Greek word · G5011

ταπεινός

tapeinos

lowly

Low (literally, low-lying ground); of status: lowly, poor, insignificant; of character in ordinary Greek usage: servile, abject, mean-spirited, base, groveling.

Appears 8 times in 8 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ταπεινός, -ή, -όν

[in LXX for שָׁפָל, עָנִי, etc. ;]

low-lying; metaphorically,

(a) lowly, of low degree, brought low: James 1:9, 2 Corinthians 7:6 (cf. Sirach 25:23); οἱ τ., opposite to δυνάσται, Luke 1:52; τ. ταπεινοῖς (neut., R, txt.; masc., R, mg.; see ICC, in l), Romans 12:16;

(b) lowly in spirit, humble, in cl. usually in a slighting sense (see Tr., Syn., § xlii; but see also Abbott, Essays, 81), in NT in an honourable sense: 2 Corinthians 10:1; before τ. καρδίᾳ, Matthew 11:29 (cf. Psalms 34:19); opposite to ὑπερήφανος, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5" (LXX) .†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 2 Corinthians 10:1

Range of meaning

Low (literally, low-lying ground); of status: lowly, poor, insignificant; of character in ordinary Greek usage: servile, abject, mean-spirited, base, groveling. In the Jewish scriptures (LXX) it also names the lowly whom God lifts up (Ps 18:27; Isa 11:4) and is sometimes a positive posture before God.

Against the English

KJV 'base'; ESV, NRSV, BSB 'humble'; WEB 'lowly'; NASB 'meek'; NIV 'timid' (in quotation marks). 'Humble' makes it sound like a compliment. In the opponents' usage it was an insult.

How it drifted

Christian usage, beginning with Jesus and Paul (Phil 2:8; Matt 11:29), made 'humility' a prized virtue, and English 'humble' now carries that positive sense almost entirely. In the wider Greco-Roman world of Corinth, tapeinos for a man of standing usually meant contemptibly servile.

Used elsewhere in the period

Greek moralists such as Epictetus regularly list tapeinos with vices: slavish, unmanly. Isocrates and others contrast the tapeinos with the free and noble-minded. Paul uses the word group of his own self-lowering by manual labour in 11:7 ('humbling myself so that you might be exalted'), which some Corinthians apparently took as degrading.

From the study of James 4:6

Range of meaning

Low: low-lying ground; low in social rank, poor, of no account; downcast or afflicted; and, mostly in Jewish and Christian usage, humble before God, not exalting oneself.

Against the English

Modern 'humble' usually describes a personality trait: modest, self-effacing, not boastful. Tapeinos starts with where a person actually stands in society: low, poor, without leverage. The inner attitude is the willing acceptance of that low place before God.

How it drifted

In ordinary Greek, tapeinos was mostly an insult: base, servile, petty. Jewish Scripture reversed its value, because God is the one who lifts up the lowly (1 Samuel 2:7–8; Psalm 138:6). Over time English 'humble' lost its social sense, its link to 'humus' (ground) and 'humble circumstances', and became mainly about how one sees oneself.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the LXX it often translates ʿānî / ʿānāw, 'poor, afflicted, humble', the oppressed whom God vindicates (Psalm 18:27 [LXX 17:28]; Isaiah 11:4; Zephaniah 3:12). Proverbs 3:34 Hebrew has ʿănāwîm / ʿăniyyîm. Compare Luke 1:52, 'he has lifted up the lowly (tapeinous)', and James 1:9, 'let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation', where the contrast is with 'the rich'.

From the study of Matthew 11:29

Range of meaning

Literally 'low' (of ground). Socially: of low standing, poor, insignificant. Morally in ordinary Greek: often negative, meaning servile, abject, mean-spirited. In Jewish and biblical usage: the lowly and afflicted, whom God sees, rescues and lifts up, and the attitude of not exalting oneself before God.

Against the English

'Humble' (BSB, WEB, NIV, NASB) and 'lowly' (KJV, ESV). Modern 'humble' usually means having a modest opinion of oneself. Tapeinos speaks more of position: being and standing low, alongside the low.

How it drifted

The English word has narrowed into a personality trait (modesty). The Greek stressed a place in the social and spiritual order, which the Bible turns upside down: God lifts the low and brings down the high.

Used elsewhere in the period

LXX Ps 33:19 (34:18): the Lord saves 'the lowly (ταπεινούς) in spirit'. Isa 11:4; Zeph 3:12 'a people lowly and humble'. Luke 1:52 'he has lifted up the lowly'. Many Greek moralists used the word with contempt, as in Epictetus, where tapeinos often means servile or small-minded.

Similar words

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 11:29 ταπεινὸς humble

    Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

    Here: Literally 'low': of low standing, without pretension. In ordinary Greek it often meant servile or base, but in Israel's Scriptures 'the lowly' are those God sees and lifts up. Jesus places himself among them.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 1:52 ταπεινούς· [the] humble;

    He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble.

    Here: Literally 'low-lying'. Here it means people of low standing: the poor, the powerless, the overlooked. It is set directly against rulers on thrones, and it picks up Mary's own 'low estate' (tapeinōsis) in 1:48. It describes their position more than a modest attitude.

Romans · 1

  1. Romans 12:16 ταπεινοῖς lowly

    Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.

    Here: "The low ones": people of low social standing, such as the poor, slaves and the overlooked, or possibly menial and unglamorous things. It stands in direct contrast to "the high things".

2 Corinthians · 2

  1. 2 Corinthians 7:6 ταπεινοὺς downcast

    But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus,

    Here: People who have been pressed down: low in spirits, and also low in standing. After verse 5 the main sense is "downcast", but the word also carries the shame of being treated as small.

  2. 2 Corinthians 10:1 ταπεινὸς [am] humble

    Now by the mildness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am humble when face to face with you, but bold when away.

    Here: In the critics' mouth this means 'servile, cringing, unimpressive'. Paul is quoting a slur, almost with audible quotation marks. See the study below.

James · 2

  1. James 1:9 ταπεινὸς of low degree

    The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.

    Here: Socially and economically low: poor, of no account, near the bottom of the ladder. The rich man in v. 10 makes clear that his position is what's meant, not a modest attitude. Jewish tradition also tied the word to the poor whom God looks after.

  2. James 4:6 ταπεινοῖς to [the] humble

    But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

    Here: People who are low: low in social standing, poor, afflicted. It also means people who accept that low place before God and do not push themselves up. In James 1:9 the same word describes the poor believer.

1 Peter · 1

  1. 1 Peter 5:5 ταπεινοῖς to [the] humble

    Young 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.”

    Here: "To the lowly." In Greek this word often meant socially low or poor, not only inwardly humble. Peter's readers were themselves low-status "exiles" (1:1; 2:11).

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.