tapeinoo describes lowering oneself, being brought low, or, in one image, a height being brought down.

The dominant use concerns persons lowering themselves in relation to God, others, or an ensuing exaltation; other occurrences describe a person being brought low or experiencing lowly circumstances. Luke 3:5 applies the term to a mountain or hill being brought down.

1. Lowering oneself before exaltation or service · dominant

   Active forms describe a person lowering himself: in Matthew 18:4 the APB renders the clause "whoever humbles himself like this child," while Philippians 2:8 joins this action to becoming obedient until death. In 1 Peter 5:6 and James 4:10, second-person aorist passive plural forms occur in clauses where the APB says "Humble yourselves" before God or the Lord and follows this with exaltation.

   1 Peter 5:6James 4:10Matthew 18:4Matthew 23:12Philippians 2:82 Corinthians 11:7
2. Being brought low or living in lowly circumstances · common

   Future passive forms in Luke 14:11, Luke 18:14, and Matthew 23:12 occur in the reversal statement about one who exalts himself being brought low. In 2 Corinthians 12:21 the aorist active subjunctive concerns God possibly bringing Paul low before his readers, and Philippians 4:12 uses a present passive infinitive within the contrast of being brought low and abounding.

   Luke 14:11Luke 18:14Matthew 23:122 Corinthians 12:21Philippians 4:12
3. Bringing an elevated landscape down · rare

   In Luke 3:5, a future passive form is used of every mountain and hill in the scene where the APB renders them as "brought low." This is the attested non-personal application.

   Luke 3:5

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly uses "humbled" or "humbles himself" in clauses about self-lowering and being brought low, including the contrast with exaltation. It also renders Luke 3:5 with "brought low"; these are verse-level renderings rather than definitions.