Worship Study
Webster’s: WORSHIP- <OE Weorthscipe, honor, worship; (see worth and –ship)
1a) a reverence or devotion for a deity; religious homage or veneration b) a church service or other rites showing this. 2) extreme devotion or intense love or admiration of anykind.
H7812- saha- to bow down; to weigh down; cause to bow.
This word has been translated into 20 different words in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Some places where the word was obviously NOT used of worshipping Yahweh is… Genesis 33:4-7: Ruth 2:10-11; 2 Samuel 14:22; 1 Chronicles 21:21. These are all examples of the word saha being used in a way to show a human bowing to another human, in respect.
From Hebrew to Greek, it can be challenging to find direct links between the words. But we have a perfect link between the Hebrew word saha and the Greek word proskyneo, which is G4352 and means: to worship, pay homage, show reverence; to kneel down.
Hebrews 11:21: “By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, bowed in reverence, as he leant of his staff.” Here we see that the Greek is quoting the Hebrew and proskyneo was the best fit for saha.
Why does this matter you may ask? It matters because saha was used to show reverence for a Creator and people. So is the word proskyneo! Let me show you some examples that you can investigate.
Matthew 2:1-6 First we see in verse 1 that Yahoshua had been “BORN”. In verse 2, we see the WISE MEN looking for whom??? “THE KING OF THE JUDEANS” and, as their king, they came to pay him PROSKYNEO/homage. Verse 6 sums it all up with harmony by quoting Micah 5:1, “…from you will come a leader who will shepherd MY people Israel.”
These men whom the book of Matthew calls “wise,” tells us exactly how it is. They came to pay reverence to their King that was prophesied. The one that was to lead Yahweh’s people Israel. This is not worshipping Yahweh. This is not worshipping the Son of Yahweh as Yahweh himself. There is not a hint at all of such a suggestion.
Matthew 20:20-23 In verse 20 we see that Zebedee's wife came up and proskyneo Yahoshua. Verse 21 shows us that she is acknowledging Yahoshua will have a Kingdom. She asks if her sons can sit by him. If she thought he were Yahweh Elohim, I would wonder where her brains were in asking such a question! But I see no inclination in any way that she though he was Yahweh Elohim. Yahoshua is her leader, her King. Verse 23 makes it all very clear once again. We see that Yahoshua himself does not say who sits where, but his Father (Yahweh) does this!
Now I am going to show you a Greek word that means, to serve, minister (in religious duties). It is G3000, latreuo. This word is ONLY USED in referring to YAHWEH! It has been used for the words: serve, served, worship, service, serving and worshipper. Not one time is this word latreuo used for anyone else, but Father Yahweh, the One and Only Creator. Let me show you some examples:
Matthew 4:10 and Luke 4:8 are the same in context. The first word “homage” is “proskyneo”, the word “serve” is latreuo. Yahoshua was not willing to make Satan his Mighty One. He say only Yahweh is to be, latreuo.
Romans 1:9 Says that Shaul latreuo Yahweh, by preaching the gospel of Yahoshua!
Acts 24:14-16 Very clear whom Shaul is showing latreuo for. Whom he gives his religious duties to.
Adding another point.....
Invisible G517 aoratos- invisible, not seen
1 Timothy 1:17 “To the eternal King, the undying, invisible and only Elohim, be honor and glory for ever and ever.”
1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is only one God, and there is only one mediator BETWEEN God and humanity, himself a human being, Messiah Yahoshua,”
1 Timothy 6:15-16 “who at the due time will be revealed by Yahweh, the blessed and ONLY Ruler of all, the King of kings and the Master of masters, who ALONE is immortal, whose home is in INACCESSIBLE LIGHT, whom NO human being has seen or is ABLE to see: to him be honor and everlasting power. SO IT IS!”
Remember folks, Shaul has seen and spoken to Yahoshua on the road to Damascus. Shaul knows that Yahweh cannot be seen by us. He didn’t claim to see him!
Romans 1:20-25 “ever since the creation of the world, the INVISIBLE/AORATOS existence of Yahweh and his everlasting power have been clearly seen by the mind’s understanding of created things. And so these people have NO EXCUSE: they knew Yahweh and yet did not honor HIM as CREATOR or give thanks to HIM, but their arguments became futile and their uncomprehending minds were darkened. While they claimed to be wise, in fact they were growing so stupid that they exchanged the glory of the IMMORTAL(CAN’T KILL HIM ON THE CROSS!) ELOHIM FOR AN IMITATION, FOR THE IMAGE OF A MORTAL HUMAN BEING, OR OF BIRDS, OR ANIMALS OR CRAWLING THINGS. That is why Yahweh abandoned them in their inmost cravings to filthy practices of dishonoring their own bodies- BECAUSE THEY EXCHANGED YAHWEH’S TRUTH FOR A LIE AND HAVE WORSHIPPED AND SERVED (G3000 LATREUO)THE CREATURE INSTEAD OF THE CREATOR, WHO IS BLESSED FOR EVER. SO IT IS!”
1 John 5:20-21
“WE ARE WELL AWARE THAT THE SON OF YAHWEH HAS COME AND HAS GIVEN US UNDERSTANDING SO THAT WE MAY KNOW THE ONE WHO IS TRUE.
WE ARE IN THE ONE WHO IS TRUE AS WE ARE IN HIS SON, YAHOSHUA MESSIAH. HE (YAHWEH) IS THE TRUE ELOHIM AND THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE.
CHILDREN, BE ON YOUR GUARD AGAINST FALSE ELOHIMS.”
This summary I hope is a good start to see why it is important to know the true meanings on the words and how they were used- to show us the TRUTH!
There are many other words used in the N.T. for "worship." Looking into those, and marking your Bibles even, may be a good idea, for even further understanding of what the writers were trying to express. Shalom~