LIBERTY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

DEFINING WORDS OF WORSHIP

Submitted to Liberty Theological Semiary
I !artial "ul"illmet o" the
Re#uiremet$ "or com!letio o" the cour$e%
&RS' ()*
BIBLICAL +O,N-ATIONS +OR &ORSHI'
By
Chad Sta""ord
I-. ///0(1(/
Lychburg% 2A
3auary /4% /**1
The "ollo5ig i$ a 5ord $tudy "or 6ariou$ term$ o" 5or$hi! i the Old ad Ne5
Te$tamet$7 The "ir$t 5ord "or 85or$hi!9 I ha6e cho$e to e6aluate i$ shachah (Strongs
#7812)7 The 5ord i$ !roouced shaw-khaw. Thi$ i$ the mo$t commo Hebre5 5ord "or
5or$hi! i the Old Te$tamet7 Thi$ 5ord occur$ )4/ time$ i the Old Te$tamet7
The "ir$t time it i$ metioed i$ 5he the Hebre5 !atriarch Abraham looked up and saw
three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent
to meet them and bowed (shachah) low to the ground. (Genesis 1!"#$%&' The
a$$ociated meaig$ i Egli$h mea to bow, to prostrate oneself as before royalty, to
crouch, fall down flat, to humbly beseech, to make obeisance as before one who is
superior, to re(erence, to stoop as before a king, or worship. )rostrate, bow down, make
obeisance, re(erence, and worship are commo tra$latio$ o" the 5ord% but the mo$t
"re#uet Egli$h tra$latio i$ worship. The$e o" cour$e are !rimarily actio 5ord$ that
re#uire body mo6emet7 Thu$% 5or$hi! $eem$ to ot oly i6ol6e the i5ard attitude o"
the heart but al$o the out5ard actio o" the body7 Thi$ 5ould ha6e bee com!letely
uder$tadable to the aciet Hebre5 mid becau$e 5or$hi! 5a$ e6er 6ie5ed a$
duali$tic or $omethig to be em!loyed $e!arately by the body ad $oul% but rather the
body ad $oul e:!re$$ed 5or$hi! i !er"ect harmoy a$ ote$ o" a chord beig !layed
$imultaeou$ly; they 5ere ot $e!arate% but rather% !art$ o" the 5hole7 I the Old
Te$tamet% 5or$hi! i$ iheretly more tha a attitude or "eelig << it i$ a out5ard
e:!re$$io o" oe=$ ier attitude$ ad "eelig$7 A e:am!le o" thi$ 5ord i$ 5he the
'$almi$t ecourage$ the !eo!le to Ascribe to the *+,- the glory due his name.
worship the *+,- in the splendor of his holiness. ()salms "/!"#$%&'
Our Egli$h 5ord worship come$ "rom the )/
th
cetury Old Egli$h weorthscipe
5hich mea$ worthiness, respect, worthy, and worth 0ship7 (1erriam Webster2s 11
th
3ollegiate -ictionary'
Mo$t Commo Hebre5
&ord "or &or$hi!
Mo$t Commo
Egli$h Tra$latio "or Shachah
Shachah
Weorthscie
Bo5%
(Worshi)
Homage% Hoor%
Re6erece% Re$!ect%
&or$hi! Re6erece
&orth<$hi!
The $ecod 5ord I 5ould li>e to e6aluate "or 5or$hi! i$ "oud i the Ne5
Te$tamet7 It i$ oe o" the Gree> 5ord$ "or 5or$hi! called sebomai (Strongs
#4576?7 It i$ !roouced seb'-om-ahee 5hich 5a$ u$ed by 3e$u$ him$el" 5he he
re"erred o oe occa$io to the 6ai 5or$hi! o" the religiou$ @ealot$ 5ho hoored
God !ublicly 5ith their li!$ but their heart$ 5ere !ri6ately "ar "rom Him7 The 5ord
sebomai mea$ to adore, re(ere, and worship, especially as it relates to outwardly
de(out or religious worship. I thi$ i$tace% 3e$u$ 5a$ a$5erig the 'hari$ee$
cocerig their de6out "orm$ o" religiou$ 5or$hi! ad ho5 it 5a$ uacce!table to
God becau$e their heart$ 5ere di$tat ad lac>ig itegrity7 O aother occa$io%
'aul 5a$ accu$ed o" !er$uadig the church to 5or$hi! i 5ay$ that 6iolated the la57
45his man,4 they charged, 4is persuading the people to worship (sebomai' God in
ways contrary to the law.4 (Acts 1!16#$%&'
The third 5ord "or 5or$hi! I 5ould li>e to loo> at i$ al$o "oud i the Ne5
Te$tamet7 It i$ the Gree> 5ord latreo (Strongs #!"""). The 5ord i$ !roouced lat-
r#oo'-o 5hich mea$ to minister to or before God7 It carrie$ the meaig$ to ser(e,
render religious homage, do ser(ice, or worship. The em!ha$i$ i$ u!o $er6ice or
obediece7 There are t5ety !a$$age$ that tell o" mii$try to the Lord7 Sata u$ed thi$
5ord agai$t 3e$u$ i the 5ildere$$ 5he he tried to tem!t 3e$u$ to 5or$hi! Him7
3e$u$ "irmly re!lied to Sata=$ tem!tatio 5ith the 5ord$% 4%t is written! 7Worship the *ord
your God and ser(e (latreuo' him only.74 (*uke 8!#$%&' 3e$u$ i$ $tatig that a$ the Oe
5ho had come to $er6e Hi$ +ather=$ redem!ti6e 5ill u!o the earth% he 5ould aloe o""er
hi$ 5or$hi! ad obediece to God7 Oe o" the more "amou$ !a$$age$ o Ne5
Te$tamet 5or$hi! i$ "oud i 'aul=$ letter to the Roma$ 5here he $aid% 8 There"ore% I
urge you% brother$% i 6ie5 o" GodA$ mercy% to o""er your bodie$ a$ li6ig $acri"ice$% holy
ad !lea$ig to God<<thi$ i$ your $!iritual act o" 5or$hi!79 The 5ord "or 5or$hi! here i$
latreia BStrog$ ./CCC? 5hich !roouced i$ !at"ri#"ah7 Here it mea$
&or$hi! uto God through or a$ di6ie $er6ice or mii$try7
The "ourth ad mo$t commoly u$ed 5ord "or worship i the Ne5 Te$tamet i$
the Gree> 5ord proskneo (Strongs #4!5$). The 5ord i$ !roouced pros-koo-
neh'-o 5hich mea$ to kiss like a dog licking a master2s hand, to crouch or prostrate
oneself in homage, to re(erence, to adore in worship. The 5ord i$ a combiatio o" t5o
5ord$
$ros% meaig $to&ar'% ad $()neo% meaig $to (iss%* 5o kiss toward. It mea$ to
kiss the hand i admiratio7 &e $ee thi$ 5ord u$ed by the magi i re"erece to the Chri$t<
child 5he they came bearig gi"t$ ad "ollo5ig hi$ $tar i the ea$t7 ,!o arri6ig i
3eru$alem they a$>ed% D&here i$ the oe 5ho ha$ bee bor >ig o" the 3e5$E
&e $a5 hi$ $tar i the ea$t ad ha6e come to 5or$hi! (proskuneo' him7D &he Herod
heard o" thi$ he 5a$ greatly di$tre$$ed7 Agai% 5e $ee thi$ 5ord u$ed alog 5ith latreo
5he Sata tem!t$ 3e$u$ to bo5 do5 ad 5or$hi! Him7 Sata u$e$ the 5ord
prokneo 5he addre$$ig 3e$u$7 Sata 5a$ literally tryig to tem!t 3e$u$ to bo5%
re6erece% ad adore him li>e a dog lic>ig hi$ ma$ter=$ had7 Thi$ !ro6e$ that 5or$hi!
i$ ot oly im!ortat to God but to Sata% becau$e he >o5$ that our 5or$hi!
determie$ e6erythig7 O thi$ occa$io% 3e$u$ re!lie$ u$ig the t5o Ne5 Te$tamet
5ord$ "or 5or$hi! proskneo ad latreo 5he he $ay$% %t is written, Worship
(proskuneo' the *ord your God and ser(e (latreuo' him only. (*uke 8!9:#$%&' Here
3e$u$ coect$ 5or$hi! 5ith $er6ice or obediece Fu$t a$ the Torah% the '$alm$% ad the
go$!el$ clearly do7 3e$u$ >e5% a$ did Sata% that true 5or$hi! al5ay$ 5ill re$ult i
$er6ice ad obediece7 Thi$ i$ 5hy it 5a$ $o im!ortat to Sata that 3e$u$ "all do5 a$
a act o" $ubmi$$io ad 5or$hi! him7 &e become 5hat 5e 5or$hi! ad 5e $er6e that
5hich 5e 5or$hi!7 Thi$ i$ 5hat #uali"ie$ 5or$hi! a$ 8$!irit ad truth9 5or$hi!7
It i$ im!ortat to ote that i the Ne5 Te$tamet 5e $ee a more itimate coce!t o"
5or$hi! tha that o" the Old Te$tamet7 To dra5 ear or dra5 clo$e carrie$ the idea o"
i6itatio% itimacy% ad acce!taceGbut ot 5ithout the re6erece ad re$!ect a$ 5e $ee i
the meaig o" proskneo. The Old Te$tamet demo$trate$ a more di$tat 5or$hi! 5ith
God=$ !re$ece o"" limit$ to the !eo!le7 Thi$ di$tace "actor i$ "urther demo$trated by the
may rite$ ad regulatio$ a$$ociated 5ith tem!le 5or$hi! ad $acri"ice% 5hile the Ne5
Te$tamet demo$trate$ a more itimate 5or$hi! 5ith the i6itatio to all to come boldly%
re6eretly% ad clo$ely ito the Holy o" holie$ through 3e$u$ Chri$t% the Great High 'rie$t%
5ho ha$ o!eed u! a e5 ad li6ig 5ay by the 8oce ad "or all9 $acri"ice
he !ro6ided 5ith hi$ o5 blood7 There are may !a$$age$ o a!!roachig or
a!!earig be"ore the Lord7 &or$hi! i6ol6e$ dra5ig ear or comig clo$e to God7
The taberacle or tet o" meetig i the Old Te$tamet literally mea$ 8tet o"
a!!oitmet9 or 8rede@6ou$ tet97 So 5e $ee e6e i the 8di$tat9 model o" Old
Te$tamet tem!le 5or$hi! that 5or$hi! i$ $till about meetig 5ith God% although% the
reality ad "ul"illmet o" the $hado5 ad ty!e 5ould ot be ultimately "ul"illed util
Chri$t died ad ro$e agai gi6ig u$ cotiual acce$$ to God7
+ost
,o--on N. Gree( Wor's /or Worshi
Pros()neo
Se0o-ai 1atre)o
&or$hi!
&or$hi!
&or$hi!
Ad
Ad Ad
Adoratio
-e6otio Ser6ice
BRelatio$hi!?
BReligio? BRe6erece?
2i0!iograh3
Strog=$ E:hau$ti6e Cocordace o" the Bible7 &orld Bible 'ubli$her$% )C1*% )C1H7