Bible Strands
Proverbs 29:23
A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — A wisdom teacher addresses a general audience of young men seeking instruction; no narrative occasion is given.
The words — תשפיל (tashpil, "it will bring low") and שפל (shefal, "lowly") share the root שׁפל, so the verse's two halves are built on the same verb: pride lowers the person, and the person who is low attains honor.
The thread — Jesus states the same reversal in Matthew 23:12 and Luke 14:11; Proverbs 11:2 pairs pride with disgrace and humility with wisdom.
Why it lands — The verse asks the reader to stop treating honor as a goal and to stop treating lowliness as a defeat, because the mechanism it describes runs in the opposite direction from what ambition assumes.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.
Cross-references
- Matthew 23:12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
- Luke 14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.
- Isaiah 66:2 Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.
- James 4:6 But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- 1 Peter 5:5 Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
- Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
- Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Isaiah 2:11 The proud look of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.