Bible Dictionary
ABASE
To humble, bring low, or reduce someone from an exalted condition. Scripture warns that God can abase the proud and calls people to humble themselves.
Definition
To abase is to bring down, debase, humble, or reduce from an exalted condition. It may describe God’s humbling of the proud or a person’s humbling of himself.
Biblical Usage
Scripture warns the arrogant that God can bring them low and exhorts people to humility. Abasement is associated with affliction, chastening, humiliation, and the reversal of pride.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>a-bas': The English rendition of shaphel (Job 40:11; Eze 21:26), and of its derivative shephal (Da 4:37) = "bring down," "debase," "humble"; of `anah (Isa 31:4) = "abase self," "afflict," "chasten self," "deal harshly with," etc.; and of tapeinoo = "to depress"; figure "to humiliate" (in condition or heart): "abase," "bring low," "humble self" (Php 4:12). The word is always employed to indicate what should be done to or by him who nurtures a spirit and exhibits a demeanor contrary to the laudable humility which is a natural fruit of religion. Such a person is warned that the most extravagant audacity will not daunt Yahweh nor abate His vengeance (Isa 31:4), and good men are exhorted to employ their powers to bring him low (Job 40:11; Eze 21:26). If men are not able to curb the arrogant, God is (Da 4:37); and He has so constituted the world, that sinful arrogance must fall (Mt 23:12 the King James Version; Lu 14:11 the King James Version; Lu 18:14 the King James Version).</p><p>Frank E. Hirsch</p>