Psalms 34:18

34:18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;

he delivers ¹  those who are discouraged. ² 

Psalms 138:6

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

and recognizes the proud from far away.

Isaiah 57:15

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

the one who rules ³  forever, whose name is holy:

“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,

but also with the discouraged and humiliated, ⁴ 

in order to cheer up the humiliated

and to encourage the discouraged. ⁵ 

Matthew 5:3

5:3 “Blessed ⁶  are the poor in spirit, ⁷  for the kingdom of heaven belongs ⁸  to them.

Luke 1:51-53

1:51 He has demonstrated power ⁹  with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance ¹⁰  of their hearts.

1:52 He has brought down the mighty ¹¹  from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; ¹² 

1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, ¹³  and has sent the rich away empty. ¹⁴ 

Luke 18:13-14

18:13 The tax collector, however, stood ¹⁵  far off and would not even look up ¹⁶  to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful ¹⁷  to me, sinner that I am!’ ¹⁸  18:14 I tell you that this man went down to his home justified ¹⁹  rather than the Pharisee. ²⁰  For everyone who exalts ²¹  himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

[34:18]  ¹ tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form highlights the generalizing statement and draws attention to the fact that the Lord typically delivers the oppressed and needy.

[34:18]  ² tn Heb “the crushed in spirit.”

[57:15]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”

[5:3]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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.

[1:51]  ⁹ tn Or “shown strength,” “performed powerful deeds.” The verbs here switch to aorist tense through 1:55. This is how God will act in general for his people as they look to his ultimate deliverance.

[1:51]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “in the imaginations of their hearts.” The psalm rebukes the arrogance of the proud, who think that power is their sovereign right. Here διανοίᾳ (dianoia) can be understood as a dative of sphere or reference/respect.

[1:52]  ¹¹ tn Or “rulers.”

[1:52]  ¹² tn Or “those of humble position”

[1:53]  ¹³ sn Good things refers not merely to material blessings, but blessings that come from knowing God.

[1:53]  ¹⁴ sn Another fundamental contrast of Luke’s is between the hungry and the rich (Luke 6:20-26).

[18:13]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “standing”; the Greek participle has been translated as a finite verb.

[18:13]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “even lift up his eyes” (an idiom).

[18:13]  ¹⁷ tn The prayer is a humble call for forgiveness. The term for mercy (ἱλάσκομαι, Jilaskomai) is associated with the concept of a request for atonement (BDAG 473-74 s.v. 1; Ps 51:1, 3; 25:11; 34:6, 18).

[18:13]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “the sinner.” The tax collector views himself not just as any sinner but as the worst of all sinners. See ExSyn 222-23.

[18:14]  ¹⁹ sn The prayer that was heard and honored was the one given with humility; in a surprising reversal it was the tax collector who went down to his home justified.

[18:14]  ²⁰ tn Grk “the other”; the referent (the Pharisee, v. 10) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:14]  ²¹ sn Everyone who exalts himself. See Luke 14:11. Jesus often called for humility and condemned those who sought honor.