τᾰπειν-όω G5013
To humble, bring low, abase; to be humbled (passive); to humble oneself in voluntary self-abasement before God.
Tapeinoo carries the full arc of biblical reversal: what goes up will be brought down, and what bows low will be lifted high. Jesus' repeated paradox — 'whoever humbles himself will be exalted, and whoever exalts himself will be humbled' (Matt 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14) — uses both the active and passive voices of this single verb to express the divine economy of inversion. Spanish humillar, French humilier, and German erniedrigen all mirror the semantic breadth, covering both the forced abasement of the proud and the voluntary lowering of the humble. Paul claims to have 'humbled himself' by preaching the gospel free of charge (2 Cor 11:7; 12:21), and Phil 2:8 declares that Christ 'humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death.' James and Peter both issue the imperative: 'Humble yourselves before the Lord' (Jas 4:10; 1 Pet 5:6) — not degradation but the posture that precedes divine exaltation.
3. to humble oneself (middle/reflexive) — To humble oneself (middle/reflexive) — voluntary self-abasement before God as a spiritual discipline and posture of faith. James commands: 'Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you' (Jas 4:10), and Peter echoes: 'Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God' (1 Pet 5:6). The aorist passive imperative (tapeinothete) functions with reflexive force in both passages. Spanish humillaos, French humiliez-vous, and German demutigt euch all use reflexive or middle-voice constructions, recognizing that this is not imposed degradation but chosen submission — the posture that, in biblical logic, precedes exaltation. 2×
AR["اتَّضِعوا"]·ben["নম্র-হও","বিনীত-হও"]·DE["erniedrigen"]·EN["Humble-yourselves"]·FR["Ταπεινώθητε","ταπεινώθητε"]·heb["הִכָּנְעוּ","הִשָׁפְלוּ"]·HI["दीन-हो-जाओ"]·ID["Rendahkanlah","Rendahkanlah-diri"]·IT["umiliare"]·jav["Andhap-asora","andhap-asora"]·KO["낮추라"]·PT["humilhai-vos"]·RU["Смиритесь","смиритесь"]·ES["Humillaos","humillaos"]·SW["Jinyenyekezeni","jinyenyekezeni"]·TR["Alçalın","alçalın"]·urd["عاجز-ہو","فروتن-ہو"]
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
1. to humble, bring low (active/transitive) — To humble or bring low (active/transitive) — actively lowering someone's status, pride, or position, whether by divine action, social circumstance, or deliberate choice. Jesus teaches that 'whoever humbles himself like this child' will be greatest in the kingdom (Matt 18:4), and the repeated formula 'whoever exalts himself will be humbled' (Matt 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14) uses this sense as one pole of the reversal. Paul 'humbled himself' by working with his hands (2 Cor 11:7). Phil 2:8 climaxes: Christ 'humbled himself, becoming obedient to death.' Spanish humillo/humillando and German erniedrigte capture the transitive force. 7×
AR["المُتَواضِعِ","مُتَواضِعاً","وَضَعَ","يَتَوَاضَعُ","يَضَعُ","يُذَلِّلَني","يُواضِعُ"]·ben["নত-করবে","নতকারী","নম্র-করা","নম্র-করে","নম্র-করেছিলেন","নম্র-করেন"]·DE["erniedrigen","erniedrigt"]·EN["he-humbled","humbling","might-humble","will-humble"]·FR["humilier","ἐταπείνωσεν"]·heb["הִשְׁפִּיל","הַמַּשְׁפִּיל","יַשְׁפִּיל","מַשְׁפִּיל"]·HI["उस्ने-नेएच-किय","दीन-करे","नीचा-करता-है","नीचा-करते-हुए","नीचा-करने-वाला","नीचा-करेगा","नेएचि-करेग"]·ID["merendahkan","yang-merendahkan"]·IT["umiliare"]·jav["ingkang-ngandhapaken","ngandhapaken","ngasoraken"]·KO["낮추는","낮추며","낮추면","낮추셨노라","낮추시지"]·PT["humilhando","humilhe","humilhou","que-se-humilha"]·RU["смирил","смирит","унижающий","унижая","унизил","унизит"]·ES["humillando","humillare","humille","que-se-humilla","se-humilló"]·SW["alijinyenyekeza","anayejinyenyekeza","anayejishusha","aninyenyekeze","atakayejinyenyekeza","mwenyewe","nikijinyenyekeza,"]·TR["alcaltti","alçaltan","alçaltarak","alçaltsın","alçaltırsa"]·urd["عاجز-بناتے-ہوئے","عاجز-کرے","عاجز-کیا","نیچا-کرے","پست-کرے","گرانے-والا"]
2. to be humbled, be brought low (passive) — To be humbled or brought low (passive) — experiencing humiliation or reduction at another's hand or by divine decree. The prophetic vision that 'every mountain shall be brought low' (Luke 3:5, citing Isa 40:4) uses the passive future, and the repeated warning that 'the one who exalts himself will be humbled' (Matt 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14) presents divine passive reversal. Paul knows how 'to be brought low' (Phil 4:12), placing this alongside hunger and want. Spanish sera humillado, French sera abaisse, and German wird erniedrigt werden all employ passive constructions, distinguishing the experience of being humbled from the act of humbling. 5×
AR["أَنْ-أَتَّضِعَ","سَيُوضَعُ","يُتَواضَعُ"]·ben["নত-করা-হবে","নত-হতে","নত-হবে","নম্র-হবে","নীচু-হবে"]·DE["erniedrigen","erniedrigt"]·EN["to-be-humbled","will-be-brought-low","will-be-humbled"]·FR["humilier","ταπεινοῦσθαι"]·heb["יִשְׁפַּל","יֻשְׁפַּל","לְהִשָׁפֵל,"]·HI["नीचा-किया-जाएगा","नेएचे-होन,"]·ID["akan-direndahkan","direndahkan"]·IT["umiliare"]·jav["badhe-dipun-andhapaken;","badhé-dipun-andhapaken;","badhé-dipunandhapaken","badhé-dipunasoraken","dipunandhapaken"]·KO["낮아지기,","낮아지리라","낮아질-것이고","낮아질-것이다"]·PT["ser-humilhado","será-abaixado","será-humilhado"]·RU["понизится","унижаться","унижен-будет"]·ES["ser-humillado","será-humillado","será-rebajada"]·SW["atanyenyekezwa","atashushwa","kitashushwa","kunyenyekea","na"]·TR["alcalmaya","alçaltılacak"]·urd["حلیم-ہونا","نیچا-کیا-جائے-گا","پست-کیا-جائے-گا","گرایا-جائے-گا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
τᾰπειν-όω, lower, in point of height, reduce, σπλῆνα (swollen spleen) Refs 1st c.AD+:—passive, πᾶν ὄρος ταπεινωθήσεται LXX+5th c.BC+; of a plant, decrease in size, Refs 4th c.BC+; of rivers, Refs 1st c.BC+; Astrology texts, of a planet, suffer dejection, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __II metaphorically, lessen, τὸν φθόνον Refs 5th c.BC+; disparage, minimize, Refs 2nd c.BC+:—passive, to be lowered or lessened,…