Proverbs 18:12

Webster's Bible (1833)

Before destruction the heart of man is proud, But before honor is humility.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לִפְנֵי־שֶׁ֭בֶר יִגְבַּ֣הּ לֵב־אִ֑ישׁ וְלִפְנֵ֖י כָב֣וֹד עֲנָוֽ͏ָה׃

Transliteration

Before-šeḇer yiḡbaḥ lēḇ-ʾîš and-before ḵāḇôḏ ʿănāvāh

Grammar Details

• *šeḇer*: noun, masculine singular - breaking/fracture/destruction
• *yiḡbaḥ*: verb, qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - is high/lofty/exalted
• *lēḇ*: noun, masculine singular construct - heart of
• *ʾîš*: noun, masculine singular - man/person
• *ḵāḇôḏ*: noun, masculine singular - honor/glory/abundance
• *ʿănāvāh*: noun, feminine singular - humility/meekness

Word Meanings

• *šeḇer*: breaking/fracture/destruction/ruin/downfall
• *yiḡbaḥ*: is high/lofty/exalted/proud
• *lēḇ*: heart/mind/inner person
• *ḵāḇôḏ*: honor/glory/distinction/reputation
• *ʿănāvāh*: humility/meekness/gentleness

Referenced Verses

• Prov 15:33 : 33 The fear of Yahweh teaches wisdom. Before honor is humility.
• Prov 11:2 : 2 When pride comes, then comes shame, But with humility comes wisdom.
• Prov 16:18 : 18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
• Prov 29:23 : 23 A man's pride brings him low, But one of lowly spirit gains honor.
• Ezek 28:2 : 2 Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet you are man, and not God, though you did set your heart as the heart of God;-
• Ezek 28:9 : 9 Will you yet say before him who kills you, I am God? but you are man, and not God, in the hand of him who wounds you.
• Dan 5:23-24 : 23 but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which don't see, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified. 24 Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.
• Dan 9:20 : 20 While I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Yahweh my God for the holy mountain of my God;
• Dan 9:23 : 23 At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went forth, and I am come to tell you; for you are greatly beloved: therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.
• Luke 14:11 : 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
• Acts 12:21-23 : 21 On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them. 22 The people shouted, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!" 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn't give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.
• 1 Pet 5:5 : 5 Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to subject yourselves to one another; for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
• Isa 6:5-9 : 5 Then I said, "Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of Hosts!" 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. 7 He touched my mouth with it, and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin forgiven." 8 I heard the Lord's voice, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am. Send me!" 9 He said, "Go, and tell this people, 'You hear indeed, But don't understand; And you see indeed, But don't perceive.' 10 Make the heart of this people fat; Make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And turn again, and be healed." 11 Then I said, "Lord, how long?" He answered, "Until cities are waste without inhabitant, And houses without man, And the land becomes utterly waste, 12 And Yahweh has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 If there are yet a tenth in it, It also shall in turn be eaten up: As a terebinth, and as an oak, whose stock remains, when they are felled; So the holy seed is its stock."
• Ezek 16:49-50 : 49 Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw [good].
• Job 42:6-9 : 6 Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes." 7 It was so, that after Yahweh had spoken these words to Job, Yahweh said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has. 8 Now therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, that I not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has." 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did what Yahweh commanded them, and Yahweh accepted Job. 10 Yahweh turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends. Yahweh gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came there to him all his brothers, and all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before, and ate bread with him in his house. They comforted him, and consoled him concerning all the evil that Yahweh had brought on him. Everyone also gave him a piece of money,{Literally, kesitah, a unit of money, probably silver} and everyone a ring of gold. 12 So Yahweh blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 He called the name of the first, Jemimah; and the name of the second, Keziah; and the name of the third, Keren Happuch. 15 In all the land were no women found so beautiful as the daughters of Job. Their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this Job lived one hundred forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, to four generations. 17 So Job died, being old and full of days.