Proverbs 16:18 (DBY)

Passage

Pride [goeth] before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than fine gold, and the getting of intelligence to be preferred to silver!

Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that taketh heed to his way keepeth his soul.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride [goeth] before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:19 Better is it to be of a humble spirit with the meek, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Proverbs 16:20 He that giveth heed to the word shall find good; and whoso confideth in Jehovah, happy is he.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "pride", "goeth", "before", "destruction", "haughty", and "fall". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "pride", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "The highway of the upright is to..." into verse 19's "Better is it to be of a...", so "Spirit" and "pride" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "Spirit" and "pride" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.