Library Home>Concise Bible Dictionary>Concise Bible Dictionary: B>Bow Down, To (#80475)

Bow Down, To

From: Concise Bible Dictionary: B By: George A. Morrish

Listen to This Article

An act of respect between man and man, very common in the East, as Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land when he bought a burying place for his dead (Gen. 23:7, 12⁷And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. (Genesis 23:7)
¹²And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. (Genesis 23:12)). Also an act of reverence to God (Psa. 95:6⁶O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. (Psalm 95:6)); but strictly forbidden to be done before an idol or image (Ex. 20:5⁵Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; (Exodus 20:5)); and treated as an act of worship.

Click here to show subject links in the text for more information.

Previous Article

Concise Bible Dictionary: B

• Body, the one

• Bond-Servant

• Book of Life, The

• Bottomless Pit

• Bow Down, To

• Bow in the Cloud