For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
- KJV And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
- NKJV And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
- NASB Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
- NLT But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
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
Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. It states the kingdom principle that God opposes pride and lifts up the lowly.
Overview
This proverb summarizes the heart of Jesus' teaching against the Pharisees' pride. God reverses human pretension, casting down the self-important and raising the humble. Supremely it is fulfilled in Christ, who humbled himself even to death on a cross and was therefore exalted by God to the highest place.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- 1 Pet 5:5Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Jas 4:6But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Luke 14:11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Prov 29:23A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.
- Luke 18:14I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Matt 18:4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
- Prov 15:33The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
- Matt 5:3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Prov 16:18–19Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
- Dan 4:37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.
- Job 22:29When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.
- Luke 1:51–52He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
- Isa 57:15For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.
- Ps 138:6Though the LORD is on high, He attends to the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar.
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 23:12 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.