A discouraging sense of being of less importance or value in comparison with others.
Inferiority as a depressing lack of self-worth
Judges 6:15; Psalm 22:6; 1 Corinthians 2:3 See also 1 Samuel 18:23; Nehemiah 4:4, Nehemiah 6:9; Psalm 31:9–10, Psalm 70:5, Psalm 74:21, Psalm 86:1, Psalm 109:22, Psalm 119:25, Psalm 119:141; Ecclesiastes 9:16; Isaiah 33:8; Jeremiah 22:28; Lamentations 1:11; Malachi 2:9
“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.
Inferiority as a healthy sense of unworthiness
Isaiah 6:5; Matthew 5:3; Luke 5:8 See also 2 Samuel 12:13; Job 42:6; Psalm 38:1–22, Psalm 51:3–5; Revelation 1:17, Revelation 3:17
Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees. “Go away from me, Lord,” he said, “for I am a sinful man.”
God's judgment will bring inferiority on on proud nations
Obadiah 1:2 See also Isaiah 16:14; Jeremiah 49:15; Ezekiel 29:15
“Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you will be deeply despised.
Refusing to be intimidated by a sense of inferiority
Job 12:3; 1 Timothy 4:12 See also Job 13:2; 2 Corinthians 11:5, 2 Corinthians 12:11; Titus 2:15
But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?
Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
God values those regarded as inferior and uses them
Deuteronomy 7:7–8; 1 Corinthians 1:27–28 See also 1 Samuel 2:8; Psalm 12:5, Psalm 34:6, Psalm 35:10, Psalm 36:7, Psalm 40:17, Psalm 72:13, Psalm 136:23, Psalm 140:12; Isaiah 11:4, Isaiah 25:4, Isaiah 29:19, Isaiah 41:14, Isaiah 49:7, Isaiah 61:1–3; Hosea 11:1–4
The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are,
Jesus Christ valued those traditionally regarded as inferior
Matthew 8:2–4 the diseased and ritually unclean; Matthew 9:10–13 the morally unacceptable; Matthew 15:21–29 non-Jews; Matthew 19:13–14 children; Luke 18:13 those who are ashamed of their sins; John 4:9 women
Believers are to help and encourage those who feel inferior
Luke 14:13; Romans 12:16 See also Psalm 82:3–4; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; Hebrews 12:12–13
But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.