And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
- BSB For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will 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 5:5Likewise, 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.
- Jas 4:6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
- Luke 14:11For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
- Prov 29:23A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.
- 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.
- Matt 18:4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
- Prov 15:33The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
- Matt 5:3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Prov 16:18–19Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
- Dan 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.
- Luke 1:51–52He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
- Isa 57:15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
- Ps 138:6Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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.