New Testament. In the New Testament, the main word used to indicate kneeling in a context of respect or worship is γονυπετέω (gonypeteō). It is used in Matt 17:14; 27:29; Mark 1:40; 10:17. A phrase used to describe kneeling in the New Testament is τίθημι τὰ γόνατα (tithēmi ta gonata), which literally means “to put one’s knees down.” Used in contexts of worship or respect, it is found in Mark 15:19; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60; 9:40; 20:36; 21:5.

Another word for kneeling in the New Testament is κάμπτω (kamptō). While it can mean “bow” or “bend” on its own, it is sometimes used to refer to kneeling in the phrase “bow/bend the knee” (see Rom 11:4, which is Paul’s quotation of 1 Kgs 19:18; Rom 14:11; Eph 3:14; Phil 2:10).