9:38

did obeisance to him: Or “bowed down to him; prostrated himself to him; paid him homage.” When the Greek verb pro·sky·neʹo is used to refer to the rendering of worship to a god or a deity, it is translated “to worship.” (Mt 4:10; Lu 4:8) In this context, however, the healed man, who was born blind, recognized Jesus as God’s representative and did obeisance to him. He viewed him, not as God or a deity, but as the foretold “Son of man,” the Messiah with divine authority. (Joh 9:35) When he bowed down to Jesus, he apparently did so in a way similar to that of people mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures. They bowed down when meeting prophets, kings, or other representatives of God. (1Sa 25:23, 24; 2Sa 14:4-7; 1Ki 1:16; 2Ki 4:36, 37) On many occasions, the obeisance done to Jesus expressed a gratitude for divine revelation or recognition of divine favor like that expressed in earlier times.​—Mt 14:32, 33; 28:5-10, 16-18; Lu 24:50-52; see also study notes on Mt 2:2; 8:2; 14:33; 15:25.