---
title: Proskuneo — Same Word, Different Translation
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/proskuneo-worship-obeisance/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/proskuneo-worship-obeisance.md
type: argument
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
topics: [NWT Translation]
challenges: [The New World Translation Is the Most Accurate Bible, Jesus Is a Created Being]
verses: [Hebrews 1:6, Matthew 14:33, Revelation 5:13-14, Matthew 4:10, Philippians 2:10, Isaiah 45:23, Matthew 28:9, Matthew 28:17]
strength: Very Strong
tone: Good
attribution: James White / Rob Bowman
added: '2026-04-13'
last_reviewed: '2026-04-13'
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Proskuneo — Same Word, Different Translation

*Hebrews 1:6, Matthew 14:33, Revelation 5:14*

## Doorstep Question

> "The Greek word proskuneo appears about 60 times in the New Testament. When it's directed at God, your NWT translates it 'worship.' When it's directed at Jesus, it becomes 'do obeisance.' Why does the same Greek word get two different English words depending on who receives it?"

## JW Claim

Proskuneo has a range of meaning — it can mean worship or respectful
obeisance. Context determines the translation. When directed at Jehovah,
it means worship. When directed at Jesus or humans, it means a lesser
form of respect.

## Strategy

Show the inconsistency is theological, not linguistic. In Matthew 4:10, Jesus tells Satan, 'It is Jehovah your God you must worship [proskuneo], and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.' Then in Matthew 14:33, the disciples proskuneo Jesus after he walks on water — and the NWT renders it 'did obeisance.' Same word, same grammatical construction, different translation based entirely on Watchtower theology. Hebrews 1:6 is especially damaging: God commands the angels to proskuneo Jesus. If proskuneo to Jesus is mere obeisance, then God is commanding angels to give Jesus less honour than God himself receives. Yet Philippians 2:10 says every knee will bow at Jesus' name — and bowing of every knee in Isaiah 45:23 is directed to Jehovah. The NWT's translation choice reveals a theological decision masquerading as a linguistic one.

## Key Insight

The NWT translates proskuneo based on theology, not Greek. When it's for God, it's 'worship.' When it's for Jesus, it's downgraded to 'obeisance.' The Greek makes no such distinction.

## JW Responses & Counters

### Response 1

**JW says:** "Proskuneo literally means to bow down — it doesn't always mean worship."

**Counter:** Correct — the word can mean different things in different contexts. But the NWT doesn't decide by context; it decides by recipient. Every proskuneo to God = worship. Every proskuneo to Jesus = obeisance. That's not a contextual decision — it's a theological filter applied to the translation. An honest translation would use the same English word consistently and let the reader interpret the context.

### Response 2

**JW says:** "Even kings received proskuneo — it doesn't prove Jesus is God."

**Counter:** When humans receive proskuneo in the NT, it's a cultural greeting or act of respect — and the NWT correctly renders it 'did obeisance.' But when Jesus receives proskuneo after divine acts — walking on water (Matthew 14:33), after the resurrection (Matthew 28:9, 17), and by command of God to the angels (Hebrews 1:6) — the context is unmistakably worship. And the 2013 NWT quietly changed Hebrews 1:6 from 'do obeisance' to 'let all of God's angels do obeisance' — showing even the translation committee felt the pressure to obscure this verse.

### Response 3

**JW says:** "The NWT is consistent — it always renders proskuneo as 'obeisance' when directed at Jesus."

**Counter:** That IS the problem. Consistency in error is not a virtue. If you always translate a word differently based on who it applies to rather than what the word means, you're not translating — you're editorializing. No other major Bible translation makes this distinction. The NWT stands alone because it is translating theology, not Greek.

## What to Avoid

Don't argue that proskuneo always means worship — it doesn't. The point is that the NWT's decision is based on recipient, not context or grammar.

## Homework

Look up proskuneo in an interlinear — compare how it's rendered for God vs. Jesus across every occurrence. The pattern is 100% consistent with theology, not linguistics.

## Next Moves

- [The NWT's One-Way Mirror](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/nwt-unidirectional-bias.md)
- [Jesus Receives Worship](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/worship-of-jesus.md)