He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.
Parallel translations
- WEB He has put down princes from their thrones. And has exalted the lowly.
- KJV He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
- 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.
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 17:24All the trees of the field will know that I, Yahweh, 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, Yahweh, have spoken and have done it.’”
- Jas 4:10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.
- Ps 107:40–41He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in a trackless waste.
- 1 Sam 2:6–8“Yahweh kills, and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol, and brings up.
- Luke 18:14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Eccl 4:14For out of prison he came out to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor.
- Ps 113:6–8Who stoops down to see in heaven and in the earth?
- Job 5:11–13so that he sets up on high those who are low, those who mourn are exalted to safety.
- 1 Sam 2:4“The bows of the mighty men are broken. Those who stumbled are armed with strength.
- Amos 9:11In that day I will raise up the tent of David who is fallen, and close up its breaches, and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old;
- Jas 1:9–10But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;
- Job 34:24–28He breaks in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out, and sets others in their place.
- Mark 6:3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” They were offended at him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.