Proverbs 16:18 (WEB)

Passage

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:16 How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor, than to divide the plunder with the proud.

Proverbs 16:20 He who heeds the Word finds prosperity. Whoever trusts in Yahweh is blessed.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "pride", "goes", "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 "It is better 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.