Luke 1:52

1:52 He has brought down the mighty ¹  from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; ² 

Luke 14:11

14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but ³  the one who humbles ⁴  himself will be exalted.”

Exodus 18:11

18:11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods, for in the thing in which they dealt proudly against them he has destroyed them.” ⁵ 

Job 22:29

22:29 When people are brought low ⁶  and you say

‘Lift them up!’ ⁷ 

then he will save the downcast; ⁸ 

Job 40:9-13

40:9 Do you have an arm as powerful as God’s, ⁹ 

and can you thunder with a voice like his?

40:10 Adorn yourself, then, with majesty and excellency,

and clothe yourself with glory and honor!

40:11 Scatter abroad ¹⁰  the abundance ¹¹  of your anger.

Look at every proud man ¹²  and bring him low;

40:12 Look at every proud man and abase him;

crush the wicked on the spot! ¹³ 

40:13 Hide them in the dust ¹⁴  together,

imprison ¹⁵  them ¹⁶  in the grave. ¹⁷ 

Psalms 138:6

138:6 Though the Lord is exalted, he takes note of the lowly,

and recognizes the proud from far away.

Proverbs 3:34

3:34 Although ¹⁸  he is scornful to arrogant scoffers, ¹⁹ 

yet ²⁰  he shows favor to the humble. ²¹ 

Proverbs 15:33

15:33 The fear of the Lord provides wise instruction, ²² 

and before honor comes humility. ²³ 

Proverbs 16:18-19

16:18 Pride ²⁴  goes ²⁵  before destruction,

and a haughty spirit before a fall. ²⁶ 

16:19 It is better to be lowly in spirit ²⁷  with the afflicted

than to share the spoils ²⁸  with the proud.

Proverbs 18:12

18:12 Before destruction the heart ²⁹  of a person is proud,

but humility comes ³⁰  before honor. ³¹ 

Proverbs 29:23

29:23 A person’s pride ³²  will bring him low, ³³ 

but one who has a lowly spirit ³⁴  will gain honor.

Isaiah 2:11-17

2:11 Proud men will be brought low,

arrogant men will be humiliated; ³⁵ 

the Lord alone will be exalted ³⁶ 

in that day.

2:12 Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment, ³⁷ 

for ³⁸  all the high and mighty,

for all who are proud – they will be humiliated;

2:13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,

that are so high and mighty,

for all the oaks of Bashan; ³⁹ 

2:14 for all the tall mountains,

for all the high hills, ⁴⁰ 

2:15 for every high tower,

for every fortified wall,

2:16 for all the large ships, ⁴¹ 

for all the impressive ⁴²  ships. ⁴³ 

2:17 Proud men will be humiliated,

arrogant men will be brought low; ⁴⁴ 

the Lord alone will be exalted ⁴⁵ 

in that day.

Isaiah 57:15

57:15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,

the one who rules ⁴⁶  forever, whose name is holy:

“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,

but also with the discouraged and humiliated, ⁴⁷ 

in order to cheer up the humiliated

and to encourage the discouraged. ⁴⁸ 

Daniel 4:37

4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all his deeds are right and his ways are just. He is able to bring down those who live ⁴⁹  in pride.

Habakkuk 2:4

2:4 Look, the one whose desires are not upright will faint from exhaustion, ⁵⁰ 

but the person of integrity ⁵¹  will live ⁵²  because of his faithfulness. ⁵³ 

Matthew 5:3

5:3 “Blessed ⁵⁴  are the poor in spirit, ⁵⁵  for the kingdom of heaven belongs ⁵⁶  to them.

Matthew 23:12

23:12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

James 4:6

4:6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” ⁵⁷ 

James 4:10

4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.

James 4:1

Passions and Pride

4:1 Where do the conflicts and where ⁵⁸  do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, ⁵⁹  from your passions that battle inside you? ⁶⁰ 

James 5:5-6

5:5 You have lived indulgently and luxuriously on the earth. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ⁶¹  5:6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person, although he does not resist you. ⁶² 

[1:52]  ¹ tn Or “rulers.”

[1:52]  ² tn Or “those of humble position”

[14:11]  ³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context, which involves the reversal of expected roles.

[14:11]  ⁴ 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.

[18:11]  ⁵ tn The end of this sentence seems not to have been finished, or it is very elliptical. In the present translation the phrase “he has destroyed them” is supplied. Others take the last prepositional phrase to be the completion and supply only a verb: “[he was] above them.” U. Cassuto (Exodus, 216) takes the word “gods” to be the subject of the verb “act proudly,” giving the sense of “precisely (כִּי, ki) in respect of these things of which the gods of Egypt boasted – He is greater than they (עֲלֵיהֶם, ‘alehem).” He suggests rendering the clause, “excelling them in the very things to which they laid claim.”

[22:29]  ⁶ tn There is no expressed subject here, and so the verb is taken as a passive voice again.

[22:29]  ⁷ tn The word גֵּוָה (gevah) means “loftiness; pride.” Here it simply says “up,” or “pride.” The rest is paraphrased. Of the many suggestions, the following provide a sampling: “It is because of pride” (ESV), “he abases pride” (H. H. Rowley); “[he abases] the lofty and the proud” (Beer); “[he abases] the word of pride” [Duhm]; “[he abases] the haughtiness of pride” [Fohrer and others]; “[he abases] the one who speaks proudly” [Weiser]; “[he abases] the one who boasts in pride” [Kissane]; and “God [abases] pride” [Budde, Gray].

[22:29]  ⁸ tn Or “humble”; Heb “the lowly of eyes.”

[40:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “do you have an arm like God?” The words “as powerful as” have been supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.

[40:11]  ¹⁰ tn The verb was used for scattering lightning (Job 37:11). God is challenging Job to unleash his power and judge wickedness in the world.

[40:11]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the overflowings.”

[40:11]  ¹² tn The word was just used in the positive sense of excellence or majesty; now the exalted nature of the person refers to self-exaltation, or pride.

[40:12]  ¹³ tn The expression translated “on the spot” is the prepositional phrase תַּחְתָּם (takhtam, “under them”). “Under them” means in their place. But it can also mean “where someone stands, on the spot” (see Exod 16:29; Jos 6:5; Judg 7:21, etc.).

[40:13]  ¹⁴ tn The word “dust” can mean “ground” here, or more likely, “grave.”

[40:13]  ¹⁵ tn The verb חָבַשׁ (khavash) means “to bind.” In Arabic the word means “to bind” in the sense of “to imprison,” and that fits here.

[40:13]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “their faces.”

[40:13]  ¹⁷ tn The word is “secret place,” the place where he is to hide them, i.e., the grave. The text uses the word “secret place” as a metonymy for the grave.

[3:34]  ¹⁸ tn The particle אִם (’im, “though”) introduces a concessive clause: “though….”

[3:34]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “he mocks those who mock.” The repetition of the root לִיץ (lits, “to scorn; to mock”) connotes poetic justice; the punishment fits the crime. Scoffers are characterized by arrogant pride (e.g., Prov 21:24), as the antithetical parallelism with “the humble” here emphasizes.

[3:34]  ²⁰ tn The prefixed vav (ו) introduces the apodosis to the concessive clause: “Though … yet …”

[3:34]  ²¹ tn The Hebrew is structured chiastically (AB:BA): “he scorns / arrogant scoffers // but to the humble / he gives grace.” The word order in the translation is reversed for the sake of smoothness and readability.

[15:33]  ²² tn Heb “[is] instruction of wisdom” (KJV and NASB similar). The noun translated “wisdom” is an attributive genitive: “wise instruction.”

[15:33]  ²³ tn Heb “[is] humility” (so KJV). The second clause is a parallel idea in that it stresses how one thing leads to another – humility to honor. Humble submission in faith to the Lord brings wisdom and honor.

[16:18]  ²⁴ sn The two lines of this proverb are synonymous parallelism, and so there are parasynonyms. “Pride” is paired with “haughty spirit” (“spirit” being a genitive of specification); and “destruction” is matched with “a tottering, falling.”

[16:18]  ²⁵ tn Heb “[is] before destruction.”

[16:18]  ²⁶ sn Many proverbs have been written in a similar way to warn against the inevitable disintegration and downfall of pride. W. McKane records an Arabic proverb: “The nose is in the heavens, the seat is in the mire” (Proverbs [OTL], 490).

[16:19]  ²⁷ tn Heb “low of spirit”; KJV “of an humble spirit.” This expression describes the person who is humble and submissive before the Lord and therefore inoffensive. It is always necessary to have a humble spirit, whether there is wealth or not.

[16:19]  ²⁸ tn Heb “than to divide plunder.” The word “plunder” implies that the wealth taken by the proud was taken violently and wrongfully – spoils are usually taken in warfare. R. N. Whybray translates it with “loot” (Proverbs [CBC], 95). The proud are in rebellion against God, overbearing and oppressive. One should never share the “loot” with them.

[18:12]  ²⁹ 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.

[18:12]  ³⁰ tn Heb “[is] before honor”; cf. CEV “humility leads to honor.”

[18:12]  ³¹ 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).

[29:23]  ³² tn Heb “pride of a man,” with “man” functioning as a possessive. There is no indication in the immediate context that this is restricted only to males.

[29:23]  ³³ tn There is a wordplay here due to the repetition of the root שָׁפֵל (shafel). In the first line the verb תִּשְׁפִּילֶנּוּ (tishpilennu) is the Hiphil imperfect of the root, rendered “will bring him low.” In the second line the word is used in the description of the “lowly of spirit,” שְׁפַל־רוּחַ (shÿfal-ruakh). The contrast works well: The proud will be brought “low,” but the one who is “lowly” will be honored. In this instance the wordplay can be preserved in the translation.

[29:23]  ³⁴ tn Heb “low in spirit”; KJV “humble in spirit.” This refers to an attitude of humility.

[2:11]  ³⁵ tn Heb “and the eyes of the pride of men will be brought low, and the arrogance of men will be brought down.” The repetition of the verbs שָׁפַל (shafal) and שָׁחָח (shakhakh) from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.

[2:11]  ³⁶ tn Or “elevated”; CEV “honored.”

[2:12]  ³⁷ tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] has a day.”

[2:12]  ³⁸ tn Or “against” (NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[2:13]  ³⁹ sn The cedars of Lebanon and oaks of Bashan were well-known for their size and prominence. They make apt symbols here for powerful men who think of themselves as prominent and secure.

[2:14]  ⁴⁰ sn The high mountains and hills symbolize the apparent security of proud men, as do the high tower and fortified wall of v. 15.

[2:16]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.

[2:16]  ⁴² tn Heb “desirable”; NAB, NIV “stately”; NRSV “beautiful.”

[2:16]  ⁴³ tn On the meaning of this word, which appears only here in the Hebrew Bible, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 41-42.

[2:17]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “and the pride of men will be brought down, and the arrogance of men will be brought low.” As in v. 11, the repetition of the verbs שָׁפַל (shafal) and שָׁחָח (shakhakh) from v. 9 draws attention to the appropriate nature of the judgment. Those proud men who “bow low” before idols will be forced to “bow low” before God when he judges their sin.

[2:17]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “elevated”; NCV “praised”; CEV “honored.”

[57:15]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.

[57:15]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.

[57:15]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”

[4:37]  ⁴⁹ tn Aram “walk.”

[2:4]  ⁵⁰ tn The meaning of this line is unclear, primarily because of the uncertainty surrounding the second word, עֲפְּלָה (’apÿlah). Some read this as an otherwise unattested verb עָפַל (’afal, “swell”) from which are derived nouns meaning “mound” and “hemorrhoid.” This “swelling” is then understood in an abstract sense, “swell with pride.” This would yield a translation, “As for the proud, his desires are not right within him” (cf. NASB “as for the proud one”; NIV “he is puffed up”; NRSV “Look at the proud!”). A multitude of other interpretations of this line, many of which involve emendations of the problematic form, may be found in the commentaries and periodical literature. The present translation assumes an emendation to a Pual form of the verb עָלַף (’alaf, “be faint, exhausted”). (See its use in the Pual in Isa 51:20, and in the Hitpael in Amos 8:13 and Jonah 4:8.) In the antithetical parallelism of the verse, it corresponds to חָיָה (khayah, “live”). The phrase לֹא יָשְׁרָה נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ (lo’ yoshrah nafsho bo), literally, “not upright his desire within him,” is taken as a substantival clause that contrasts with צַדִּיק (tsadiq, “the righteous one”) and serves as the subject of the preceding verb. Here נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is understood in the sense of “desire” (see BDB 660-61 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ for a list of passages where the word carries this sense).

[2:4]  ⁵¹ tn Or “righteous.” The oppressed individuals mentioned in 1:4 are probably in view here.

[2:4]  ⁵² tn Or “will be preserved.” In the immediate context this probably refers to physical preservation through both the present oppression and the coming judgment (see Hab 3:16-19).

[2:4]  ⁵³ tn Or “loyalty”; or “integrity.” The Hebrew word אֱמוּנָה (’emunah) has traditionally been translated “faith,” but the term nowhere else refers to “belief” as such. When used of human character and conduct it carries the notion of “honesty, integrity, reliability, faithfulness.” The antecedent of the suffix has been understood in different ways. It could refer to God’s faithfulness, but in this case one would expect a first person suffix (the original form of the LXX has “my faithfulness” here). Others understand the “vision” to be the antecedent. In this case the reliability of the prophecy is in view. For a statement of this view, see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 111-12. The present translation assumes that the preceding word “[the person of] integrity” is the antecedent. In this case the Lord is assuring Habakkuk that those who are truly innocent will be preserved through the coming oppression and judgment by their godly lifestyle, for God ultimately rewards this type of conduct. In contrast to these innocent people, those with impure desires (epitomized by the greedy Babylonians; see v. 5) will not be able to withstand God’s judgment (v. 4a).

[5:3]  ⁵⁴ sn The term Blessed introduces the first of several beatitudes promising blessing to those whom God cares for. They serve as an invitation to come into the grace God offers.

[5:3]  ⁵⁵ sn The poor in spirit is a reference to the “pious poor” for whom God especially cares. See Ps 14:6; 22:24; 25:16; 34:6; 40:17; 69:29.

[5:3]  ⁵⁶ sn The present tense (belongs) here is significant. Jesus makes the kingdom and its blessings currently available. This phrase is unlike the others in the list with the possessive pronoun being emphasized.

[4:6]  ⁵⁷ sn A quotation from Prov 3:34.

[4:1]  ⁵⁸ tn The word “where” is repeated in Greek for emphasis.

[4:1]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “from here.”

[4:1]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “in your members [i.e., parts of the body].”

[5:5]  ⁶¹ sn James’ point seems to be that instead of seeking deliverance from condemnation, they have defied God’s law (fattened your hearts) and made themselves more likely objects of his judgment (in a day of slaughter).

[5:6]  ⁶² tn Literally a series of verbs without connectives, “you have condemned, you have murdered…he does not resist.”