Bible Verses About Humility explain why Scripture treats a lowly heart as the doorway to wisdom, grace and true honour. Here you will find Proverbs contrasting pride with meekness, Jesus washing His disciples’ feet, and Paul pointing to Christ, who humbled Himself for our sake. Together they show that humility is not self-contempt but an honest view of ourselves before God.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 (KJV)
Paul points to Christ, who humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, as the pattern for our own mind.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 11:29 (KJV)
Jesus describes Himself as meek and lowly in heart, inviting us to learn from Him.
If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
John 13:14-15 (KJV)
After washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus tells them to follow His example of lowly service.
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Micah 6:8 (KJV)
Walking humbly with God is named alongside justice and mercy as what the LORD requires.
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
James 4:6 (KJV)
God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble, a key biblical principle.
When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.
Proverbs 11:2 (KJV)
Pride brings shame, while wisdom is found with the lowly.
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Proverbs 16:18-19 (KJV)
Pride goes before destruction, and a humble spirit among the lowly is better than sharing spoil with the proud.
The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
Proverbs 15:33 (KJV)
Humility comes before honour in the fear of the LORD.
By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.
Proverbs 22:4 (KJV)
Humility joined with the fear of the LORD brings riches, honour and life.
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Isaiah 57:15 (KJV)
The high and lofty One dwells with those who have a contrite and humble spirit.
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3-4 (KJV)
Jesus teaches that whoever humbles himself as a little child is greatest in the kingdom.
But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Luke 14:10-11 (KJV)
In His teaching about wedding seats, Jesus says the one who exalts himself shall be abased.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon 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 every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Luke 18:13-14 (KJV)
The tax collector who begged for mercy went home justified rather than the proud Pharisee.
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Romans 12:3 (KJV)
Paul warns believers not to think of themselves more highly than they ought, but soberly.
For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
1 Corinthians 4:7 (KJV)
Everything we have was received, Paul reminds us, so there is no ground for boasting.
(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
Numbers 12:3 (KJV)
Moses is described as very meek, above all men on the earth, a biblical model of humility.
The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
Psalms 25:9 (KJV)
God guides the meek in judgment and teaches them His way.
James 4:6’s statement that God “giveth grace unto the humble” ties humility directly to receiving God’s favor, contrasted with pride.
Some of the same ground is covered in Bible Verses For Heaven and Bible Verses For Protection for Family.
Scripture quotations follow the King James Version; Blue Letter Bible lets you read each one alongside its chapter.
Bible Verses About Peace and Strength and Bible Verses About Knowing God pick up threads that run through these verses.
This subject overlaps with Bible Verses About Parents and with Bible Verses About Prayer for Healing.
Bible Verses About Hope in Hard Times and Bible Verses About Happiness are good companions to this page.
For a related angle, see Bible Verses About Self-Control or Bible Verses For Humility.
If the KJV wording feels unfamiliar, Bible Gateway lets you set it beside a modern translation.
Bible Hub offers commentary and cross-references for each verse.
Humility, biblically, is described as genuine strength, directly connected to receiving God’s grace.
Genuine humility is oddly difficult to claim about yourself without the claim undermining itself — announcing your own humility tends to look like its opposite. This is part of why Scripture describes humility more often through action than through self-description: washing feet, taking the lowest seat, serving without needing credit. It shows up in what a person does when no one is measuring, not in what they say about themselves.
If you are trying to grow in this area, it may be more useful to ask people who know you well whether they see it, rather than trying to assess it in yourself directly.
Leadership and humility can seem like an odd pairing, since leading often requires confidence and clear direction. Scripture does not treat them as opposites, however — the clearest examples of leadership it praises combine strong direction with a genuine willingness to serve those being led, rather than positioning leadership as something that exempts a person from humility.
In competitive environments, humility can be read as a lack of confidence or ambition, something to overcome rather than cultivate. Scripture does not support that reading. The humility it describes is paired repeatedly with genuine strength and conviction — not the absence of ambition, but ambition redirected away from self-promotion and toward something larger than personal advancement.
This reframing matters if you have ever felt pressure to choose between being humble and being taken seriously. The two are not presented as opposites in Scripture, even though they are sometimes treated that way elsewhere.
These verses will likely read differently a year from now than they do today, depending on what season of life you are in when you return to them. That is not a flaw in the reading — it is closer to how Scripture is meant to function, offering something different depending on where the reader actually is, rather than delivering one fixed meaning regardless of context.
If nothing else stays with you from this page, let it be this: humility is not about disappearing. It is about making room for something, or someone, other than yourself to matter just as much — a shift in attention, not an erasure of who you are.
Consider choosing just one verse from this list to carry into a specific relationship or situation this week, rather than trying to absorb all twenty at once. A single verse, genuinely applied somewhere concrete, tends to shape more than a full list read and then set aside.
Some of the clearest biblical examples of humility happen with no one watching — quiet obedience, private sacrifice, choices made without any expectation of recognition. This unwitnessed dimension matters because it tests whether humility is genuine character or simply a performance calibrated for an audience.
A useful, honest question to ask yourself is whether you would still make the same humble choice if no one would ever find out about it. That question tends to separate real humility from its more performative imitation fairly quickly.
Of all the people who illustrate Bible Verses About Humility, few are as striking as John the Baptist. He drew crowds from Jerusalem and all Judaea, yet his first answer to the priests and Levites sent to question him was simple: “I am not the Christ.” He called himself a voice crying in the wilderness and said of Jesus, “whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.” Untying sandals was a servant’s task, and John placed himself below even that.
The real test came later, when his own disciples complained that everyone was now going to Jesus. John did not defend his ministry or his following. He answered, “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven,” and compared himself to the friend of the bridegroom, who rejoices to hear the bridegroom’s voice. Then came the line that sums up his life: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Many Bible Verses About Humility describe the attitude in general terms; John shows it under pressure from his own friends. His humility was not weakness. Jesus said that among those born of women there had not risen a greater than John the Baptist. Greatness and lowliness sat together in the same man, which is exactly what Luke 14:11 and Matthew 18:4 teach.
Read alongside the other Bible Verses About Humility, John’s words give the principle a face and a voice.
Some of the most practical Bible Verses About Humility come from 1 Peter 5: “All of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
Peter wrote those words as someone who had learned them the hard way. On the night of Jesus’ arrest he promised, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” Within hours he had denied knowing Jesus three times. After the resurrection, Jesus restored him by the sea of Tiberias, asking three times, “lovest thou me?” and giving him the charge to feed His sheep.
Among the Bible Verses About Humility, Peter’s stand out for linking lowliness with anxiety. Humbling ourselves under God’s hand is paired directly with casting our care on Him. Pride insists on carrying everything alone; humility admits we need help. The phrase “clothed with humility” may also recall the towel Jesus girded Himself with before washing Peter’s feet, a service Peter at first refused to accept.
Both James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5 draw on Proverbs 3:34, where the LORD “giveth grace unto the lowly.” Grace is undeserved favour, and only people who know they need it are ready to receive it. Pride closes the hand; humility opens it. For more on that theme, the collection of Bible verses about grace makes a good companion study.
The books of Chronicles repeatedly measure kings by whether they humbled themselves before God. The pattern is set in 2 Chronicles 7:14, where the LORD promises, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven.” The stories that follow show that promise tested in real lives.
King Uzziah was blessed with victories, towers and a strong army. Then Chronicles records, “But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction.” He entered the temple to burn incense, a task reserved for the priests, and was struck with leprosy until the day he died. Among Bible Verses About Humility, his story is a sober warning that success can be more dangerous than hardship.
Hezekiah’s heart was also lifted up after God healed him, but he “humbled himself for the pride of his heart,” and wrath did not come in his days. His great-grandson Josiah wept and tore his clothes when the book of the law was read, and God told him that because his heart was tender and he humbled himself, he would be spared the coming judgment.
Outside Judah, Nebuchadnezzar learned the same lesson in Daniel 4. After boasting over “great Babylon, that I have built,” he lost his kingdom for a season, and when his reason returned he confessed that God is able to abase “those that walk in pride.” Read together, these Bible Verses About Humility show that humility is not a one-time decision but a turning back that God welcomes again and again.
Working through Bible Verses About Humility with others can be humbling in itself. These questions suit personal journaling or a small group. Take one section at a time, read the passages aloud, and allow some silence before anyone answers.
If your group wants to move from study into daily practice, the companion page of Bible verses for humility focuses on applying these truths. You might end your time by praying Psalm 25:9 together, asking God to guide the meek in judgment and teach you His way.
Pray honestly rather than impressively. Name one area where pride shows up, thank God for a gift you did not earn, and ask Him for a tender heart like Josiah’s. Humility grows as we spend time with the One who was meek and lowly in heart, and returning often to these Bible Verses About Humility keeps His example in front of us.
Numbers 12 opens with Miriam and Aaron whispering against their brother Moses, partly about his foreign wife and partly, it seems, because they felt overlooked. They said, in effect, that God had spoken through them as well. Then comes an aside from the narrator that sounds almost out of place: “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).
What happens next is telling. Moses does not defend himself. He does not call a meeting or line up witnesses. God steps in on his behalf, and Moses, when Miriam is struck with leprosy, cries out for her healing. A man criticized by his own sister prays for her recovery. That is not weakness. It takes a very settled sense of who you are to respond that way.
Many families have a version of this scene, the sibling who resents the one who got the attention, the cousin who always has a remark about how things were handled. The pattern in Numbers 12 suggests a different reflex than the usual one. Let the accusation stand for a day. Pray for the person who made it. And leave the defense of your name to God, who is better at it.
Jesus once watched guests at a dinner jockey for the best places at the table, and He told a short story about it. When you are invited to a wedding, He said, do not sit in the top seat in case someone more honorable arrives. Instead, “go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher” (Luke 14:10).
The story is partly common sense. Nobody enjoys being asked to give up a chair in front of everybody. But Jesus finishes with a principle that reaches well past etiquette: “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:11). He is describing how God tends to work, lifting up the ones who did not scramble for it.
Think of the modern equivalents. The front row at a conference, the name on the plaque, who gets thanked first in the email. None of these are sins in themselves. The point is the posture underneath. If you notice you are quietly measuring your seat against everyone else’s, that is usually the moment to step back and take the lower one on purpose, and see what God does with the empty space you leave.
Paul had a church in Corinth full of people who were fond of ranking their favorite teachers. One group said they followed Paul, another Apollos, another Peter. He cut through it with a question that still stings: “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).
Sit with that for a moment. Your talent, your health, the home you grew up in, the teacher who noticed you, the country where you were born. Most of it arrived before you did anything to earn it. Paul is not telling the Corinthians they have nothing. He is telling them it was handed to them, which changes how you carry it.
This is a gentle road to humility, because it leads toward thanksgiving more than self-criticism. People who think often about what they were given tend to be generous with it. People who think they built everything from nothing tend to be protective, and a little lonely. Try finishing the sentence, “I would not be here without…” and list names. The list is usually longer than you expected.
Isaiah 57:15 gives one of the most surprising pictures in the whole Bible. God speaks as the one who inhabits eternity and whose name is holy, and then He says that He dwells “in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” The address of the Almighty includes a very small, bruised heart.
Contrite means crushed, broken down by an honest look at oneself. The verse does not say God lives with people who are impressive or untroubled. It says He moves toward those who know they are in need. There is a hospital chaplain I have heard describe it this way: the rooms where she sees God most clearly are rarely the ones with the most visitors.
If you have recently failed at something, or let someone down, this verse is worth reading before you decide how to feel about yourself. Humility in the Bible does not mean beating yourself up in perpetual shame. It means telling the truth, and then letting God do the reviving He says He wants to do.
Micah 6:8 asks what the LORD requires of us and answers in a single line: “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” The verb matters. Walking is the slowest and most ordinary form of travel, taken one step after another over uneven ground. The prophet does not say humility is a feeling to be achieved. He treats it as a way of moving through a normal week.
In practice that tends to look unremarkable. Apologizing first when you were only half in the wrong. Asking a younger coworker how she would do it. Letting a neighbor finish the story you have already heard. Paul adds in Romans 12:3 that no one should think of himself more highly than he ought, but to think soberly, which is another way of saying accurately, neither inflated nor shrunk.
A caution is in order. Humility is not the same as letting yourself be mistreated or staying silent about real harm. Abuse and bullying are never made holy by quiet suffering, and if you are in that kind of situation, a pastor, counselor or trusted friend should be told. True humility can speak firmly. It simply does not need to win.
Keep exploring with these related pages: Bible Verses For Humility, Bible Verses About Faith, Bible Verses About Hope, Bible Verses About Love and Bible Verses About Strength.
For deeper study, Bible Gateway, Bible Hub and Bible Study Tools are all free to use.
James 4:6's statement that God "giveth grace unto the humble" ties humility directly to receiving God's favor, contrasted with pride.
This page brings together 8 King James Version references about humility, drawn from 7 different books of the Bible.
These humility verses are drawn from books including James, Luke, Matthew, 1 Peter, Proverbs, among others.
Yes. The verses about humility gathered here include passages from both the Old Testament and the New Testament, such as Proverbs 3:34 and James 4:6.
James 4:6 is one of the verses about humility referenced in this collection, alongside Luke 14:11.
