Shakhah & Qadad: BOWING DOWN to Worship

WORSHIP: to bow down- shakhah (Strong’s 7812); see also qadad– to bow down (Strong’s 6915)

Root: שָׁחָה Root: קָדַד

Sounds like: shaw’khah & kaw’dad

If you were asked to define the word “worship”, what would you say? For most of us, we tend to associate worship with the adoration of a deity. For those of us from a Messianic and/or Christian perspective, with great respect and reverence and love, we worship YHWH.

But the word translated as “worship” in the Hebrew Bible comes from, mainly, two words that mean “to bow down”:  shakhah and qadad,  These words do not always mean worship (how we understand the word). In Isaiah 51 we read about tormenters who say, “Bow down [sh’khi שְׁחִ֣י] so that we may walk over you” (Isaiah 51:23). This has nothing to do with worship.

A Sign of Respect

However, for the most part, bowing down is used as a physical sign of great respect. For example:

• Abraham bowed down to the Canaanite people who gave him land to bury his recently deceased wife, Sarah (Genesis 23:7, 12)
• Jacob and his family bowed down to Esau (Genesis 33:3-7)
• Moses bowed down in front of his father-in-law (Exodus 18:7)
• Ruth bowed down to Boaz (Ruth 2:10)
• David bowed 3x in front of Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:41)
• David bowed down to king Saul (1 Samuel 24:8)
• Abigail and Bathsheba bowed to David (1 Samuel 25:23, 41 & 1 Kings 1:16, 31)
• Saul bowed down to the apparition of Samuel (1 Samuel 28:14)
• Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, bowed twice before David (2 Samuel 9:6-8)
• Nathan bowed before David (1 Kings 1:23)
• King Solomon bowed down before his mother,  Bathsheba (1 Kings 2:19 )
• The prophets of Jericho bowed to Elisha (2 Kings 2:15)
• The Shunammite woman bowed to Elisha (2 Kings 4:37)
• The king’s servants bowed down to Haman, but Mordecai refused to bow down to him (Esther 3:2-5)

Again, bowing down was not worship in the sense of an outpouring of love towards a diety; when it came to human interaction, it was simply a sign of deep respect and honour… (or lack of respect if you refused to bow down).

Bowing Down to Joseph; Bowing Down to Judah

To bow down to someone was to raise them up as esteemed and honoured people. It’s no wonder that Joseph’s brothers got upset when he shared his dreams:

Genesis 37:5-11

Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have had; for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf stood up and also remained standing; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down [wa-ti-sh’ta’khawena וַתִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖יןָ] to my sheaf.” 

Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

Then he had yet another dream, and informed his brothers of it, and said, “Behold, I have had yet another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down [mi-sh’ta’khawim מִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִ֖ים] to me.” He also told it to his father as well as to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have had? Am I and your mother and your brothers actually going to come to bow down to the ground before you?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Why would the brothers show their younger sibling that kind of esteemed respect? In their jealousy they overreacted and sold Joseph to slave brokers. Out of this betrayal, Joseph was sent to Egypt, but God had bigger plans for Joseph, and over time he worked his way up from slavery to royal administration. Remarkably, Joseph became Pharaoh’s chief advisor. 

Bowing down is a theme in Joseph’s story. His earlier dreams, of his brothers bowing down to him, had been prophetic. A terrible famine struck the land and, as a result, Joseph’s brothers headed to Egypt to beg for food:

Genesis 42:6-8

Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down [wai-sh’ta’khawu וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ] to him with their faces to the ground. 7When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. He said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him.

At their next meeting the brothers bowed down to Joseph two more times (although they still did not recognize him):

Genesis 43:26-31

When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the gift which was in their hand, and they bowed down [wai-sh’ta’khawu וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ]to the ground before him. Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, “Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” And they said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” Then they bowed down [wai-q’du וַֽיִּקְּד֖וּ] again in homage [wai-sh’ta’khawuwu וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּֽוּ]. And as he raised his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” Joseph then hurried out, for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he looked for a place to weep; so he entered his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out; and he controlled himself and said, “Serve the meal.”

Finally it was revealed that Joseph was their brother, and the remarkable story of forgiveness was revealed. Joseph saved his family from starvation and the family was reunited with genuine forgiveness and love. Joseph’s father was finally able to bless Joseph’s two sons before he died, and at this moment the tables were turned and Joseph bowed down to his father:

Genesis 48:8-14

When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, so that I may bless them.” Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. And Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well!” Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed [wai-sh’takhu וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ] with his face to the ground. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and placed it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.

In a reversal of the typical order, Joseph’s first born would not receive the first born blessing. Each of Israel’s sons would be the figurehead of the tribes of Israel, but Joseph would receive a double blessing. Although there would be no tribe of Joseph, instead there would be two tribes named after his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. But in Jacob’s prophecy about his sons/grandsons, it would be Judah (Jacob’s forth-born son) who all the tribes would, one day, bow down to:

Genesis 49:8, 10

“As for you, Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down [yi-sh’takhawuwu יִשְׁתַּחֲוּ֥וּ] to you… The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”

This was a Messianic prophecy. From the line of Judah would come the Anointed One and all the tribal brothers would bow down to Him. All the brothers had to humbly bow down to Joseph, but in the future all the brothers and sisters of Israel would bow down to the One from the line of Judah. 

The genealogies in Matthew and Luke make it clear that Yeshua (Jesus) was from the tribe of Judah, and he spoke about the concept of worship. To the Samaritan woman at the well, Yeshua said:

John 4:23-25

“But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I am He, the One speaking to you.”

Bowing down was also a theme in Yeshua’s life:

• When Yeshua was born, the Magi fell down and worshipped Him (Matt 2:11).
• The Adversary (ha-Satan) tried to test Yeshua by showing Him the kingdoms and saying, “all this I will give to you if you fall down and worship me” (Matt 4:9)
• When the demon possessed man, known as Legion (“for we are many”) saw Yeshua, he ran and fell down on his knees before Him (Mark 5:6)
• The woman who had bled for twelve years and touched Yeshua’s cloak for healing, bowed down to Him when He called her out. He called her “daughter” (Luke 8:47, Mark 5:33)
• James and John’s mother came to Yeshua and bowed before Him, asking that her sons have special privilege in God’s throne room (Matthew 20:20)
• Yeshua bowed down and prayed, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:41-42)
• Before His crucifixion the Roman soldiers mocked Yeshua and “knelt down and bowed before Him” (Mark 15:19, Matt 27:29)
• When the women saw the empty tomb and the two angelic beings, they bowed their faces to the ground and the angels said, “Why are you seeking the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen.” (Luke 24:5b-6a)

Bowing Down to members of YHWH’s Divine Family

The women at the Yeshua’s tomb bowed down to the angels. They weren’t worshipping them, they were showing great respect and awe. We see this throughout the Tanakh (Old Testament).

The first instance of shakhah in the Bible is found in Genesis 18. YHWH appeared to Abraham, but when Abraham looked up he saw three “men” and he went to them and bowed down:

Genesis 18:1-3

Now YHWH appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. When he raised his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down [wai-sh’takhu וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ] to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if now I have found favour in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by.” 

Abraham recognized these beings as divine members of God’s team and he gave them the respect they were due.

Abraham’s nephew, Lot, also bowed down to angelic beings:

Genesis 19:1

Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he stood up to meet them and bowed down [wai-sh’takhu וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ] with his face to the ground.

Later in the Bible Joshua bowed down to the captain of YHWH’s army:

Joshua 5:13-15

Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, he raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” He said, “No; rather I have come now as captain of the army of YHWH.” And Joshua fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down [wai-sh’takhu וַיִּשְׁתָּ֔חוּ], and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?” And the captain of YHWH’s army said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Balaam, prophet to Balak, king of Moab, saw the Angel of YHWH standing with a sword as an adversary against him, and he bowed down:

Numbers 22:31

Then YHWH opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of YHWH standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground. (NASB)

In this passage both of today’s words are used: shakhah and qadad. Literally the passage reads: 

And he bowed [wai-yiq’qohd וַיִּקֹּ֥ד], and bowed down [wai-sh’takhu וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ] on his nose [l-appaw לְאַפָּֽיו].

This, of course, is awkward in English. More popular translations read:

• Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him. (NIV)

• and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. (NKJV)

• And Balaam bowed low and fell facedown. (BSB)

• And he bowed down and fell on his face. (ESV)

• and he worshipped him falling flat on the ground.(DRB)

None of these examples use “nose” because falling on one’s nose sounds perplexing and painful. But at the time, falling on your nose was the way to indicate what we term as falling on your face (which sounds equally painful, I might add!).  

Balaam recognized that he was dealing with a divine presence and, in shock and awe, he bowed low, touching his nose to the ground, out of great fear and reverence. YHWH was not his God; he was a Moabite prophet to a pagan king, but this interaction changed him, and from this point on he could only announce the words of YHWH. He did not worship YHWH, but Balaam was in awe of this shocking experience and showed his respect.

You Shall Not Bow Down to Pagan gods

In the Tanakh (Old Testament) one of the chief transgressions was bowing down to pagan gods. The Ten Commandments (“Sayings”) explicitly condemned idol worship:

Exodus 20:4-6

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship [bow down to: ti-sh’takhweh תִשְׁתַּחְוֶ֥֣ה] them nor serve them; for I, YHWH your God, am a jealous God, inflicting the punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing favour to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

Over and over this commandment was broken:

Exodus 32:7-8

Then YHWH spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have behaved corruptly. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a cast metal calf, and have worshiped [wai-sh’ta’khawu וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ] and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘This is your god, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’”

Numbers 25:1-3

While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to commit infidelity with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down [wai-sh’ta’khawuwu וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּ֖וּ] to their gods. So Israel became followers of Baal of Peor, and YHWH was angry with Israel.

Jeremiah 22:8-9

“Many nations will pass by this city; and they will say to one another, ‘Why has YHWH done this to this great city?’ Then they will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of YHWH their God and bowed down [wai-sh’ta’khawu וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֛וּ] other gods and served them.’”

Bowing down to pagan gods had great consequences:

2 Chronicles 7:19-22 (see also 1 Kings 9:6-9)

[YHWH:] “But if you turn away and abandon My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship [wai-sh’ta’khawu וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲו֥וּ] them, then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight; and I will make it a proverb and an object of scorn among all peoples.”

Deuteronomy 29:26-28 

And they went and served other gods and worshiped [wai-sh’ta’khawuwu וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּ֖וּ] them, gods that they have not known and whom He had not assigned to them. Therefore, the anger of YHWH burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book; and YHWH uprooted them from their land in anger, fury, and in great wrath, and hurled them into another land, as it is this day.’

Over and over they abandoned YHWH and bowed down to other gods, such as Baal (1 Kings 16:31, 1 Kings 22:52, 2 Kings 17:17, 2 Kings 21:3, 2 Chron 33:3), Ashtoreth (1 Kings 11:33), and the gods of the sons of Seir (2 Chronicles 25:14), to name a few.

But there was one foreigner, Namaan, who decided to reject the gods of his land and  follow YHWH instead, saying, “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.” But his job, as the king of Aram’s attendant, forced him to enter the temple of the god Rimmon.

2 Kings 5:17-19

Then Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant be given two mules’ load of earth; for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering nor a sacrifice to other gods, but to YHWH. Regarding this matter may YHWH forgive your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship [l-hi-sh’ta’khawot לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֨ת] there, and he leans on my hand and I bow down [w-hi-sh’ta’khaweti וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֵ֙יתִי֙] in the house of Rimmon, when I bow down [b-hi-sh’ta’khawayati בְּהִשְׁתַּחֲוָיָ֙תִי֙] in the house of Rimmon, may YHWH please forgive your servant in this matter.”  He [Elisha] said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went some distance from him.

We can be surrounded by idols and darkness but YHWH knows our heart. No matter where we stand, if we hold fast to YHWH and worship Him in heart, mind, and spirit, we will be safe. Namaan was forced to bow down to other gods, but his heart was with YHWH, and Elisha gave him his blessing.

Namaan is a beautiful example of a foreigner discovering the awesome and forgiving power of YHWH. In comparison, the violent Assyrian king Sennacharib rejected YHWH and worshipped the god Nisroch. Sennacharib tried to destroy Jerusalem, but YHWH protected the city and Sennacharib failed. Shortly afterwards he was murdered while he bowed down to Nisroch who had no power to save him.

Worship (Bow Down to) YHWH Alone

Many of the Psalms encourage us to bow down to YHWH alone:

Psalm 86:8-10

There is no one like You among the gods, Lord, nor are there any works like Yours. All nations whom You have made will come and bow down [w-yi-ta’khawu וְיִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ] before You, Lord, and they will glorify Your name. For You are great, and you do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.

Psalm 95:6-7

Come, let’s worship and bow down [ni-sh’ta’khaweh w-nikra’ah נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֣ה וְנִכְרָ֑עָה], let’s kneel before YHWH our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.

Psalm 138:1-2

I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing Your praises before the gods. I will bow down [esh’ta’khaweh אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֨ה] toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your mercy and Your truth; for You have made Your word great according to all Your name.

Psalm 5:7

But as for me, by Your abundant graciousness I will enter Your house, at Your holy temple I will bow [esh’ta’khaweh אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה] in reverence for You.

In the End all will Bow Down to YHWH

There are promises all over the Bible that tell us that, in the end, all will recognize and worship YHWH as the God of all gods:

Isaiah 27:13

It will come about also on that day that a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and bow down to YHWH [w-hi-sh’ta’khawu l-YHWH וְהִשְׁתַּחֲו֧וּ לַיהוָ֛ה] on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.

Isaiah 66:22-23

“For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I make, will endure before Me,” declares YHWH, “So will your descendants and your name endure. And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down [l-hi-sh’ta’khoht לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹ֥ת] before Me,” says YHWH.

God wanted to redeem the world and bring them into alignment with Him. Sin had separated YHWH from His people but He put a plan into place to break the curse of death and free the people through an Anointed One. In Isaiah 49 we read a conversation between YHWH and a divine “Servant” (honoured in YHWH’s sight): 

Isaiah 49:5-7

And now says YHWH, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (for I am honoured in the sight of YHWH, and My God is My strength), He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the protected ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

This is what YHWH, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, says to the despised One, to the One abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers:

“Kings will see and arise, princes will also bow down [w-yi-sh’ta’khawuwu וְיִֽשְׁתַּחֲוּ֑וּ], because of YHWH who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.”

This was God’s plan: the Messiah, the despised Holy Servant, would bring light to all nations so that the ends of the earth could experience God’s love and salvation. This was Yeshua’s mission. He lived and preached love, repentance and salvation. He showed what God’s Kingdom on earth should look like. He died to defeat death, so that we are no longer slaves to it.

Just before his death and resurrection.

Luke 7:36-39, 44-50

Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, and began kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner!”…

…And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss; but she has not stopped kissing My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” And He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” And then those who were reclining at the table with Him began saying to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

This is what real worship looks like. The woman bowed down to Yeshua’s feet and she bathed them with her tears, anointed them with priceless oil, and wiped them off with her hair. Without knowing it, she was symbolically preparing Yeshua for burial. She thought not of herself. She risked rejection in order to worship the man she knew could give her hope and salvation.

The Tanakh foreshadowed this event in the story of Abigail and David. David, the anointed king and ancestor of Yeshua, invited Abigail to be his wife. He actions showed her great respect for David:

1 Samuel 25:41

And she got up and bowed [wa-ti-sh’takhu וַתִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ] with her face to the ground, and said, “Behold, your slave is a servant to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” 

Yeshua, from the line of David, was the true King and it feels like we are hardly worthy to wash His feet. But His sacrifice means we are worthy to walk in His Kingdom because He redeemed us and set us free from the guilt of our sins.

It’s great to go to church or synagogue and sing and worship, but if your heart’s not in it, then you’re not actually worshipping God. You’re just reciting words without meaning. Maybe it’s time to set aside all the pomp and circumstance and just bow down.

Next week: Tidying up!