The Hebrew verb makak means to be brought low, to be humbled, to sink down, or to be impoverished. Appearing about 8 times in the Old Testament, it describes a state of abasement — either due to external circumstances of poverty and defeat, or the internal condition of genuine humility before God.
Makak captures the condition of those who have been reduced — financially, socially, or spiritually. In Leviticus 27:8, it refers to someone who is too poor to meet the standard offering, and God's law graciously makes provision. The word contrasts sharply with the pride that is repeatedly condemned in Scripture. Proverbs 29:23 captures the biblical inversion: 'Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.' The theology of makak stands at the heart of Jesus's teaching: 'For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted' (Luke 14:11). The incarnation of the Son of God is the ultimate act of divine humbling — God making Himself low to raise humanity high. Paul celebrates this in Philippians 2:7–8, where Christ 'made himself nothing' and 'humbled himself.'