“And the man bowed low in homage to the Lord.” Genesis 24:26 NJPS
Gratitude is the root of both goodness and happiness.
Here the servant of Abraham acknowledges the obvious movement of God in the tide of man’s affairs. Some translations say “he bowed his head.” Whether he knelt or bowed his head, “bowed low” expresses an attitude of the heart, not of the knee. The servant not only made a request of God, he also offered a prayer of gratitude once his request had been granted.
Prayers expressing gratitude are among the highest levels of prayer. Anyone can petition God (or people). The finest individuals are those who express gratitude after their request is fulfilled. It is almost impossible to overstate the power of gratitude. It is at the root of both goodness and happiness. Ungrateful people cannot be either good or happy. Indeed, such people are likely to be both bad and unhappy.
Adapted, The Rational Bible, Genesis, Prager