Matthew 4:9

καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ, Ταῦτα πάντα σοι δώσω, ἐὰν πεσὼν προσκυνήσῃς μοι.

RBT Greek Interlinear:

Strongs 2532; kai; καὶ; and; Conj

Strongs 2036; eipen; εἶπεν; said; V-AIA-3S

Strongs 846; autō; αὐτῷ; self/itself/himself; PPro-DM/N3S

Strongs 3778; Tauta; Ταῦτά; These things; DPro-ANP

Strongs 4771; soi; σοι; you; PPro-D2S

Strongs 3956; panta; πάντα; all; Adj-ANP

Strongs 1325; dōsō; δώσω; will give; V-FIA-1S

Strongs 1437; ean; ἐὰν; if; Conj

Strongs 4098; pesōn; πεσὼν; he who has fallen; V-APA-NMS

Strongs 4352; proskynēsēs; προσκυνήσῃς; You will kiss; V-ASA-2S

Strongs 1473; moi; μοι; myself; PPro-D1S

RBT Hebrew Literal:

And he said to self, "All these things I will give to yourself, if he who has fallen, you will prostrate to myself."^9e

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
And he says to him, All these will I give to thee, if, falling down, thou wouldst worship me.

LITV Translation:
And he said to Him. I will give all these things to You if falling down, You will worship me.

ESV Translation:
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Footnotes

9e

Here, "prostrate/worship" is used with a dative, not accusative, meaning "do obesience to."

The verb προσκυνέω ("to prostrate oneself, worship") admits both accusative and dative constructions, with a subtle but meaningful distinction. When followed by the accusative, it typically emphasizes the direct object of the reverential act—such as a deity, image, or sacred object—often implying a physical gesture such as kissing or prostrating directly before the referent (e.g., ὅν πᾶς θεὸς προσκυνεῖ, PGM XII 118).

By contrast, when governing the dative, προσκυνέω expresses directionality or relational reverence—"to prostrate to" or "pay homage to" someone, as in προσκύνει θεᾷ (PGM III 417). This dative usage becomes increasingly common in later Greek, particularly under the influence of Semitic idiom (e.g., Hebrew שׁחה ל־), where the dative reflects the recipient of the devotional act rather than a direct object.

(cf. LMPG, LSG)