PROSKUNEW

Linda Gray shavedice at itexas.net
Tue Jun 8 18:21:23 EDT 1999


> So it seems to me, in light of the fact that the word "proskunew"
> refers to a very specific bodily posture, as I discussed the other day
> (BTW, I've now collected four pictures of these postures from old
> sources; again, if you want them, just email me)-- and in light of the
> fact that the word translates a hebrew word that also envisions the
> same posture, and not much else-- and in light of the fact that there
> is another word, even a technical term, that means "worship"--
> oughtn't we translate proskunew simply as "bow down" or, even better,
> "prostrate (oneself) before" and not as "worship" at all?  Especially
> since proskyneseis are made to all sorts of people without any
> implication of worshipping them at all, and may be made in a context
> of worship, but by no means necessarily.
> 
> Hebrews 1.6 is saying, "Let all the angels prostrate themselves before
> him." I leave it to you theologians to draw out the implications of that.

This actually makes more sense to me.  Why not just translate it "bow
down", it makes a lot of sense.  Now, if I were to make a translation, I
would render it PROSKUNEW as "bow down."

Mitchell Gray



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