16:18
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
18a
Pride goes before destruction,
18b and a haughty spirit before a fall.
In Hebrew, there are no verbs in these parallel lines. The proverb is literally:
18a Before breaking, pride
18b and before stumbling, haughtiness of spirit
The overall meaning of both lines is that a person who is proud will experience disaster. It is implied that his pride ⌊will cause him to do foolish things that⌋ lead to his humiliation and ruin.
16:18a–b
Pride…a haughty spirit: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Pride occurs in 8:13b. The Berean Standard Bible translates it there as “arrogant pride.” The word translated here as a haughty spirit occurs in the phrase “proud in heart” in 16:5a. See the note there.
These words do not contrast in meaning. They both refer to someone who has a high opinion of himself and considers himself to be better than others.
If your language has two expressions for such a person, you may be able to use both of them. Otherwise, it is acceptable to use one expression that covers the same range of meaning.
before destruction…before a fall: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as destruction can refer literally to something that “breaks” or “shatters.” The word that it translates as a fall is literally “a stumbling.” In this context, both words have similar meanings. They refer figuratively to humiliation and destruction or ruin. The nature of this destruction is not stated.
Some other ways to translate these parallel lines are:
Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall. (Good News Translation)
-or-
Pride will destroy a person; a proud attitude leads to ruin. (New Century Version)
-or-
Pride precedes disaster, and an arrogant attitude precedes a fall. (God’s Word)
General Comment on 16:18a–b
In some languages, a literal translation of the parallel lines may wrongly imply that there is a contrast between “pride” and a “haughty spirit.” It may also wrongly imply a contrast between “destruction” and “a fall.” If that is true in your language, you may need to reorder the parallel parts. See 16:18a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display.
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