What Does Proverbs 16:18 Mean in the King James?
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Two Hebrew images of height stand before breakage and stumbling: the collapse begins in the very elevation that seems to promise strength.
THE MEANING
Pride and an elevated inner life lead toward fracture and stumbling. When you rise above others in your own regard, that height does not secure you; it precedes the loss of footing.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that standing above others gives you firmer ground dissolves here: self-exaltation leads toward broken footing.
THE ROOT
גָּאוֹן
gaon
GROWS FROM
גאה
ga'ah
Rise, be high, be exalted.
Pride is loftiness, from a root meaning to rise or be high. The neighboring word for haughty also means high, so both clauses place elevation before the break and the fall.
ALSO GROWS
ga'ah: To rise or be exalted.
גָּאָה
It shows pride as an upward movement, the height that precedes collapse.
ga'avah: Pride or arrogance.
גַּאֲוָה
This related noun makes clear that the root’s upwardness can become self-exaltation.
גָּבֹהַּ
gavoah
GROWS FROM
גבה
gavah
Be high, rise, be elevated.
The word for haughty describes רוּחַ (ruach, breath) as high: the inner breath is pictured as elevated. Its root differs from the one behind pride, yet the two words converge on the same image of rising before a fall.
ALSO GROWS
gavah: To be high or grow tall.
גָּבַהּ
It reveals the height contained in the description of the haughty spirit.
gobah: Height or elevation.
גֹּבַהּ
It makes the shared image explicit: the verse links inward elevation with what follows.
שֶׁבֶר
shever
GROWS FROM
שבר
shavar
Break, fracture, shatter.
The consequence rendered destruction is pictured as breakage. Beside it, the fall is a loss of footing, so the verse moves from fracture to stumbling after its images of height.
ALSO GROWS
shavar: To break or shatter.
שָׁבַר
The verb gives destruction the concrete image of something breaking apart.
shavur: Broken or shattered.
שָׁבוּר
This branch names the resulting state that follows the break.
THE PATTERN
Self-exaltation leads to being brought low, while humility precedes honor.
When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.THE THREAD
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.The shared root גבה (gavah, be high) links the haughty spirit here with the haughty heart there. Proverbs 18:12 also sets humility before honor, revealing the opposite movement.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us