Context
In Exodus 34:8 should be read within the flow of its chapter and the larger argument of In Exodus.
Common Interpretations
The Hebrew שָׁחָה (shachah, shah-KHAH) also means to bow down or prostrate oneself. Psalm 95:6 invites God's people to bow and kneel before the LORD their Maker. Genesis 22:5 uses the word when Abraham tells his servants that he and Isaac will go and return. The narrative places Abraham's words amid a severe test of trust and obedience; it does not describe a music gathering. In Exodus 34:8 Moses bows toward the ground after the LORD proclaims His name.
The Greek proskuneō can be used when someone bows before a human superior as well as when someone bows before God. That does not make the two recipients equal. The verb names the act; the passage tells us before whom it happens and what else is known about the person bowing. In Matthew 2:11, “fell down” translates a separate verb before proskuneō. In Matthew 4:9–10, Satan's demanded bow and Jesus' refusal reveal the question of allegiance. In John 9:38, the man's declaration of belief gives context to his bow.
Current Position
We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.