What Does Luke 18:14 Mean?
I tell you, this man went down to his house aligned, rather than the other, for everyone who lifts himself up will be brought low, and the one who lowers himself will be lifted up.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.THE KEY
The reversal is built into the verbs: the one who raises himself is brought low, while the one who lowers himself is raised.
THE MEANING
This man goes home set right before God, while the other man’s self-exaltation ends in being brought low. The one who humbles himself is raised. The verse speaks now: standing right with God does not come from ranking yourself above someone else.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that making yourself look more righteous than others puts you right with God.
THE ROOT
δεδικαιωμένος
dedikaiōmenos
GROWS FROM
δικαιο- (dikaio-), the word-family stem of δικαιόω (dikaioō)
To set right, declare righteous, or vindicate; this Greek word family also carries the sense of rightness and alignment.
“aligned” in this verse is dedikaiōmenos. The verse uses a perfect passive form: this man goes home having been set right, with the result still standing. The related word for righteousness, δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē), means alignment; here, being justified is not a victory in comparison but a changed standing before God.
ALSO GROWS
dikaios: Just, right, aligned.
δίκαιος
This related word names the quality associated with being set right; the verse contrasts that standing with self-exaltation.
dikaiosynē: Righteousness, alignment.
δικαιοσύνη
The same word family connects the verdict of being justified with the condition of being aligned.
ταπεινῶν
tapeinōn
GROWS FROM
ταπεινόω (tapeinoō), stem ταπειν- (tapein-)
To lower or bring low; the root holds a concrete downward direction beneath the sense of humility.
“lowers himself” in this verse is tapeinōn. The one who humbles himself takes the low position, and the sentence then says he is raised. English can make humility sound like only an inward attitude; the Greek keeps the movement downward visible, so the reversal has a direction.
ALSO GROWS
tapeinos: Low, lowly, humble.
ταπεινός
The adjective preserves the root’s sense of being low, illuminating the position the person takes.
tapeinōsis: Lowliness, humiliation.
ταπείνωσις
This noun from the same family can describe a low condition, echoing the passage’s downward and upward movement.
ὑψῶν
hypsōn
GROWS FROM
ὑψόω (hypsoō), stem ὑψ- (hyps-)
To raise or lift high.
“lifts himself up” in this verse is hypsōn. The person who lifts himself high is the one the verse says will be brought low; high position pursued for oneself becomes the starting point of the reversal. In the other half, the lowering is self-chosen, but the raising is received.
ALSO GROWS
hypsos: Height, high place.
ὕψος
This related noun keeps the vertical image present beneath the English idea of status or prominence.
hypsēlos: High, lofty.
ὑψηλός
The adjective from the same family clarifies the height toward which self-exaltation reaches.
THE PATTERN
Self-exaltation turns downward, while chosen lowliness is met with raising.
A man's lifting up brings him low, but weight holds up the low in breath.For everyone who lifts himself will be brought low; and the one who lowers himself will be lifted up.Be made low before the face of the LORD, and he will lift you up.THE THREAD
Be made low before the face of the LORD, and he will lift you up.James uses ταπεινόω (tapeinoō, to lower or humble) and ὑψόω (hypsoō, to raise high), the same verb families behind Luke’s humility and exaltation. The reader lowers himself; the Lord does the lifting, and Luke shows that this lowly posture goes home justified.
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