ταπεινόω
To depress; figuratively, to humiliate (in condition or heart)
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What does ταπεινόω (tapeinóō) mean in the Bible?
ταπεινόω (tapeinóō) is a Greek word meaning "to depress; figuratively, to humiliate (in condition or heart)". ταπεινόω, -ῶ (ταπεινός), [in LXX chiefly for עָנָה, also for שָׁפֵל, כָּנַע, etc. Declares divine reversal against pride.
Full entry for ταπεινόω (G5013) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
To humble oneself or be humbled; voluntarily lowering one's status before God or others.
(ταπεινός), [in LXX chiefly for עָנָה, also for שָׁפֵל, כָּנַע, etc. ;] to make low: ὄρος (βουνόν), Luk.3:5 (LXX). Metaphorical, to humble, abase: Mat.18:4 23:12, Luk.14:11 18:14, 2Co.11:7 12:21, Php.2:8; pass., Mat.23:12, Luk.14:11 18:14, Php.4:12; id. with mid. sense, Jas.4:10, 1Pe.5:6.
Why This Word Matters
Declares divine reversal against pride. 1 Peter 5:5-11
Defines the posture believers take under God’s sovereign hand. Luke 14:7–11
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
Indicative states a fact or reality 7×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 3×
Imperative command or strong request 2×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 14 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
New Testament Witnesses
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain