The Greek verb elattoō means to make lower, diminish, or decrease. It appears twice in the New Testament in contexts of profound theological significance: John 3:30 (John the Baptist: "He must increase, but I must decrease (elatousthai)") and Hebrews 2:7 (citing Psalm 8: "you made him a little lower (ēlatōsas) than the angels").
The word elattoō captures two defining moments of humility in the NT. First, John the Baptist's voluntary self-decrease: "He must increase, I must decrease." This is the model of all Christian ministry — our diminishment for Christ's exaltation. Second, the incarnation itself: God's Son was "made lower than the angels" (Hebrews 2:7) — the eternal Word humbled to the level of mortal flesh. Both uses point to the same paradox: true greatness is found in kenotic self-emptying. The one who makes himself low will be exalted.