New English Translation
Proverbs 16:18
18Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
- New International Version (NIV)Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
Context of Proverbs 16:18
16How much better it is to acquire wisdom than gold; to acquire understanding is more desirable than silver. 17The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; the one who guards his way safeguards his life. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. 19It is better to be lowly in spirit with the afflicted than to share the spoils with the proud. 20The one who deals wisely in a matter will find success, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
Read all of Proverbs 16Proverbs 16:18 word by word
לִפְנֵי־שֶׁ֥בֶר גָּא֑וֹן וְלִפְנֵ֥י כִ֝שָּׁל֗וֹן גֹּ֣בַהּ רֽוּחַ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 16:18
- Proverbs 11:2When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
- Proverbs 17:19The one who loves a quarrel loves transgression; whoever builds his gate high seeks destruction.
- Proverbs 18:12Before destruction the heart of a person is proud, but humility comes before honor.
- Proverbs 29:23A person’s pride will bring him low, but one who has a lowly spirit will gain honor.
- Esther 3:5When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing or paying homage to him, he was filled with rage.
- Esther 6:6So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?” Haman thought to himself, “Who is it that the king would want to honor more than me?”
- Esther 7:10So they hanged Haman on the very gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. The king’s rage then abated.
- Isaiah 2:11Proud men will be brought low, arrogant men will be humiliated; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
- Isaiah 37:10“Tell King Hezekiah of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust mislead you when he says, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.”
- Daniel 4:30The king uttered these words: “Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?”
- Daniel 5:22“But you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, although you knew all this.
- Obadiah 1:3Your presumptuous heart has deceived you – you who reside in the safety of the rocky cliffs, whose home is high in the mountains. You think to yourself, ‘No one can bring me down to the ground!’
- Matthew 26:33Peter said to him, “If they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!”
- Romans 11:20Granted! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear!
- 1 Timothy 3:6He must not be a recent convert or he may become arrogant and fall into the punishment that the devil will exact.
Commentaries on Proverbs 16:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Pride 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. הספר חצי 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.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18Verse 18 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.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18Those who resist God and rely on their own strength (Proverbs 16:5) are acting foolishly and harming themselves. Without God's help, no one has enough resources for life.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-1918-19. (Compare Pr 15:33). Haughtiness and pride imply self-confidence which produces carelessness, and hence a fall--literally, "sliding."Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 16:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries