Matthew 23:12
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Original Language Analysis
ἑαυτὸν
himself
G1438
ἑαυτὸν
himself
Strong's:
G1438
Word #:
4 of 10
(him- her-, it-, them-, my-, thy-, our-, your-)self (selves), etc
ταπεινώσει
shall be abased
G5013
ταπεινώσει
shall be abased
Strong's:
G5013
Word #:
5 of 10
to depress; figuratively, to humiliate (in condition or heart)
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
6 of 10
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ταπεινώσει
shall be abased
G5013
ταπεινώσει
shall be abased
Strong's:
G5013
Word #:
8 of 10
to depress; figuratively, to humiliate (in condition or heart)
Cross References
James 4:6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.1 Peter 5:5Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.Proverbs 29:23A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.Luke 14:11For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.Matthew 18:4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.Proverbs 15:33The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.Luke 18:14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.Matthew 5:3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their's is the kingdom of heaven.Daniel 4:37Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.Job 22:29When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
Historical Context
Ancient Mediterranean honor culture drove constant competition for public recognition and social status. Self-praise was common among philosophers and orators. Jesus's teaching that God humbles the self-exalting and exalts the humble contradicted cultural norms that encouraged aggressive self-promotion.
Questions for Reflection
- How does pride manifest in religious contexts, especially among those considered spiritually mature?
- Why must genuine humility precede true exaltation in God's kingdom?
- What does Jesus's own humiliation-then-exaltation pattern teach about the path of discipleship?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted—this perfectly balanced chiasm uses hypsōsei (ὑψώσει, will exalt) and tapeinōthēsetai (ταπεινωθήσεται, will be humbled/abased) in divine passive voice—God does the exalting and abasing. The verbs hypsōn (ὑψῶν, exalting) and tapeinōn (ταπεινῶν, humbling) are present participles describing habitual actions, not isolated incidents.
Jesus articulates a fundamental spiritual law: self-promotion leads to divine demotion, while self-humbling precedes divine elevation. This principle runs throughout Scripture (Proverbs 29:23; Luke 14:11, 18:14; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5-6). The Pharisees' self-exaltation guaranteed their judgment, while Jesus's own self-humiliation to death resulted in His name above every name (Philippians 2:8-9). This verse provides the theological ground for the woes that follow—God will humble those who exalted themselves.