eg-zôlt´ (רוּם, rūm, גּבהּ, gābhah (mappı̄ḳ hē), נשׂא, nāsā’; ὑψόω, hupsóō): The Hebrew word most often translated “exalt,” “exalted,” is rūm; “to lift up,” “to be or become high.” It is used with reference to both God and man, e.g. [Exo 15:2], “My father’s God, and I will exalt him”; [Psa 99:5], [Psa 99:9], “Exalt ye Yahweh our God”; compare [Psa 107:32]; [Psa 118:28]; [1Sa 2:10], “Exalt the horn of his anointed”; [Job 17:4], “Therefore shalt thou not exalt them”; compare [Isa 13:2] the King James Version; [Isa 14:13]; gābhah, “to be high,” figuratively “to be exalted,” occurs in [Job 36:7]; [Pro 17:19] the King James Version; [Isa 5:16], etc.; nāsā’, “to lift up,” occurs in [Num 24:7]; [1Ch 29:11], etc.; other words are ṣālal, “to raise up” ([Exo 9:17]; [Pro 4:8]), sāghabh ([Job 5:11]; [Job 36:22] the King James Version; [Isa 2:11], [Isa 2:17]; [Isa 12:4]; [Isa 33:5]), rāmam, “to be high” ([Job 24:24]; [Psa 118:16]).
In the New Testament “exalt” is the translation of hupsóō, “to elevate” (not used with reference to God) ([Mat 11:23]; [Mat 23:12]; [Act 2:33]; [2Co 11:7]; [1Pe 5:6], etc.); also (twice) of epaı́rō, “to lift up, upon or against” ([2Co 10:5]; [2Co 11:20]), once of huperaı́rō, “to lift up above” ([2Th 2:4]); in [2Co 12:7] bis, this word is translated “exalted above measure,” the Revised Version (British and American) “exalted overmuch”; huperupsóō, “to lift up above” ([Php 2:9]), is translated “highly exalted”; húpsos, “elevation,” is translated “exalted” ([Jas 1:9], the Revised Version (British and American) “high estate”).
For “it increaseth” ([Job 10:16]), the Revised Version (British and American) gives “and if my head exalt itself”; instead of “God exalteth by His, power” ([Job 36:22]), “God doeth loftily in his power”; for “though thou exalt thyself as the eagle” ([Oba 1:4]), “mount on high”; for “highly esteemed” ([Luk 16:15]) “exalted”; for “exalteth itself” ([2Co 10:5]), “is exalted”; for “He shall lift you up” ([Jas 4:10]), “He shall exalt you.”
Self-exaltation is strongly condemned, especially by Christ; humbleness is the way to true exaltation ([Mat 23:12]; [Luk 14:11]; [Luk 18:14]; compare [Jas 4:10]; [1Pe 5:6]); the supreme example is that of Christ Himself ([Php 2:5-11]).
