A Word Study on Worship

My wife recently led her class through a word study on worship, and I asked her to share her notes here for the benefit of my readers.

Many times, we look to our culture to answer questions about how we should interact with God. But every culture on the planet has sinful influences, so when we want to know more about God, we should look only to the Bible. A comment in my Sunday School class about the different ways people worship God led to this word study using the Masoretic and TR translated with KJV.

Four Hebrew words translated as “worship”

1. Bow down, do obeisance; prostrate oneself
   1. Translated only as “worship” and used only in Daniel 3 when Nebuchadnezzar built an idol, had music played, and commanded everyone to worship.
   2. Other words for context:
      1. Fall down
      2. Signal given (at the music—note, not “using” or “with” music)
      3. Regard
      4. Serve
2. To make an idol; to labor or fashion wood or stone (like into idols); to pain or grieve. (Note: When we fashion wood, we are pulling pieces away and tearing the side off. We aren’t causing it to be emotionally sad, but we are grieving the wood in how we are causing it to lose portions of itself.)
   1. Translated as “worship” in Jeremiah 44:19—to turn the queen of Heaven into an idol (Note: who is this queen of Heaven? Needs more study)
   2. Other words for context:
      1. Offerings
      2. Gifts
   3. Also translated as:
      1. Grieve in Gen. 6:6 plus 9 more
      2. Displease in 1 Kings 1:7
      3. Hurt in Eccl. 9:10
      4. Made in Job 10:8
      5. Sorry in Neh. 8:10
      6. Vex in Is. 63:10
      7. Wrest in Ps. 56:5
3. To do, to serve; to work
   1. Translated as “worshippers” only in 2 Kings 10:19-23. The same word is also “servants” in verses 19 and 23.
   2. Other words for context:
      1. Sacrifices
      2. Offerings
      3. Travel
      4. Specific clothing
   3. Also translated as:
      1. Till (the ground) in Gen. 2:5 plus 8 more
      2. Dress (the garden) in Gen. 2:15 plus 1 more
      3. Serve in Gen. 14:4 plus 235 more
      4. Work in Ex. 5:18 plus 4 more
      5. Bondage in Ex. 6:5
      6. Keep (this service) in Ex. 13:5
      7. Labor in Ex. 20:9 plus 1 more
      8. Compel (him to serve) in Lev. 25:39
      9. Bondman in Lev. 25:46
      10. To do in Num. 3:7 plus 14 more
      11. Execute (the service) in Num. 8:11
      12. Wrought (as in past tense of work) in Deut. 21:3
      13. Ear (as in a field that has been worked) in Deut. 21:4 plus 1 more
      14. Bring to pass (an act, as in make work happen) in Is. 28:21
      15. Husbandman (as in a farm laborer) in Zech. 13:5 (Note: reminds me of Westley in Princess Bride where his job was farm boy. He answered “as you wish” for everything, showing that he was the one to work and serve his master)
4. To bow oneself down; to make low
   1. Translated as “worship” all the other times the word is used in the OT (99x)
   2. Other words for context (40 random verses of the 99):
      1. Gen. 22:5 – separate, sacrifice
      2. Ex. 34:13-14 – altars, images, groves
      3. Ex. 34:15 – covenant, sacrifice
      4. Deut. 4:19 – graven images, service
      5. Deut. 8:19 – walk after, serve
      6. Deut. 11:16 – serve
      7. Deut. 26:10 – sacrifice
      8. Deut. 30:16-17 – love, obey, follow, serve
      9. Josh. 5:14 – fall down
      10. 1 Sam. 1:3 – requires travel, sacrifice
      11. 1 Sam. 15:25, 30-31 – requires repentance
      12. 1 Kings 9:6 – follow, obey, serve
      13. 2 Kings 5:18 – forgiveness, bow down, repentance (Note: “bow down” and “worship” in this verse come from the same Hebrew word. One reason the translators may have chosen different English words is to avoid a sentence like: A ship shipping shipping ships. And instead write something like: A cargo ship transporting other ships built to carry stuff.)
      14. 2 Kings 17:36 – fear, sacrifice
      15. 2 Kings 18:22 – altar
      16. 1 Chron. 16:29 – glory, offering
      17. 2 Chron. 7:19 – obey, serve
      18. 2 Chron. 32:12 – altar, incense
      19. Ps. 5:7 – church, fear
      20. 22:27 – remember God, turn to Him
      21. 22:29 – eat, bow
      22. 29:2 – glory, holiness
      23. 45:11 – beauty
      24. 66:4 – sing (Note: the only verse in the Bible I could find that had “sing” as a word for context)
      25. 81:9 – listen to God
      26. 86:9 – come to God, glorify
      27. 95:6 – bow down, kneel
      28. 96:9 – beauty, holiness, fear
      29. 97:7 – serve, boast (idols)
      30. 99:5, 9 – exalt, holy, footstool
      31. 132:7 – tabernacle, footstool
      32. 138:2 – holy temple, praise, lovingkindness, truth
      33. Is. 2:8-9 – bow down, humble himself
      34. Is. 27:13 – signal given (trumpets), holy
      35. Is. 36:7 – altar
      36. Is. 46:6 – fall down
      37. Micah 5:13 – images
      38. Zeph. 1:5 – housetop, swear
      39. Zeph. 2:11 – gods, own place (Note: these two verses in Zephania describe worshiping at one’s own house. These verses explain that the worship is to someone/something other than God, and that staying home to worship them is not good. Every other verse in the Bible that talks about where the person should worship describes the person traveling to Jerusalem, the temple, or the tabernacle)
      40. Zech. 14:16-17 – requires travel, feast
   3. Also translated as:
      1. Bow in Gen. 18:2 plus 50 more
      2. Make obeisance in Gen. 37:7 plus 8 more
      3. Fall flat (on his face) in Num. 22:31
      4. Crouch in 1 Sam. 2:36
      5. Reverence (as in to give honor like with a bow) 2 Sam. 9:6 plus 4 more
      6. Humble in 2 Sam. 16:4
      7. Fall down in 2 Sam. 18:28 plus 2 more
      8. Stoop (as from heaviness) in Prov. 12:25 (Note: This may not seem to fit at first glance. Definitely needs more study!)
   4. Interesting note: Job 1:20, he “fell down” physically to lie down flat and also “worshipped” verbally by exalting God and making his own desires fall down

Ten Greek words translated as “worship”

1. Glory, esteem; a good opinion resulting in praise and honor, splendor, majesty
   1. Translated as “worship” in Luke 14:10-11, other people offering “doxa” to
   2. Other words for context:
      1. Giving honor
      2. Exalting
   3. Also translated as:
      1. Glory in Matt. 4:8 plus 154 more
      2. Honor in John 5:41 plus 5 more
      3. Praise in John 9:24 plus 3 more
      4. Dignities (as in something worthy of honor) in 2 Pet. 2:10 plus 1 more
2. To be reverential, pious; to act in such a manner
   1. Translated as “worship” in Acts 17:23, done in ignorance
   2. Other words for context: altar
   3. Also translated as: to show piety (at home) in 1 Tim. 5:4 (Note: these two uses of the word consistently show that the people doing it don’t really know what they are doing. The first verse is clear that they are worshiping in ignorance. The second one is obvious that the children are simply doing what their parents are teaching them to do. They haven’t quite gotten to the point yet where they worship God because it naturally flows from their own hearts)
3. To serve, cure; to restore to health
   1. Translated as “worshipped” in Acts 17:25—God is not “worshipped” with men’s hands because God is the giver of life/health
   2. Other words for context:
      1. Hands
      2. Needing something
      3. Life
      4. Breath
   3. Also translated as:
      1. Heal in Matt. 4:23 plus 37 more
      2. Cure in Matt. 17:18 plus 4 more
4. Religious observance; external ceremonies
   1. Translated in a compound noun “will worship” in Col. 2:23 to mean simulated, counterfeit religion directed at oneself instead of God
   2. Other words for context:
      1. Humility
      2. Not body or flesh
   3. Translated as “worshipping” in Col. 2:18
   4. Other words for context:
      1. Reward
      2. Voluntary humility
   5. Also translated as: religion in James 1:27 (Note: This shows how the external duties will be shown when we are looking at God, not ourselves.)
5. To worship publicly; a hired servant, to render service, to offer gifts
   1. Translated as “worship” three times and once as a noun “worshipper”
   2. Other words for context:
      1. Acts 7:42 – sacrifices
      2. Acts 24:14 – law and prophets
      3. Phil. 3:3 – spirit, rejoice, no flesh
      4. Heb. 10:1-3 – sacrifices, offer
   3. Also translated as: serve in Matt. 4:10 plus 16 more
6. Temple sweeper; temple servant (like a janitor) (Note: compare to Ps. 84:10)
   1. Translated as “worship” in Acts 19:35
   2. Other words for context:
      1. City-wide
      2. Image
7. To kiss the hand; homage shown to someone of a superior rank, like a dog licking his master’s hand, to fall on knees and touch forehead to ground
   1. Translated as “worship” throughout the NT (60x)
   2. Other words for context (16 random verses of the 60):
      1. Matt. 2:2, 8, 11 – fell down, gifts
      2. Matt. 4:9 – fall down
      3. Matt. 4:10 – serve
      4. Luke 4:7 – rewarded
      5. Luke 4:8 – serve
      6. John 4:20-24 – spirit, truth
      7. John 12:20 – requires travel, feast
      8. Acts 7:43 – figures (idols)
      9. Acts 8:27, 24:11 – requires travel
      10. 1 Cor. 14:25 – fall down
      11. Heb. 1:6 – done to someone higher
      12. Rev. 3:9 – at the feet
      13. Rev. 4:10 – fall down, throw crowns
      14. Rev. 9:20 – idols
      15. Rev. 14:7 – fear, give glory, judgment
      16. Rev. 19:10, 22:8-9 – fall at feet
8. To venerate (as to regard with reverential respect or admiring devotion); to fear, to honor
   1. Translated as “worshipped” in Romans 1:25
   2. Other words for context: serve
9. To revere, to be devout, to adore
   1. Translated as “worship” in parallel verses, Matt. 15:9 and Mark 7:7, plus 4 more
   2. Other words for context: teaching, commandments
   3. Also translated as:
      1. Religious (proselytes) in Acts 13:43
      2. Devout in Acts 13:50 plus 2 more
10. Religiously honored like statues and idols
    1. Translated as “worship” in 2 Thess. 2:4 to denote an object (or person—the anti-Christ) to be adored
    2. Other words for context:
       1. Exalt himself
       2. Sitting in the temple of God
       3. Showing himself as God
    3. Also translated as: devotions in Acts 17:23

I challenge you to take the definition of what you thought “worship” meant and look up that definition in the Bible. Some ideas to get you started: praise, honor, sing, music, instrument, dance.