Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse uses three distinct Hebrew words to describe escalating acts of adoration: "worship" (prostration), "bow down" (kneeling with legs bent), and "kneel" (setting the knees to the ground). This isn't just about different ways to pray; it's a call to express the deepest possible humility and submission before the One who made us, emphasizing our utter dependence on Him.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalm opens with a jubilant invitation to approach God with singing and shouting for joy, emphasizing His greatness and sovereignty as King over all. This verse immediately follows that call to worship, presenting specific actions of humble adoration like prostrating oneself, bowing down, and kneeling before the Lord, underscoring the profound reverence due to Him as their Creator. The psalm then pivots, warning against hardening their hearts as their ancestors did at Meribah and Massah, urging them instead to listen to God's voice today.
Notice how the psalm uses three different Hebrew words to describe worship. What does this tell us about how we can approach God?
This verse isn't just a casual suggestion for worship; it's a powerful invitation to express profound reverence. The original Hebrew uses three distinct verbs:
Together, these words paint a picture of worship that involves our whole being – a complete yielding of our bodies and spirits to the One who made us.
Why does the psalm immediately remind us that God is our 'Maker'? How does this truth shape our worship?
The reason given for this deep worship is powerful: 'the LORD, our Maker!' This isn't just a title; it's the foundation for our response.
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Understand the original words
chavah · Hebrew Verb
To bow down, prostrate oneself, or show supreme reverence. It signifies an act of total submission and recognition of God’s absolute sovereignty and worthiness.
kara' · Hebrew Verb
To sink, collapse, or humble oneself. It physically represents the spiritual posture of humility before the greatness of God.
barak · Hebrew Verb
To bend the knee in reverence or supplication. It serves as an external sign of obedience and acknowledgement of God as the rightful authority.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The proper name of the God of Israel (Yahweh). It denotes the self-existent, covenant-keeping God who revealed Himself to Moses and His people.
asah · Hebrew Verb (Participle)
The One who created, fashioned, or produced. In a biblical context, it affirms God as the architect of all existence and the personal creator of His people.
This passage shows Abram prostrating himself before God in response to a divine promise, highlighting the act of worship as a response to God's covenantal word.
Exodus 34:8Moses immediately falls to his knees and worships after God reveals His character, demonstrating a spontaneous and profound reverence in the face of divine presence.
Daniel 6:10Daniel's consistent practice of kneeling and praying towards Jerusalem, even under threat, exemplifies habitual, dedicated worship that prioritizes God.
Luke 22:41Jesus Himself knelt to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, showing that even divine figures engage in postures of submission and petition before the Father.
Philippians 2:10This verse speaks of the ultimate worship where every knee will bow to Jesus, echoing the physical posture of reverence described in Psalms 95 and pointing to its universal significance.
clarkePsalms 95:6: "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."
O come, let us worship - Three distinct words are used here to express three different acts of adoration: 1. Let us worship, נשתחוה nishtachaveh, let us prostrate ourselves; the highest act of adoration by which the supremacy of God is acknowledged. 2. Let us bow down, נכרעה nichraah, let us crouch or cower down, bending the legs under, as a dog in the presence of his master, which solicitously waits t…
bensonPsalms 95:6: "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."
Psalm 95:6 . O come, let us worship and bow down — Let us not be backward, then, to comply with this invitation; but let us all, with the lowest prostrations, devoutly adore this great and glorious Being. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker — With humble reverence, and a holy awe of him; as becomes those who know what an infinite distance there is between us and him, how much we are in danger of his w…
The verse uses three distinct Hebrew words to describe escalating acts of adoration: "worship" (prostration), "bow down" (kneeling with legs bent), and "kneel" (setting the knees to the ground). This isn't just about different ways to pray; it's a call to express the deepest possible humility and submission before the One who made us, emphasizing our utter dependence on Him.
The psalm opens with a jubilant invitation to approach God with singing and shouting for joy, emphasizing His greatness and sovereignty as King over all. This verse immediately follows that call to worship, presenting specific actions of humble adoration like prostrating oneself, bowing down, and kneeling before the Lord, underscoring the profound reverence due to Him as their Creator. The psalm then pivots, warning against hardening their hearts as their ancestors did at Meribah and Massah, urging them instead to listen to God's voice today.
The psalm opens with a jubilant invitation to approach God with singing and shouting for joy, emphasizing His greatness and sovereignty as King over all. This verse immediately follows that call to worship, presenting specific actions of humble adoration like prostrating oneself, bowing down, and kneeling before the Lord, underscoring the profound reverence due to Him as their Creator. The psalm then pivots, warning against hardening their hearts as their ancestors did at Meribah and Massah, urging them instead to listen to God's voice today.
"Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!" — The verse uses three distinct Hebrew words to describe escalating acts of adoration: "worship" (prostration), "bow down" (kneeling with legs bent), and "kneel" (setting the knees to the ground). This…
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Last reviewed October 2026