He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
Parallel translations
- WEB He has put down princes from their thrones. And has exalted the lowly.
- BSB He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble.
- NKJV He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.
- NASB “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble.
- NLT He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God brings down rulers and lifts up the lowly. He reverses worldly status.
Overview
Mary proclaims God's pattern of dethroning the powerful and exalting the humble. This great reversal characterizes God's kingdom, which Jesus will inaugurate. The coming of Christ overturns human pride and honors the lowly.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Ezek 17:24And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.
- Jas 4:10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
- Ps 107:40–41He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.
- 1 Sam 2:6–8The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
- 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.
- Eccl 4:14For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.
- Ps 113:6–8Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
- Job 5:11–13To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.
- 1 Sam 2:4The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
- Amos 9:11In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
- Jas 1:9–10Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
- Job 34:24–28He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.
- Mark 6:3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 1:52 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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