Proverbs 16 · Verse 18

Proverbs 16:18

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18, King James Version

Proverbs 16:18 in other translations

BSBPride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
WEBPride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
ASVPride goeth before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
YLTBefore destruction is pride, And before stumbling--a haughty spirit.'
DARBYPride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
BBEPride goes before destruction, and a stiff spirit before a fall.
WebsterPride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

What does Proverbs 16:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 16:18-19
18-19. (Compare Pr 15:33). Haughtiness and pride imply self-confidence which produces carelessness, and hence a fall--literally, "sliding."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 Pride goeth before destruction - Here pride is personified: it walks along, and has destruction in its train. And a haughty spirit before a fall - Another personification. A haughty spirit marches on, and ruin comes after. In this verse we find the following Masoretic note in most Hebrew Bibles. חצי הספר chatsi hassepher: "the middle of the book." This verse is the middle verse; and the first clause makes the middle of the words of the book of Proverbs.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
When men defy God's judgments, and think themselves far from them, it is a sign they are at the door. Let us not fear the pride of others, but fear pride in ourselves.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Proverbs 16:18 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לִפְנֵי\־lif.nei-[is] <to> beforeH6440
שֶׁ֥בֶרShe.verbreakingH7667
גָּא֑וֹןga.'onprideH1347
וְלִפְנֵ֥יve.lif.Neiand [is] <to> beforeH6440
כִ֝שָּׁל֗וֹןkhi.sha.LonstumblingH3783
גֹּ֣בַהּGoahhaughtiness ofH1363
רֽוּחַ\׃Ru.achspiritH7307

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Proverbs 16:18

  • Proverbs 11:2

    When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

  • Isaiah 2:11-12

    The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

  • Proverbs 18:12

    Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.

  • Obadiah 1:3-4

    The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.

  • Proverbs 29:23

    A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

  • 1 Timothy 3:6

    Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

  • Proverbs 17:19

    He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

  • Romans 11:20

    Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

  • Esther 6:6

    So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?

  • Daniel 4:30-37

    The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws. …

  • Daniel 5:22

    And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;

  • Esther 7:10

    So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
11:2; 17:19; 18:12; 29:23; Es 3:5; 6:6; 7:10; Isa 2:11,12
Isa 37:10-13,38; Da 4:30-37; 5:22,24; Ob 1:3,4; Mt 26:33-35,74
Ro 11:20; 1Ti 3:6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Proverbs 16:17

    The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

  • Proverbs 16:18

    Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

  • Proverbs 16:19

    Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Read all of Proverbs 16

Proverbs 16:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Antes del quebrantamiento es la soberbia; y antes de la caída la altivez de espíritu.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		L’orgueil va devant la ruine, et l’esprit hautain devant la chute.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Hoffart geht dem Sturze, und Hochmut dem Falle voraus.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Contritionem præcedit superbia, et ante ruinam exaltatur spiritus.