18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
18 Pride H1347 goeth before H6440 destruction, H7667 and an haughty H1363 spirit H7307 before H6440 a fall. H3783
18 Pride `goeth' before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
18 Before destruction `is' pride, And before stumbling -- a haughty spirit.'
18 Pride [goeth] before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
18 Pride goes before destruction, and a stiff spirit before a fall.
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.
Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar? Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?
The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 16
Commentary on Proverbs 16 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 16
Pro 16:1
As we read this, it teaches us a great truth, that we are not sufficient of ourselves to think or speak any thing of ourselves that is wise and good, but that all our sufficiency is of God, who is with the heart and with the mouth, and works in us both to will and to do, Phil. 2:13; Ps. 10:17. But most read it otherwise: The preparation of the heart is in man (he may contrive and design this and the other) but the answer of the tongue, not only the delivering of what he designed to speak, but the issue and success of what he designed to do, is of the Lord. That is, in short,
Pro 16:2
Note,
Pro 16:3
Note,
Pro 16:4
Note,
Pro 16:5
Note,
Pro 16:6
See here,
Pro 16:7
Note,
Pro 16:8
Here,
Pro 16:9
Man is here represented to us,
Pro 16:10
We wish this were always true as a proposition, and we ought to make it our prayer for kings, and all in authority, that a divine sentence may be in their lips, both in giving orders, that they may do that in wisdom, and in giving sentence, that they may do that in equity, both which are included in judgment, and that in neither their mouth may transgress, 1 Tim. 2:1. But it is often otherwise; and therefore,
Pro 16:11
Note,
Pro 16:12
Here is,
Pro 16:13
Here is a further character of good kings, that they love and delight in those that speak right.
Pro 16:14-15
These two verses show the power of kings, which is every where great, but was especially so in those eastern countries, where they were absolute and arbitrary. Whom they would they slew and whom they would they kept alive. Their will was a law. We have reason to bless God for the happy constitution of the government we live under, which maintains the prerogative of the prince without any injury to the liberty of the subject. But here it is intimated,
Pro 16:16
Solomon here not only asserts that it is better to get wisdom than gold (ch. 3:14, 8:19), but he speaks it with assurance, that it is much better, better beyond expression-with admiration (How much better!) as one amazed at the disproportion-with an appeal to men's consciences ("Judge in yourselves how much better it is')-and with an addition to the same purport, that understanding is rather to be chosen than silver and all the treasures of kings and their favourites. Note,
Pro 16:17
Note,
Pro 16:18
Note,
Pro 16:19
This is a paradox which the children of this world cannot understand and will not subscribe to, that it is better to be poor and humble than to be rich and proud.
Pro 16:20
Note,
Pro 16:21
Note,
Pro 16:22
Note,
Pro 16:23
Solomon had commended eloquence, or the sweetness of the lips (v. 21), and seemed to prefer it before wisdom; but here he corrects himself, as it were, and shows that unless there be a good treasure within to support the eloquence it is worth little. Wisdom in the heart is the main matter.
Pro 16:24
The pleasant words here commended must be those which the heart of the wise teaches, and adds learning to (v. 23), words of seasonable advice, instruction, and comfort, words taken from God's word, for that is it which Solomon had learned from his father to account sweeter than honey and the honey-comb, Ps. 19:10. These words, to those that know how to relish them,
Pro 16:25
This we had before (ch. 14:12), but here it is repeated, as that which is very necessary to be thought of,
Pro 16:26
This is designed to engage us to diligence, and quicken us, what our hand finds to do, to do it with all our might, both in our worldly business and in the work of religion; for in the original it is, The soul that labours labours for itself. It is heart-work which is here intended, the labour of the soul, which is here recommended to us,
Pro 16:27-28
There are those that are not only vicious themselves, but spiteful and mischievous to others, and they are the worst of men; two sorts of such are here described:-
Pro 16:29-30
Here is another sort of evil men described to us, that we may neither do like them, nor have any thing to do with them.
Pro 16:31
Note,
Pro 16:32
This recommends the grace of meekness to us, which will well become us all, particularly the hoary head, v. 31. Observe,
Pro 16:33
Note,