Reference: Knee, Kneel
Hastings
The knees are often referred to in Scripture as the place where weakness of the body, from whatever cause, readily manifests itself: e.g. from terror (Job 4:4; Da 5:8), or fasting (Ps 109:24). The reference in De 28:35 seems to be to 'joint leprosy,' in which, after the toes and fingers, the joints of the larger limbs are attacked (Driver, Deut. in loc.). The laying of children on the knees of father or grandfather seems to have involved recognition of them as legitimate members of the family (Ge 30:8; 50:23). In many passages of Scripture kneeling is spoken of as the attitude assumed in prayer (1Ki 8:54; Ps 95:8; Da 6:10; Ac 20:36 etc.). To 'bow the knee' is equivalent to 'worship' (1Ki 19:18; Isa 45:23; Ro 14:11 etc.). To fall upon the knees before a superior is an act at once of reverence and of entreaty (2Ki 1:13; Mt 17:14; Lu 5:8 etc.). In the court of an Eastern judge the writer has often seen men prostrate themselves, and then make their plea, resting upon their knees.
W. Ewing.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
So Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed." And she named him Naphtali.
Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim's sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph's knees.
"The LORD will strike you on the knees and legs with sore boils, from which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head.
When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and supplication to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread toward heaven.
"Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him."
So he again sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. When the third captain of fifty went up, he came and bowed down on his knees before Elijah, and begged him and said to him, "O man of God, please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight.
"Your words have helped the tottering to stand, And you have strengthened feeble knees.
Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
My knees are weak from fasting, And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness.
"I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.
Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king.
Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.
When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying,
But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus' feet, saying, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!"
When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.