Language Studies

Greek Thoughts

PROSKUNEO* - Part 10 - εχηγεομαι (Strong's #1834)
To worship, to bow down, to show reverence and submission

Please note that all Biblical quotes, in this and all other lessons posted to Greek Thoughts, are from The Literal English Translation of the Bible produced by BTE Ministries - The Bible Translation and Exegesis Institute of America.


This week we continue our study of προσκυνὲω (Strong's #4352), which is translated "worship," and will conclude our study of the scriptures on this topic which are taken from the Book of Revelation. Prior to the public ministry of Jesus, προσκυνὲω represented the physical posture of bowing to the ground for the expression of submission and reverence. During the public ministry of Jesus, He took this concept and applied it to the spirit or heart of a person, as we see from His teaching in John 4:23, "… an hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers will worship (προσκυνὲω) the Father in spirit and in truth; for indeed the Father is seeking such ones worshiping (προσκυνὲω) Him." From this point in scripture forward, προσκυνὲω is used to represent true worship, which is a heart-desire expressed through the submission of one's time, life-goals, and strength rather than through the assuming of a physical position. This concept of worship continues from the time of Christ upon the earth through the time of the Great Tribulation that takes place before His Second Coming.

In Revelation 9:20, we see that as God's judgment unfolds upon mankind, the survivors do not repent. Προσκυνὲω is used here to describe a devotion of one's hands to serving demons and idols. We are then told, in Revelation 9:20, that those dwelling upon the earth are worshiping (προσκυνὲω) the beast. Next, in Revelation 13:15-17, we are told that giving worship to the beast means that people enroll in Satan's economic, political and religious system in order to be able to buy and sell. Here it is established that worship (προσκυνὲω) is the prerequisite to enrolling in Satan's system. Refusal to worship the image of the beast will bring physical death.

In , we see an angel flying in mid-heaven, during the Great Tribulation, evangelizing those dwelling upon the earth, saying, "Fear God, and give to Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and worship (προσκυνὲω) the One who has made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters" (Revelation 14:7). The people living upon the earth are warned to worship only the Creator and are told not to give worship to the beast— that is, they are not to participate in his religious, economic, and political system. In addition, in Revelation 14:9-11, we are told that a third angel says, "If anyone is worshiping (προσκυνὲω) the beast and his image, and is taking a mark upon his forehead, or upon his hand, he himself also will drink from out of the wine of the fury of God... and the smoke of their torment is going up forever; and the ones worshiping (προσκυνὲω) the beast and his image do not have rest day and night, and if anyone is receiving the mark of his name."

This week we come to the events that take place at the end of history, as we know it, upon the earth. In Chapters 15-20 of the Book of Revelation, we see the activities and characteristics of all people in response to the choices they have made in life.

Revelation 15:1-4

1)
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, because in them the fury of God was made complete.

2)
And I saw something like a glassy sea which had been mingled with fire, and the ones overcoming from out of the beast, and from out of his image, and from out of his mark, and from out of the number of his name, who had been standing upon the glassy sea, having harps of God.

In the Chapter 15, John sees seven angels who have the seven last plagues or judgments, ready to be poured out upon those who have rebelled against God and who have surrendered their allegiance to the beast. These judgments are actually described in Chapter 16. In Revelation 15:2, it is recorded that John sees a group of people who have overcome. They have been delivered from the beast and his economic, political, and religious system by not surrendering to him. They are seen in heaven singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb.

3)
And they are singing the song of Moses the slave of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty;F1 righteous and true are your ways, King of the saints."F2

4)
Who should never fear You, Lord, and should never glorify your name? Because you only are holy; because all the nations will come and will worship (προσκυνὲω) before You, because Your righteous judgments have become known.

They declare in their song that all of the nations will come and worship (προσκυνὲω) before God, because God's righteous judgments have become known. This echos Paul's statement in Philippians 2:10-11 where he says that the Lord has been highly exalted and given the name which is above every name, "in order that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those of heaven, and of earth, and of those under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, unto the glory of God the Father." In Revelation 15:4, John calls this confession worship (προσκυνὲω), not a religious confession, but an expression of the surrender of one's life. In , we see the last judgments poured out upon the earth.

Revelation 16:1-2

1)
And I heard a great voice from out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls of the fury of God into the earth."

2)
And the first went off, and poured out his bowl upon the earth; and a painful and grievousF3 boilF4 came onto the people who have the mark of the beast, and the ones worshiping (προσκυνὲω) his image.

We are told that the first judgment is a painful and grievous boil coming upon those who have the mark of the beast and who are worshiping his image. By using προσκυνὲω to describe the activity of those who are to receive this judgment, John is stating that these people are receiving the judgment of God because they are the ones who have enrolled in the beast's world system and have rejected the message of the angels to not surrender to it.

Revelation 19:20-21

20)
And the beast was captured, and with this one the false prophet who performed the signs before him, with whichF5 he misled the ones who had received the mark of the beast, and the ones worshiping (προσκυνὲω) his image; the two were thrown while alive into the Lake of Fire which is burning with sulfur.F6

The capture of the beast and the false prophet is described in Revelation 19:20-21. The false prophet is described as the one who performed the signs (in front of the beast) which were used to mislead the ones having the mark of the beast and the ones worshiping (προσκυνὲω) his image.

21)
And the rest were killed with the swordF7 which is going out of the mouth of the One sitting upon the horse; and all the birds were filled from their flesh.

After the capture of the beast and the false prophet, the rest of mankind is killed with the sword that is coming out of the mouth of the Lord at His Second Coming. The birds are then pictured as gorging themselves from the flesh of those who have been killed.

Revelation 20:4

4)
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them; and the souls of the ones who had been beheaded on account of the testimony of Jesus, and on account of the Word of God, and whoever did not worship (προσκυνὲω) the beast, nor his image, and did not receive the mark upon their forehead, and upon their hand; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

The glorious end is presented here, showing those who rejected the worship of the beast and his image, who refused to take the mark of the beast, as living and reigning with Christ a thousand years.

These scriptures show that every person will be judged, not because of the church he has chosen to attend, but because of whom he has surrendered his life to. All of the teachings of worship go full circle and are expressed in the first and great commandment: Hear O Israel: Yaweh our God, is one Yaweh! And you shall love Yaweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and will all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). We see here all the tenants of worship being mentioned: we are to love God with ALL of our heart, soul, and strength. Love for the Lord and the worship of Him is presented as being surrendered to Him from out of our whole heart, mind, and strength, not just a few hours for church on Sunday or during the week. We are to surrender our human faculties and strength, as well as our time, to the Lord for His purposes, and are not to allow the material things of this earthly life, which are under the judgment of God, to become the focus of our being. It is possible to be deceived into thinking that we are worshiping the Lord by singing to Him in church; but in reality, according to the Word of God, the true worshipers are worshiping the Lord by surrendering to His spirit and His truth with their whole hearts, minds, and strength.

* PROSKUNEO is the English font spelling of the Greek word προσκυνὲω.

F1: The nouns in apposition to the noun in the vocative case require definite articles. ̔Ο͂Θεὸς, "the God" (Strong's #2316), and ὁ͂παντοκρὰτωρ, "the Almighty" (Strong's #3841), are in apposition to Κὺριε, "Lord" (Strong's #2962), in the vocative case.

F2: Some manuscripts have ἐθνῶν, "nations" (Strong's #1484), and some have αἰὼνων, "ages" (Strong's #165).

F3: When the adjectives κακὸς (Strong's #2556) and πονηρὸς (Strong's #4190) are used together, they express the outward, physical condition (κακὸς = painful, hurtful) and the inward, spiritual condition (πονηρὸς = grievous).

F4: The Greek word ἕλκος (Strong's #1668) means an ulcer, sore, or boil. This is the same word used in the Septuagint for the boils with which God struck the Egyptians as recorded in Exodus 9:10-11, and the boils brought upon Job in Job 2:7.

F5: The preposition ἐν, "in" (Strong's #1722), used with the instrumental dative οἷς, "which" (Strong's #3739), is translated μὲ͂τὰ͂ὁποῖα, "with which."

F6: The preposition ἐν,"in" (Strong's #1722), used with the instrumental dative τῷ͂θεὶῳ, "the sulfur" (Strong's #2303), is translated μὲ͂τὸ͂θεῖον, "with sulfur."


F7: The preposition ἐν,"in" (Strong's #1722), used with the instrumental dative τῇ͂ῥομφαὶᾳ, "the sword" (Strong's #4501), is translated, μὲ͂τὴν͂ῥομφαὶαν, "with the sword."

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Meet the Author

Bill Klein has been a pastor, counselor, and educator for the past 41 years. He has had extensive training and education in biblical languages, and has authored a Biblical Greek course.

He is currently serving as Professor of Biblical Greek at Master's Graduate School of Divinity, and president of BTE Ministries - The Bible Translation and Exegesis Institute of America, a non-profit organization located in California that provides Bible study tapes and Greek study materials through their website BTEMinistries.org.