Many languages have sayings very similar to this one referring to the person who is proud. The English version is “Pride goes before a fall.”

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace”: In the Hebrew this line has sounds that recur in each part—baʾ zadon / wayyaboʾ qalon (“Comes pride, then comes shame.”). “Pride” is used by Revised Standard Version in 8.13, where it translates a different word. However, the sense here is the same as there. “Then comes . . .” gives a picture of “pride” and “disgrace” as objects in a sequence: “disgrace follows.” “Disgrace” is seen as the consequence of “pride”. “Disgrace” or shame, as first used in 6.33 (translated “dishonor”), is the opposite of honor.

In some languages “pride” and “disgrace” are expressed in figurative language; for example, “pride” is “going about with the nose in the air” and “disgrace” is “having the eyes on the ground.” In some languages this line may be translated, for example, “If you are a proud person, soon you will be a disgraced person,” “Whoever is proud will become ashamed,” or as in Good News Translation.

“But with the humble is wisdom”: The word rendered “humble” is used only here. Its verb form is used in Micah 6.8 “to walk humbly with your God.” “Humble” or “modest” refers here to a person who does not overestimate himself or herself, that is, does not pretend to be more important than he or she is. The Revised Standard Version wording of this line does not make clear the relation between “wisdom” and being “humble”. The idea is probably best taken as in Good News Translation “It is wiser to be modest.” We may also say, for example, “People who are modest show they have good sense” or, as in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, “A wise person is modest.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .