Veneration of the Saints: A Biblical Outline Pt. 1

Taken from original article written by Sam Shamoun

In this post I will quote the verses where individuals receive reverence, obeisance, relative worship etc., with God’s express approval. Here I will focus on all the places where the Hebrew “שָׁחָה” (shachah) and the Greek “προσκυνέω” (proskuneo) words are employed, which are the very terms used in relation to the worship given to God:

The God-breathed Scripture exhorts believers to worship (shachah) and serve (avad) the true God alone:

“To this day they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment which the LORD had commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel, with whom the LORD had made a covenant and charged them, saying: ‘You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down (tishtachawu) to them nor serve them (ta’abdum) nor sacrifice to them; but the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship (tishtachawu), and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. But the LORD you God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies’” - 2 Kings 17: 34-39

And yet, as I will show, these are the very same terms which the Holy Bible uses to describe the veneration which people rendered unto individuals of importance, authority, and/or whom God had highly exalted and honored.

For instance, the following passage is an interesting example since it depicts Israel worshiping both God and David the king together, without God or the king rebuking them for doing so:

“And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their head, and worshipped the LORD, AND the king.” - 1 Chronicles 29: 20 Authorized King James Version (AKJV)

Here are other cases where David was “worshipped” by his subjects:

“Now Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, so Araunah went out and bowed before the king with his face to the ground.” - 2 Samuel 24: 20

“So David came to Ornan, and Ornan looked and saw David. And he went out from the threshing floor, and bowed before David with his face to the ground.” - 1 Chronicles 21: 21

We even have a case where a prophet was venerated after his death when his disembodied spirit appeared to the wicked king Saul to rebuke him!

“And the king said to her, ‘Do not be afraid. What did you see?’ And the woman said to Saul, ‘I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.’ So he said to her, ‘What is his form?’ And she said, ‘An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.’ And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.” - 1 Samuel 28: 13-14

With the foregoing in view I now quote all the relevant places where men or women of importance were venerated with God’s approval:

“Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth… Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land;” - Genesis 23: 7,12

“And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled of his clothing, and blessed him and said: ‘Surely, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field Which the LORD has blessed. Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over you brethren, And let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!’ Now it happened, as soon as Isaac has finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.” - Genesis 27: 27-30

“Now Jacob lifted his eye looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maid servants. And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. The he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, ‘Who are these with you?’ So he said, ‘The children whom God has graciously given your servant.’ Then the maidservant came near, they and their children, and bowed down. And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down.” - Genesis 33: 1-7

“Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, ‘Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed you sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.’ And his brothers said to him, ‘Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?’ So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said ‘Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, and the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.’ So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, ‘What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?’ And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.” - Genesis 37: 5-11

“Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth.” - Genesis 42: 6

“And Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth. Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, ‘is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? is he still alive?’ And they answered, ‘Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.’ And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.” - Genesis 43: 26-28

“Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall prise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you.” - Genesis 49: 8

“So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, ‘Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?’” - Ruth 2: 10

“Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, ‘Go, carry them to the city.’ As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the sound, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed on another; and they wept together, but David more so.” - 1 Samuel 20: 40-41

“David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, saying, ‘My lord the king!’ And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down.” - 1 Samuel 24: 8