προσκυνητής (G4353) — Greek Lexicon

προσκυνητής

proskynētḗs

G4353 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

One who performs an act of prostration or homage; specifically, a participant in ritual or ceremonial veneration, especially through gestures such as bowing or kneeling. The term connotes not merely 'worshipper' but one who physically expresses reverence, whether toward a deity, a sovereign, or another figure of high status. In some contexts, it may indicate someone engaged in honoring a divine being according to the forms prescribed by cultic practice.

Semantic Range

one who prostrates or bows in homage, one who participates in ritual veneration, worshipper in the sense of outward act, venerator, participant in cultic worship, one who shows ceremonial respect

Root / Etymology

Derived from προσκυνέω (proskynéō, 'to prostrate oneself, to do obeisance, to pay homage'), itself formed from πρός ('toward') and κυνέω (an Ionic form of κυνέω, 'to kiss')—the original idea being the act of 'blowing a kiss' or 'kissing toward,' which developed into the notion of bowing or kneeling in reverence.

Historical & Contextual Notes

προσκυνητής is a rare term, attested primarily in Koine sources such as the New Testament (e.g., John 4:23) and is based on the verb προσκυνέω, which in classical and Hellenistic Greek refers to acts of physical prostration or respectful salutation before a god or a dignitary. This noun does not appear in classical Attic literature and is primarily a term of later Hellenistic and Koine usage. In the context of the New Testament, especially in John, it is used to characterize those who engage in worship defined by manner or intent (e.g., 'true worshippers'). In the Septuagint and New Testament settings, προσκυνητής carries the idea of public or cultic acts of reverence, contrasting with terms denoting worship as inner devotion or religious adherence per se. Standard English translations render προσκυνητής as 'worshipper,' which captures only part of its nuance, as the term fundamentally involves physical expressions of honor, not merely inward devotion. In Greco-Roman and Mediterranean contexts, the verb and its derivatives could refer to gestures toward gods, kings, or humans of status, not only deity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from προσκυνέω; an adorer:--worshipper.

Root Family

προσκυν- (proskynéō) — to prostrate oneself, to bow, to kneel, to do obeisance

Root προσκυν- to prostrate oneself, to show reverence, to do obeisance

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
G4352	προσκυνέω	was bowing down

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G4353-01`	προσκυνηταὶ	proskunetai	`N NOM M PL`	worshipers	prostrating reverers	prostrating reverers	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G4353-01`	John 4:23	προσκυνηταὶ	proskunetai	`N NOM M PL`	worshipers	prostrating reverers	prostrating reverers

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