Bible Dictionaries
Obeisance, Do

Holman Bible Dictionary

To bow down with one's face to the ground as a sign of homage and submission. KJV and RSV translate the Hebrew shachah as obeisance when the object of homage is a person but as worship when the object of homage is God or other gods (84 times in the RSV). Most often persons did obeisance to the king (1 Samuel 24:8; 2 Samuel 1:2; 2 Samuel 9:6-8; 2 Samuel 14:4 ) or a royal official (Genesis 43:28; Esther 3:2 ,Esther 3:2,3:5 ). Moses did obeisance before his father-in-law (Exodus 18:7 ). Saul did obeisance before Samuel's ghost (1 Samuel 28:14 ).