WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH US ABOUT THE DANGER OF PRIDE?

By Peter Sammons

The Kitchen Table

My mother used to quote scripture across the kitchen table at her children, and especially at me. One of the verses she would quote (and this may say something about me as a boy) was “pride comes before a fall”. She was paraphrasing Proverbs 16:18. In various translations, the verse tells a consistent story:

KJV

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

NKJV

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

NIV

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

We need to focus on this reality of ‘pride’. I’m going to ignore ‘haughty spirit’, largely, because it is virtually the same thing; if you are proud then you tend to have a haughty spirit. Haughty comes from the word ‘high’ – haughty people look down on others. So haughtiness and pride are really two sides of the same coin. Whilst haughtiness never has a good connotation, in some people’s estimation “pride” does have a good connotation. So let us focus on this reality of pride.  Our key text is

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

Destruction’ and a ‘fall’, of course, are two things we want to avoid, if we are wise and sensible. Destruction means loss. A fall means injury – and perhaps loss as well. In both cases that loss may well be eternal, as we shall consider from a specifically Scriptural vantage point. So let us reflect for a few moments on pride, before we turn to consider two Scriptures in depth.

Of course there can be a good connotation around the idea of pride; it can be something quite reasonable. We speak of taking a pride in our appearance, or taking pride in our work. In both cases this carries about it the idea of not being sloppy – and doing things as well as we can so that others get the kudos (or due recognition) that goes with our good work. If you do well in your exams, your school gets the kudos – for having taught well. Your teacher gets the kudos for being a good teacher. And you get the deserved reputation of being a good student, hard-working and capable.