The Greek verb kampto (κάμπτω) means to bend or bow, especially in reference to bending the knee in prayer, worship, or submission. It appears four times in the New Testament and carries both literal and metaphorical force — physical kneeling as the body's expression of spiritual submission.
Paul twice quotes or alludes to Isaiah 45:23 using kampto: 'Every knee will bow (kampsei).' In Romans 14:11 this describes universal accountability at the final judgment. In Philippians 2:10 it describes the cosmic eschatological worship of Jesus as Lord: 'at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.' The scope is total — 'in heaven and on earth and under the earth.' This universal kampto is the ultimate vindication of Jesus' lordship. Meanwhile, in Ephesians 3:14 Paul himself bows his knees (kampto ta gonata) before the Father in intercession — showing that the act of kneeling is not only eschatological but immediate, the posture of every believer in prayer.