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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadJames Hastings Dictionary of the NT: Lowliness
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LOWLINESS.—The modest attitude of mind and demeanour which characterized our Lord as a man. It is in contrast with, though not in contradiction to, the greatness both of His station and of His claims. He describes Himself (Mat_11:29) as ‘lowly in heart,’ and the word employed ( ôáðåéíüò ) is accurately translated by the English ‘lowly’ and the Lat. humilis as denoting that which is near the earth, low as opposed to lofty, bowed down as opposed to erect. Though sometimes used in a bad sense, as indicating meanness of spirit, this is not at all its necessary or common signification. In the moral sense it is opposed to proud, haughty, self-assertive. The adjective occurs elsewhere in the NT (Luk_1:52, 2Co_10:1, Jam_1:9; Jam_4:6, 1Pe_5:5); and the noun ôáðåéíïöñïóýíç and the verb ôáðåéíüù are even of more frequent occurrence. Both noun and verb are used by St. Paul (Php_2:3; Php_2:8) in describing the êÝíùóéò of Christ, where a twofold lowliness is declared of Him: (1) in becoming man, (2) as a man. In the prophecy of Zechariah (Zec_9:9) the Messianic King is foretold as being ‘lowly and riding upon an ass’; but in the passages where the prophecy is quoted (Mat_21:5, Joh_12:15), the action is given in both cases. The adjective is altogether omitted by St. John, and is rendered ‘meek’ ( ðñáὔò ) by St. Matthew. See also artt. Meekness and Humility.
E. C. Dargan.