Old Testament. In the Old Testament, the word נָפַל (naphal), meaning “fall,” is sometimes used to describe a person falling to the ground in worship, reverence, or fear. For example, it is used to describe people falling on their faces before God (e.g., Gen 17:3; Num 16:22; Josh 7:6, 10; Ezek 1:28) and to describe the god Dagon fallen before the ark of the covenant (1 Sam 5:3–4). It is also used to show people falling down before other people in a posture of respect, submission, or entreaty (e.g., Gen 50:18; Ruth 2:10; 2 Sam 9:6). The equivalent Aramaic verb נְפַל (nephal) is used together with סְגִד (segid) “worship, pay homage” in Dan 2:46 to describe Nebuchadnezzar falling on his face and paying homage to Daniel. As noted above Hebrew, חָוָה (chawah) and קָדַד (qadad) are sometimes used in the sense of prostrating oneself, as in the phrases “bow/kneel down with one’s face to the ground” (Gen 48:12; 1 Sam 24:8; 2 Sam 14:33; Isa 49:23) or “bow to the ground” (1 Sam 25:23).