2:7 The Lord impoverishes and makes wealthy;
he humbles and he exalts.
2:8 He lifts the weak 1 from the dust;
he raises 2 the poor from the ash heap
to seat them with princes
and to bestow on them an honored position. 3
The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord,
and he has placed the world on them.
91:14 The Lord says, 4
“Because he is devoted to me, I will deliver him;
I will protect him 5 because he is loyal to me. 6
107:41 Yet he protected 7 the needy from oppression,
and cared for his families like a flock of sheep.
17:24 All the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord.
I make the high tree low; I raise up the low tree.
I make the green tree wither, and I make the dry tree sprout.
I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it!’”
1:52 He has brought down the mighty 8 from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; 9
1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, 10 and has sent the rich away empty. 11
1 tn Or “lowly”; Heb “insignificant.”
2 tn The imperfect verbal form, which is parallel to the participle in the preceding line, is best understood here as indicating what typically happens.
3 tn Heb “a seat of honor.”
4 tn The words “the
5 tn Or “make him secure” (Heb “set him on high”).
6 tn Heb “because he knows my name” (see Ps 9:10).
7 tn Heb “set on high.”
8 tn Or “rulers.”
9 tn Or “those of humble position”
10 sn Good things refers not merely to material blessings, but blessings that come from knowing God.
11 sn Another fundamental contrast of Luke’s is between the hungry and the rich (Luke 6:20-26).