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be low” and “to become low.”
-
occurs about twenty-five times in the Old
Testament. It is a poetic term.
The verb, as can be expected in poetic usage, is generally used in a figurative sense.
-
rarely denotes a literal lowness. Even in passages where the meaning may be
taken literally, the prophet communicates a spiritual truth: “… The high [trees] of stature
shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled” (Isa. 10:33), or “Every valley
shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low …” (Isa. 40:4). Isaiah
particularly presented Judah’s sin as one of rebellion, self-exaltation, and pride (2:17;
3:16-17). In the second chapter he repeated God’s indictment on human pride. When the
Lord comes in judgment, He will not tolerate pride: “… The Lord alone shall be exalted
in that day” (Isa. 2:11); then “the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and
lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low” (Isa. 2:12). Isaiah
applied to Judah the principle found in Proverbs: “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but
honor shall uphold the humble in spirit” (Prov. 29:23).
Pride and self-exaltation have no place in the life of the godly, as the Lord “brings
low” a person, a city, and a nation: “The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth
low, and lifteth up” (1 Sam. 2:7).
The prophets called the people to repent and to demonstrate their return to God by
lowliness. Their call was generally unheeded. Ultimately the Exile came, and the people
were humbled by the Babylonians. Nevertheless, the promise came that, regardless of the
obstacles, God would initiate the redemption of His people. Isaiah expressed the
greatness of the redemption in this way: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.… Every valley
shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low.… And the glory of the
Lord shall be revealed.…” (Isa. 40:3-5) In the Septuagint
is represented by
|tapeino| (“to level, be humble, humiliate”). It is translated in English versions as “to be
low” (
KJV
,
RSV
,
NASB
,
NIV
); “to bring low” (
KJV
,
RSV
); “to bring down” (
NASB
,
NIV
); “to
be humble” (
KJV
,
RSV
,
NASB
,
NIV
).
B. Nouns.
Some nouns related to this verb occur infrequently.
-
refers to a “low condition,
low estate.” This word appears twice (Ps. 136:23; Eccl. 10:6). The noun
means a
“humiliated state.” This noun occurs once: “When it shall hail, coming down on the
forest; and the city shall be low in a low place” (Isa. 32:19); the city is leveled
completely.
-
means “lowland.” This word is used most often as a technical
designation for the low-lying hills of the Judean hill country (cf. Deut. 1:7; Josh. 9:1).
-
$
refers to a “sinking.” This noun’s single appearance is in Eccl. 10:18: “By much
slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness [
$
] of the hands the house
droppeth through.” The word implies a negligence or “sinking” of the hands.
C. Adjective.
(
!
, 8217), means “low; humble.” This word means “low” in Ezek. 17:24:
“And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree,
have exalted the low tree.…” In Isa. 57:15
refers to “humble”: “… I dwell in the