Prostration

The act of falling down upon one's face in front of someone, as a gesture of fear or reverence before God or a person of high rank.

Prostration before God

In reverence or fear

Numbers 20:6; 1 Chronicles 29:20; Revelation 7:11 See also Genesis 17:3; Leviticus 9:24; Numbers 24:4; 1 Samuel 5:3; 1 Kings 18:39; Nehemiah 8:6; Ezekiel 1:28; Matthew 2:11, Matthew 17:6, Matthew 26:39; Luke 5:12

Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.

Then David said to the whole assembly, “Bless the LORD your God.” So the whole assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers. They bowed down and paid homage to the LORD and to the king.

And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. And they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God,

As an expression of grieving over sin

Deuteronomy 9:18, Deuteronomy 9:25; Joshua 7:6; Isaiah 15:3; Ezekiel 9:8

Prostration before God's messenger

Numbers 22:31 See also Joshua 5:14; Judges 13:20; 1 Chronicles 21:16; Daniel 8:17; Luke 24:5

Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. And Balaam bowed low and fell facedown.

Prostration before other people

1 Samuel 24:8; Isaiah 51:23 See also Ruth 2:10; 1 Samuel 25:23, 1 Samuel 28:14; 2 Samuel 14:4, 2 Samuel 19:18; Isaiah 49:23; Daniel 2:46

After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed facedown in reverence

I will place it in the hands of your tormentors, who told you: ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you,’ so that you made your back like the ground, like a street to be traversed.”