The Meaning of Proverbs 16:18 Explained

Proverbs 16:18

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

YLT: Before destruction is pride, And before stumbling -- a haughty spirit.'

Darby: Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

ASV: Pride goeth before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Proverbs 16:18 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 16

1  The Plans of the heart

What do the individual words in Proverbs 16:18 mean?

Before destruction Pride [goes] and before a fall haughty a spirit
לִפְנֵי־ שֶׁ֥בֶר גָּא֑וֹן וְלִפְנֵ֥י כִ֝שָּׁל֗וֹן גֹּ֣בַהּ רֽוּחַ

לִפְנֵי־  Before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
שֶׁ֥בֶר  destruction 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁבֶר 
Sense: breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash, ruin, shattering.
גָּא֑וֹן  Pride  [goes] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גָּאֹון  
Sense: exaltation, majesty, pride.
וְלִפְנֵ֥י  and  before 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
כִ֝שָּׁל֗וֹן  a  fall 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּשָּׁלֹון  
Sense: a stumbling, a fall, a calamity.
גֹּ֣בַהּ  haughty 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גֹּבַהּ  
Sense: height, exaltation.
רֽוּחַ  a  spirit 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.