18:12 Before destruction the heart 2 of a person is proud,
but humility comes 3 before honor. 4
66:2 My hand made them; 5
that is how they came to be,” 6 says the Lord.
I show special favor 7 to the humble and contrite,
who respect what I have to say. 8
1 tn Heb “anointed.”
2 sn The term “heart” is a metonymy of subject, referring to the seat of the spiritual and intellectual capacities – the mind, the will, the motivations and intentions. Proud ambitions and intentions will lead to a fall.
3 tn Heb “[is] before honor”; cf. CEV “humility leads to honor.”
4 sn The way to honor is through humility (e.g., Prov 11:2; 15:33; 16:18). The humility and exaltation of Jesus provides the classic example (Phil 2:1-10).
5 tn Heb “all these.” The phrase refers to the heavens and earth, mentioned in the previous verse.
6 tn Heb “and all these were.” Some prefer to emend וַיִּהְיוּ (vayyihyu, “and they were”) to וְלִי הָיוּ (vÿli hayu, “and to me they were”), i.e., “and they belong to me.”
7 tn Heb “and to this one I look” (KJV and NASB both similar).
8 tn Heb “to the humble and the lowly in spirit and the one who trembles at my words.”
9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context, which involves the reversal of expected roles.
10 sn The point of the statement the one who humbles himself will be exalted is humility and the reversal imagery used to underline it is common: Luke 1:52-53; 6:21; 10:15; 18:14.