Quick Definition
προσκυνέω v. I worship
Strong's Definition
from 4314 and a probable derivative of 2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore)
KJV Usage: worship
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | κυνέω (kiss, plead)
53.56 · Religious Activities · Worship, Reverence
to prostrate oneself in worship, to bow down and worship, to worship to express by attitude and possibly by position one’s allegiance to and regard for deity
MAT 2:2 · MAT 2:8 · MAT 2:11 · MAT 4:9 · MAT 4:10 · MAT 14:33 · MAT 28:9 · MAT 28:17 · LUK 4:7 · LUK 4:8 · LUK 24:52 · JHN 4:20 · JHN 4:20 · JHN 4:21 · JHN 4:22 · JHN 4:22 · JHN 4:23 · JHN 4:23 · JHN 4:24 · JHN 4:24 · JHN 12:20 · ACT 7:43 · ACT 8:27 · ACT 24:11 · 1CO 14:25 · HEB 1:6 · HEB 11:21 · REV 4:10 · REV 5:14 · REV 7:11 · REV 9:20 · REV 11:1 · REV 11:16 · REV 13:4 · REV 13:4 · REV 13:8 · REV 13:12 · REV 13:15 · REV 14:7 · REV 14:9 · REV 14:11 · REV 15:4 · REV 16:2 · REV 19:4 · REV 19:10 · REV 19:10 · REV 19:20 · REV 20:4 · REV 22:8 · REV 22:9
17.21 · Stances and Events Related to Stances · Prostrate as an Act of Reverence or Supplication
to prostrate oneself before to prostrate oneself before someone as an act of reverence, fear, or supplication προσκυνέω[b] is semantically very complex in that it indicates not only a body position but also an attitude and activity of reverence or honor. In many contexts it is not necessary to specify both semantic elements, but one or the other may be selected depending upon what seems to be the focus of attention. For example, in MRK 15:19 one may either translate ‘they knelt before him and worshiped him in a mocking way’ or ‘they knelt before him and prostrated themselves before him.’
MAT 8:2 · MAT 9:18 · MAT 15:25 · MAT 18:26 · MAT 20:20 · MRK 5:6 · MRK 15:19 · JHN 9:38 · ACT 10:25 · REV 3:9
1 προσκυνέω[a] appears to differ somewhat in meaning from σέβομαισεβάζομαι, and εὐσεβέω[a] to worship (53.53) in emphasizing more the semantic component of position or attitude involved in worship. 2 προσκυνέω may involve the meaning of worship without reference to a prostrate position. For example, in HEB 11:21, προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ῥάβδου αὐτοῦ he leaned on the top of his walking stick and worshiped God, there is evidently no suggestion of a prostrate position, and this particular meaning of προσκυνέω is treated under Religious Activities (see 53.56).
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
προσ-κυνέω, -@; impf. προσεκύνουν ; fut. προσκυνήσω ; 1 aor. προσεκύνησα; fr. Aeschyl. and Hdt. down; Sept. very often for AINAWT (to prostrate one’s self) ; prop. to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence : Hdt. 1, 134; [ef. K. 1. Hermann, Gottesdienstl. Alterthiimer d. Griech. § 21; esp. Hoelemann, Die bibl. Gestalt. ἃ. Anbetung in his ‘ Bibelstudien’ i. 106 sqq.]; hence among the Orientals, esp. the Persians, fo fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence, [fo make a ‘salam’; Lat. veneror (Nep. Conon. 3, 3), adoro (Plin. h. n. 28, δ, 25; Suet. Vitell. 2); hence in the N. T. by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication. It is used a. of homage shown to men of superior rank: absol., Mt. xx. 20 (the Jewish high-priests are spoken of in Joseph. Ὁ. 7. 4,5, 2 as προσκυνούμενοι) ; πεσὼν ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας προσεκύνησεν, Acts x. 25; τινί (ace. to the usage of later writ.; οἵ. W. 36, 210 (197) ; [B. §131, 4]; Lob. ad Phryn. p. 463), Mt. 11. 2,8; viii. 25 ix. 18; xiv. 33; xv. 25; [xviii. 26]; xxviii. 9,17 [RG]; Mk. v. 6 [here WH Tr mre. have the ace.]; xv. 19; Jn. ix. 38; with πεσών preceding, Mt. 11. 11; ἵν. 9; ἐνώπιον τῶν ποδῶν twos, Rey. ili. 9; [it may perh. be mentioned that ἄκρον τῆς ῥάβδου αὐτοῦ, explaining it by the (Egyptian) custom of bowing upon the magistrate’s staff of office in taking an oath; ef. Chabas, Mélanges Egypt. II. i. p. 80 cf. p. 91 sq.; but see below]. b. of homage rendered to God and the ascended Christ, to heavenly beings, and to demons: absol. (our to worship) [cf. W. 593 (552)], Jn. iv. 20; xii. 20; Acts viii. 27; xxiv. 11; Heb. xi. 21 [ef. above]; Rev. xi. 1; πίπτειν καὶ προσκυνεῖν, Rev. v. 14; τινί, Jn. iv. 21,23; Acts vii.43; Heb.i.6; Rev. iv. 10; vii. 11; xi. 16; xiv. 7; xvi. 2; xix. 4, 20; xxii. 8sq.; Rev. xiii. 4 G L T Tr WH (twice [the 2d time WH txt. only]); xiii. 15 GT Tr WHtxt.; xx. 4 Rec.; πεσὼν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον προσκυνήσει τῷ θεῷ, 1 Co. xiv. 25; πίπτειν ἐπὶ τὰ πρόσωπα καὶ προσκυνεῖν τῷ θεῷ, Rev. xi. 16; preceded by πίπτειν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ποδῶν τινος, Rev. xix.10. in accordance with the usage of the older and better writ. with τινά or τί (cf. Matthiae § 412): Mt.iv. 10; Lk. iv. 8; Rev. ix. 20; xiii. 12; xiv. 9,11; also xiii. 4 (Rec. twice; [WH mrg. once]), 8 [where Ree. dat.], 15 RL WH mrg.; xx. 4" (where Ree. dat.), 4
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
προσκυνέω proskyneō 60x
to do reverence or homage by kissing the hand; in NT to do reverence or homage by prostration, Mt. 2:2, 8, 11; 20:20; Lk. 4:7; 24:52; to pay divine homage, worship, adore, Mt. 4:10; Jn. 4:20, 21; Heb. 1:6; to bow one’s self in adoration, Heb. 11:21
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
προσ-κυνέω, -ῶ
(< κυνέω, to kiss), [in LXX chiefly for שׁחה hith.;]
to make obeisance, do reverence to, worship; prop. (as in cl., of the gods: Hdt., Æsch., Plat., al.), of God, Christ and supra-mundane beings: absol., Jo 4:20 12:20, Ac 8:27 24:11, He 11:21 (Westc., in l.), Re 11:1; πίπτειν καὶ π., Re 5:14; c. dat. (of the significance of this constr. as compared with the usual cl., c. acc., v. Abbott, JG, 78 f.; JV, 133 ff.), Jo 4:21, 23, Ac 7:43, I Co 14:25, He 1:6, Re 4:10 7:11 11:16 13:4, 15 14:7 16:2 19:4, 10, 20 22:8, 9; c. acc. (v. supr.), Mt 4:10, Lk 4:8 24:52 (WH, R, mg., om.), Jo 4:22, 24, Re 9:20 13:4, 8, 12 14:9, 11 20:4; seq. ἐπώπιον, Lk 4:7, Re 15:4;
as in cl., of homage to human superiors (cf. MM, xxi): absol., Mt 20:20, Ac 10:25; c. dat. (v. supr.), Mt 2:2, 8 8:2 9:18 14:33 15:25 18:26 28:9, Mk 15:19, Jo 9:38; πεσὼν π., Mt 2:11 4:9; ἐνώπιον τ. ποδῶν, Re 3:9; c. acc., Mk 5:6 (dat. T).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
προσκυνέω, “do obeisance ἴο,᾿᾿ “‘ worship,” used generally of a god, as P Flor III. 332" (i/ia.D.) καὶ οὔϊτε ἐλουσάμην [οὔ]τε προσεκύνησα θεοὺς φοβουμένη σου Td μετέωρον. In Ptolemaic inscrr. the verb is construed with the acc., never the dat., as often in the NT (see Proleg., p. 64), e.g. OG/S 184° (i/B.C.) προσκεκύνηκα τὴν μεγίστην θεὰν κυρίαν Σώτειραν Ἶσιν. P Giss I. 115 (a.p. 118) (= Chrest. I. p. 527) ἐπ--εξὶ ἐγὼ ob πάρειμει προσκυνῆσαί σε τὸν τιμιώτατον, 20. 171} (a slave to her master—time of Hadrian) (= Chres¢. I. p. 566) ὥφελον ci ἐδυνάμεθα πέτασθαι καὶ ἐλθεῖν kal προσκυνῆσαί σε, BGU II. 42315 (ii/a.pD.) (= Selections, p. 91) ἵνα σου προσκυνήσω τὴν Xépay, and P Tebt II. 286%% (a.p. 121-
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
προσκυνέω (proskuneō) — to worship. προσκῠν-έω, future -ήσω[Refs 6th c.BC+]: aorist προσεκύνησα [Refs 5th c.BC+], infinitive -κύσαι [Refs], participle -κύσας [Refs]: perfect -κεκύνηκα[LXX+1st c.BC+]:—passive, present infinitive προσκυνεῖσθαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist προσεκυνήθην [Refs 2nd c.AD+]:— make obeisance to the gods or their images, fall down and worship, with accusative, [Refs 5th c.BC+], of deprecating the wrath of Nemesis, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of sacred places, do reverence to, πατρῷα ἕδη θεῶν [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. especially of the Oriental fashion of prostrating oneself before kings and superiors, absolutely, [Refs 5th c.BC+] make obeisance to him, [Refs]; προσκυνεῖν διδάσκονται τὸν βασιλέα [οἱ ἐλέφαντες] [Refs 4th c.BC+]; προσπίπτων π. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; προσκυνῶ σ᾽, ἄναξ, προσπίτνων [LXX+5th c.BC+]; οὐδένα ἄνθρωπον δεσπότην ἀλλὰ τοὺς θεοὺς π. [NT+5th c.BC+]. (Orig. perhaps throw a kiss to the god,[Refs 4th c.AD+]
II. later, kiss, σοῦ -ήσω τὴν χεῖρα [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; τὸ πρόσωπον, τὴν ὄψιν, τοὺς πόδας, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II.2. greet, σπουδάζουσα -ῆσαί σε (by letter) [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἵνα ὑμᾶς -ήσω διὰ πολλοῦ χρόνου [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II.3. welcome respectfully, respect, προσεκύνησά σου τὰ γράμματα [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; τὴν θείαν ἀντιγραφὴν ὑπὸ πάντων προσκυνουμένην [Refs 3rd c.AD+]