Old Testament. The most common Hebrew word for bowing is חָוָה (chawah), which occurs only in the hishtaphel stem and has the basic senses of “worship” or “bow down.” Other phrases may be added to qualify this word, such as “to the ground” (Gen 18:2) or “with one’s face to the ground” (Gen 42:6), indicating that a person has not merely bowed but has fallen prostrate on the ground (see below). In the Old Testament, it is used both of bowing down in worship to a deity (Gen 24:26; Exod 20:5; 2 Kgs 17:16) and in deference to humans (2 Sam 14:33). Sometimes it is accompanied by another word that can mean “bow down,” קָדַד (qadad). When these two occur together, they are often translated with a phrase like “bow down and worship” (see Num 22:31; 1 Chr 29:20; 2 Chr 29:30; Neh 8:6). Hebrew חָוָה (chawah) is usually translated in the Septuagint by the Greek verb προσκυνέω (proskyneō).

Similar in meaning to חָוָה (chawah) are the Hebrew סָגַד (sagad) and its Aramaic cognate סְגִד (segid). The Aramaic word factors prominently in the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Dan 3), where it occurs 11 times. The young Jews’ refusal to pay homage (סְגִד, segid) is the reason King Nebuchadnezzar throws them into the fiery furnace.

Other words for bowing in the Old Testament include גָּהַר (gahar) (e.g., 1 Kgs 18:42; see also 2 Kgs 4:34–35) and כָּפַף (kaphaph) (Isa 58:5 and Mic 6:6).