The "worship" due to Jesus

Saturday, November 22, 2008, 4:37 AM

Christ Healing the Blind Man, El Greco

There is no doubt that the NT attests in many verses that Jesus received and accepted "worship" both before his death (Matthew 14:33; John 9:38) and after his Resurrection (Matthew 28:9; Matthew 28:17; Luke 24:52).

The verb that appears in all the verses that speak of Jesus being "worshiped" (that is used very inaccurately in English), needs to be examined lexically in the context of the NT, of the LXX and of the corresponding verbs used in the Hebrew Bible, lest one completely misunderstand and conflate quite different types and degrees of "worship" contemplated in the Bible.

It is sufficient here to say that the verb for "worship", as referred to Jesus in the NT is invariably προσκυνεω (proskyneō - Strong's G4352), which appears in the NT a total of 60 times, and, depending on the context, can have one of many meanings, more or less strong:

1) to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence
2) among the Orientals, esp. the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence
3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication
3a) used of homage shown to men and beings of superior rank
3a1) to the Jewish high priests
3a2) to God
3a3) to Christ
3a4) to heavenly beings
3a5) to demons

On the other hand, there is another verb, used both in the NT and in the LXX to express "worship" in the sense of "to serve", λατρευω (latreuō - Strong's G3000) which appears in the NT a total of 21 times, 19 times it is used for YHWH, the Lord God, and on 2 occasions, also, negatively, for misplaced and idolatrous service ("But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven [or: stars of heaven]" Act 7:42; "They ... served created things" Rom 1:25)[#] but never for Jesus Christ.

For the different use of proskyneō and latreuō in the NT, it is interesting to examine Matthew 4:10 (see also Luke 4:8) because both verbs appear in it, and we have the possibility to see to what verbs they correspond in the cited verse of the OT (Deuteronomy 6:13) both in the Original Hebrew and in the LXX Greek.


Deuteronomy 6:13
You shall fear [Hebrew: ירא (yare' - Strong's H3372); LXX Greek: φοβεω (phobeō Strong's G5399)] the LORD your God and serve Him, [Hebrew: עבד (`abad Strong's H5647); LXX Greek: λατρευω (latreuō)] and shall take oaths in His name.

Matthew 4:10 (cp. Luke 4:8)
‘You are to worship [προσκυνεω (proskyneō)] the Lord your God and serve [λατρευω (latreuō)] only him.’

Notice that the NETBible, at Note ² sn says: "The word “only” is an interpretive expansion not found in either the Hebrew or Greek (LXX) text of the OT."

Of course the addition of the word “only” [Greek: μονω monō], referred only to latreuō, underlines further that the act of "service" is reserved exclusively for YHWH God, the Father Almighty.

[#] NOTE The verb translated in English as "to worship", in Rom 1:25,  is yet another Greek verb, σεβάζομαι (sebazomai - Strong's G4573) 1) to fear, be afraid 2) to honour religiously, to worship. It is used ONLY ONCE in the NT, but it is a variant of σέβω (sebō - Strong's G4576, in the Scriptures always used in the Middle/Passive Deponent form σέβομαι, sebomai). In Mat 15:9 and in the parallel Mar 7:7, it is used to translate the Hebrew ירא (yare' - Strong's H3372) of the quotation from Isaiah 29:13. In Acts (Acts 13:43,50; 16:14; 17:4; 18:7) it is systematically used to refer to the sebomenoi (or God-fearers), that is the "non-Jewish (gentile) sympathizer to Second Temple Judaism". Interestingly, in Acts 18:13, it is used in the accusation against Paul, in front of the Proconsul Gallio (“This man is persuading people to worship God in a way contrary to the law!”). In Act 19:27 it is used to refer to the "worship" due, according to the citizen of Ephesus, to the "great goddess Artemis".