and John 7:32,40-48 (emphasis on verse 45). There is no mention of Roman soldiers. In fact, there was a huge tension between Jews and Romans. Romans soldiers were not at the service of Jews/ Pharisees. The Jewish soldiers were supposed to arrest Jesus the first time, but missed the opportunity in John 7:40-48. 


With John 7:40-48 in mind, it makes sense that the Jews fell back and bowed down to Jesus because it was a fearful thing to put hands on the Anoited One/Messiah/Christ. Saul, David, and Cyrus were considered an Anoited one/Messiah/and Christ figure- 1 Samuel 24:6,24:10, 26:9, 26:11, 26:16,26: 23; 2 Samuel 1:14,1:16. There is nothing special about Jesus saying "I am." Nobody fell down in Matthew 14:27 and John 4:25-26 when ego eimi is used.





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