Greek word · G5012

ταπεινοφροσύνη

tapeinophrosynē

humility

"Lowly-mindedness": thinking and acting as someone in the low place. The root tapeinos meant low, small, humble in status. In ordinary Greek usage it often meant base, servile or abject, the state of a slave or someone of no account.

Appears 7 times in 7 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 22, 2026

What it means

ταπεινοφροσύνη, -ης, ἡ

(ταπεινόφρων)

lowliness of mind, humility: Acts 20:19, Ephesians 4:2, Philippians 2:3, Colossians 3:12, 1 Peter 5:5; of a false humility, Colossians 2:18, 23 (rare outside of NT, but found in bad sense in FlJ, BJ, iv, 9, 2; also in Epictet., see Tr., Syn., § xlii).†

(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 Philippians 2:3

Range of meaning: "Lowly-mindedness": thinking and acting as someone in the low place. The root tapeinos meant low, small, humble in status. In ordinary Greek usage it often meant base, servile or abject, the state of a slave or someone of no account.
Against the English: "Humility" (BSB, NIV, ESV, WEB), "lowliness of mind" (KJV), "humility of mind" (YLT, NASB). The KJV and YLT keep the "mind" element, which ties the word to Paul's repeated "think" (phroneō) in 2:2 and 2:5.
How it drifted: Modern "humility" is a respected personal trait, roughly modesty. Greco-Roman moralists did not count lowliness as a virtue. Epictetus lists tapeinophrosynē among faults (Discourses 3.24.56). It became a virtue through the Jewish scriptures, where God lifts up the lowly (LXX Prov 3:34; Ps 138:6), and through Christ's example.
Used elsewhere in the period: The noun has no secure use before the New Testament. Its earliest appearances are in Paul and in roughly contemporary writers such as Epictetus and Josephus. In the New Testament: Acts 20:19; Eph 4:2; Col 2:18, 23; 3:12; 1 Pet 5:5. The related verb appears in Phil 2:8: Christ "humbled himself" (etapeinōsen heauton).

From the study of Colossians 3:12

Range of meaning: Lowliness of mind, humility: thinking and acting from a low position, putting others before yourself. Built from tapeinos ('low, lowly, humble, base') and phrēn ('mind').
Against the English: 'Humility' (BSB, NIV, ESV) and 'humbleness of mind' (KJV), 'humble-mindedness' (YLT). KJV and YLT keep the 'mind' element. WEB 'lowliness' keeps the social sense of a low position.
How it drifted: Modern 'humility' often means modesty or a low opinion of yourself. In the first-century world the issue was social position. Tapeinos described the low-born, the servile and the abased. Most Greek moralists counted this a defect, not a virtue. The early Christian movement turned it into a virtue, following the Hebrew Bible's 'lowly' who depend on God and the example of Christ, who 'humbled himself' (Phil 2:8).
Used elsewhere in the period: The word is very rare before the New Testament. Epictetus (Discourses 3.24.56) lists it among faults, and Josephus (Jewish War 4.494) uses it in an unflattering sense. In Colossians itself, 2:18 and 2:23 use it for the opponents' ascetic 'self-abasement'. In the New Testament it is positive: Acts 20:19; Phil 2:3 ('in lowliness of mind count others more significant than yourselves'); Eph 4:2; 1 Pet 5:5.

From the study of Ephesians 4:2

Range of meaning: A compound of tapeinos ('low, lowly, of low status, humbled') and phrēn/phroneō ('mind, to think'). It means 'thinking of oneself as low': a mindset that accepts a modest place, does not insist on one's rank or rights, and puts others' interests forward (compare Phil 2:3, 'in humility count others more significant than yourselves'). The tapein- word family covered social lowliness (poverty, low birth, servitude), being humiliated, and in Jewish usage the posture of the 'lowly' who depend on God.
Against the English: 'Humility' (BSB, ESV, NIV) and 'lowliness' (KJV, YLT, WEB) are both fair. 'Lowliness' keeps the spatial, social picture of taking the low place better. Modern 'humility' often means modesty about one's achievements, or sometimes low self-esteem. The Greek is less about how you feel about yourself and more about where you are willing to stand in relation to others.
How it drifted: In pagan Greek the tapein- words were mostly negative: servile, abject, mean-spirited. The compound noun is rare before the New Testament. Where it appears outside Jewish and Christian writing (for example in Epictetus) it names a fault, something like small-mindedness. Jewish and Christian usage turned it into a virtue, shaped by the biblical theme that God lifts up the lowly. Over centuries of Christian use the English word 'humility' became purely positive and largely inward, and the shock of the original was lost.
Used elsewhere in the period: LXX: tapeinos/tapeinoō is used positively for the lowly whom God exalts (e.g., Ps 138[137]:6; Prov 3:34, quoted in Jas 4:6 and 1 Pet 5:5). Dead Sea Scrolls: the Community Rule (1QS 4:3) lists 'a spirit of humility (ʿanawah), patience (ʾorek ʾappayim), abundant compassion' among the marks of the children of light. That is a close Jewish parallel to the pairing here. NT: Acts 20:19; Phil 2:3; Col 2:18, 23; 3:12; 1 Pet 5:5. Greco-Roman: used negatively by moralists such as Epictetus. Josephus also uses the word, and not as praise.

Similar words

Where it appears

Acts · 1

Acts 20:19 ταπεινοφροσύνης humility

I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews.

Here: Literally "a low-placed way of thinking": taking the low position on purpose and not seeking status or self-promotion. It fits the picture of a slave in the same clause.

Ephesians · 1

Ephesians 4:2 ταπεινοφροσύνης humility

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Here: Literally 'low-mindedness': a frame of mind that accepts the low place and does not grab for rank. In the Greek world the word sounded servile and was usually an insult. Here it is the first mark of a life worthy of God's calling.

Philippians · 1

Philippians 2:3 ταπεινοφροσύνῃ in humility

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.

Here: "With the low-placed mindset." The dative case marks the manner or means: in humility, by way of humility. The word joins "low" with the verb "to think" (phroneō), which runs through this passage (2:2, 2:5).

Colossians · 3

Colossians 2:18 ταπεινοφροσύνῃ humility

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind.

Here: Here probably not the inner virtue but practices of self-lowering, especially fasting and bodily self-denial, done as a religious discipline (compare 2:23, "severe treatment of the body").
Colossians 2:23 ταπεινοφροσύνῃ with humility

Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Here: Here it means a practised self-abasement, most likely fasting and other self-humbling disciplines (as in 2:18). The Greek does not say 'false'. It is the same word Paul praises in 3:12, used here for a ritual technique.
Colossians 3:12 ταπεινοφροσύνην, humility,

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Here: Literally 'lowly-mindedness': being willing to take the low place and count others above yourself. Greek moralists usually treated this as a slave's mentality. In 2:18, 23 the same word describes the false 'humility' of ascetic practice, and here it is reclaimed for the real thing.

1 Peter · 1

1 Peter 5:5 ταπεινοφροσύνην humility

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: A compound of tapeinos ("low") and phrēn ("mind"): a mindset that freely accepts the lower place. It is not self-loathing. It is choosing not to grab status over others.

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