Matthew 23:12

And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) Whosoever shall exalt himself.—The precept seems to have been one which our Lord desired specially to imprint on the hearts of the disciples. It had been spoken at least twice before, as in Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14. The echoes of it in James 4:10, 1Peter 5:6, show that the impression had been made.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

23:1-12 The scribes and Pharisees explained the law of Moses, and enforced obedience to it. They are charged with hypocrisy in religion. We can only judge according to outward appearance; but God searches the heart. They made phylacteries. These were scrolls of paper or parchment, wherein were written four paragraphs of the law, to be worn on their foreheads and left arms, Ex 13:2-10; 13:11-16; De 6:4-9; 11:13-21. They made these phylacteries broad, that they might be thought more zealous for the law than others. God appointed the Jews to make fringes upon their garments, Nu 15:38, to remind them of their being a peculiar people; but the Pharisees made them larger than common, as if they were thereby more religious than others. Pride was the darling, reigning sin of the Pharisees, the sin that most easily beset them, and which our Lord Jesus takes all occasions to speak against. For him that is taught in the word to give respect to him that teaches, is commendable; but for him that teaches, to demand it, to be puffed up with it, is sinful. How much is all this against the spirit of Christianity! The consistent disciple of Christ is pained by being put into chief places. But who that looks around on the visible church, would think this was the spirit required? It is plain that some measure of this antichristian spirit prevails in every religious society, and in every one of our hearts.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 20:26.

He that shall humble himself ... - God will exalt or honor him that is humble, and that seeks a lowly place among people. That is true religion, and God will reward it.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

12. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased—See on [1347]Lu 18:14. What follows was addressed more immediately to the scribes and Pharisees.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 11,12. We have what is in Matthew 23:12 twice in Luke, Luke 14:11 Luke 18:14. These verses expound what went before, and let us know;

1. That it was not a title, but the affectation of a title, which he blamed.

2. Not a doctorship, or mastership, but such a doctorship or mastership as made a man too big for the ministry of the church; such honour as lifted up the man’s heart above his work.

He is an infamous doctor in the church of Christ, who thinks himself too high or too great to be a minister in it. For God will abase, and men shall abase, him who exalteth himself. God resisteth, and men usually contemn and despise the proud, especially ministers who are so. Both God shall exalt, and men shall honour, those that humble themselves, both to men, condescending to those of low degree, and to their work, thinking not the meanest ministry to souls a work beneath them.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And whosoever shall exalt himself,.... Above his fellow Christians, or fellow ministers, by entertaining too high an opinion of himself, by boasting of his gifts, as preferable to others, and as if he had not received them; by assuming, or eagerly coveting titles of honour among men, or by affecting honour that do not belong to him, or, abusing what he has: "shall be abased"; or humbled by God, or men, or both; such shall lose the honour they have, and come greatly short of what they are ambitious of; they shall fall into disgrace with men, and are abominable in the sight of God: "and he that shall humble himself"; by entertaining low thoughts, and a mean opinion of himself, behaving modestly among men; not being elated with his gifts, but acknowledging that they are owing to the grace and goodness of God; and using them in an humble manner, for, the advantage of others; not coveting honour from men, nor lifted up with what is conferred on him: "shall be exalted"; by God, or men, or both; if not in this world, yet in the world to come: and indeed, generally speaking, such modest, humble, persons, are most esteemed among men; and God gives more grace unto them, and will at last give them glory. This is a saying, often used by our Lord on different accounts, both with respect to his disciples, for their instruction, and with regard to the scribes and Pharisees, for their mortification; see Luke 14:11. It seems to be a proverbial expression, and much in use among the Jews: it is said in so many words in the Talmud (u), as here;

"whosoever shall humble himself, the holy blessed God shall exalt him; and whosoever shall exalt himself, the holy blessed God shall humble him.''

(u) T. Bab. Erubin, fol. 13. 2. & 54. 1. & Nedarim, fol. 55. 1.

Geneva Study Bible

And whosoever {l} shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

(l) He seems to allude to the position of the rabbis, for rabbi signifies one that is in a high position.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Bengel's Gnomen

Matthew 23:12. Ὅστις δὲ ὑψώσει ἑαυτὸν, κ.τ.λ., but whosoever shall exalt himself, etc.) In the S. V. of Ezekiel 21:26, we read ἐταπείνωσας τὸ ὑψηλὸν, καὶ ὕψωσας τὸ ταπεινόν, Thou hast humbled that which is exalted, and exalted that which is humble.—ὑψώσει ἑαυτὸν, shall exalt himself) As the Scribes and Pharisees did.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - Whosever shall exalt himself shall be abased (ταπεινωθήσεται, shall be humbled); and he that shall humble (ταπεινώσει) himself shall be exalted. It is not clear why the rendering of the verb is not uniform in this verse. The antithesis certainly requires it. The gnome, so often repeated (see references), seems to be, as it has been called, "an axiom in the kingdom of God." It is indeed a universal law in God's dealings with men. Olshausen quotes a saying! of Hillel to the same purport, "My humility is my exaltation, and my exaltation is my humility." The first clause was prophetic of the speedy overthrow of the haughty Pharisees; the second is grandly illustrated in the example of Christ, who humbled himself to the death of the cross, and is now highly exalted; who "for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2). St. Peter draws the lesson, "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time" (1 Peter 5:5, 6). Matthew 23:12