Bowing

An act of submission before something or someone deemed worthy of honour.

Bowing as an act of submission

Genesis 42:6; 2 Samuel 1:2; Psalm 72:9 See also Genesis 33:3, Genesis 43:26–28, Genesis 49:8; Exodus 11:8, Exodus 18:7; Ruth 2:10; 1 Samuel 2:36, 1 Samuel 24:8, 1 Samuel 25:23; 2 Samuel 15:5, 2 Samuel 18:28; 1 Kings 1:16; 1 Chronicles 21:21; Isaiah 49:23

Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.

On the third day a man with torn clothes and dust on his head arrived from Saul’s camp. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him homage.

May the nomads bow before him, and his enemies lick the dust.

Bowing before angels

Genesis 18:2 See also Genesis 19:1; Numbers 22:31; Luke 24:5

And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

Bowing before God

Exodus 4:31; 2 Chronicles 20:18; Psalm 95:6 See also Genesis 17:3, Genesis 24:26; Exodus 12:27, Exodus 34:8; Deuteronomy 26:10, Deuteronomy 33:3; 1 Kings 1:47; 2 Kings 17:36; 1 Chronicles 29:20; 2 Chronicles 29:28; Nehemiah 8:6; Psalm 22:27; Isaiah 66:23

and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.

Then Jehoshaphat bowed facedown, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down before the LORD to worship Him.

O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

Bowing before the temple

Psalm 5:7 The temple represented God's presence. See also Psalm 138:2

But I will enter Your house by the abundance of Your loving devotion; in reverence I will bow down toward Your holy temple.

Bowing before idols

Exodus 32:8; 2 Kings 17:16; Isaiah 2:8 See also Numbers 25:2; Deuteronomy 29:26; 2 Kings 21:3; 2 Chronicles 25:14; Isaiah 44:17, Isaiah 44:19; Ezekiel 8:16; Micah 5:13

How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”

They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal.

Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.

Bowing before Jesus Christ

Matthew 2:11; Philippians 2:10 See also Matthew 8:2, Matthew 9:18, Matthew 15:25, Matthew 27:29; Mark 5:6, Mark 10:17; Luke 17:16

On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

Bowing as an expression of sorrow

Psalm 35:14, Psalm 145:14 See also Psalm 38:6, Psalm 57:6, Psalm 146:8; Lamentations 2:10

I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for his mother.

The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.