And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who 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.
- BSB For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever 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, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility, to subject yourselves to one another; for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Jas 4:6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Luke 14:11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Prov 29:23A man’s pride brings him low, but one of lowly spirit gains honor.
- 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.”
- Matt 18:4Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Prov 15:33The fear of Yahweh teaches wisdom. Before honor is humility.
- 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 extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase.
- Job 22:29When they cast down, you shall say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person.
- Luke 1:51–52He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
- Isa 57:15For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
- Ps 138:6For though Yahweh is high, yet he looks after 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.