Humility (lowliness of mind) is the virtue opposite to pride.
Peaceful acceptance of God’s will for oneself as His creature.
Submission to God, to His ordinances and to His providence, both in small things and in great.
A modest opinion of oneself, trust in God and hope in Him.
The Lord Is the God of the Humble
“For your strength does not depend on numbers, nor your might on the powerful. But you are the God of the lowly, helper of the oppressed, upholder of the weak, protector of the forsaken, savior of those without hope” (Jdt. 9:11)
The Commandment of Humility
The Lord Jesus Christ calls us to learn humility from Him:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:28-29)
“Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion” (Rom. 12:16)
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic. 6:8)
“Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer*” (Deut. 10:16)
*A stiff-necked people is a people that does not bow its head before God, that does not humble itself.
The Theotokos Was Chosen by God for Her Humility
“For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed” (Luke. 1:48)
In the Greek: ἐπέβλεψεν ἐπὶ τὴν ταπείνωσιν — “He looked upon the humility” (lowliness) of His handmaid.
God Gives Grace to the Humble
“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Pet. 5:5-6)
“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James. 4:6)
“Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble” (Prov. 3:34)
“My child, perform your tasks with humility; then you will be loved by those whom God accepts. The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself; so you will find favor in the sight of the Lord. <…> For great is the might of the Lord; but by the humble he is glorified” (Sir. 3:17-20)
“When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom” (Prov. 11:2)
God Saves the Humble
“The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Ps. 34:18)
In the Septuagint (Ps. 33:18, LXX): τοὺς ταπεινοὺς τῷ πνεύματι σώσει — “He will save the humble in spirit”.
“For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation” (Ps. 149:4)
“By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life” (Prov. 22:4)
God Exalts the Humble
“The LORD lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground” (Ps. 147:6)
“For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation” (Ps. 149:4)
“The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility” (Prov. 15:33)
“Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility” (Prov. 18:12)
“By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life” (Prov. 22:4)
“A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor” (Prov. 29:23)
God Hears the Prayer of the Humble
“LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear” (Ps. 10:17)
“The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and it will not rest until it reaches its goal; it will not desist until the Most High responds” (Sir. 35:21)
“But this is the one to whom I will look, to the humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at my word” (Is. 66:2)
“Yet with a contrite heart and a humble spirit may we be accepted” (Dan. 3:39, LXX; the Prayer of Azariah; translated from the Greek: ἀλλ᾿ ἐν ψυχῇ συντετριμμένῃ καὶ πνεύματι τεταπεινωμένῳ προσδεχθείημεν)
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart — these, O God, You will not despise” (Ps. 51:17)
In the Septuagint (Ps. 50:17, LXX) the heart is “contrite and humbled” (συντετριμμένην καὶ τεταπεινωμένην).
God Comforts the Humble
“Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (2 Cor. 7:6)
In the Greek: ὁ παρακαλῶν τοὺς ταπεινούς — “who comforts the humble”.
“Though the LORD is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar” (Ps. 138:6)
God Preserves the Humble
“Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’s anger” (Zeph. 2:3)
“The Lord plucks up the roots of the nations, and plants the humble in their place” (Sir. 10:15)
“I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD” (Zeph. 3:12)
God Dwells with the Humble
“For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones’” (Is. 57:15)
Parables About Humility
On Choosing a Place at a Wedding
“So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: ‘When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, “Give place to this man,” and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, “Friend, go up higher.” Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you’” (Luke. 14:7-10)
The Publican and the Pharisee
“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke. 18:13-14)
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men — extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke. 18:10-14)