Destructive Pride Abased

ISAIAH 2:12-22 “For the day of Jehovah of hosts (will be) against all the proud and lofty ones; and against all that is lifted, and it will be abased…”

Barnes Commentary.- “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.”

PRIDE.- In Scripture pride is frequently used to refer to a very negative character trait that can be described as arrogant, conceited and haughty. Classical Greet and Roman culture had a particular aversion to it, stigmatizing it as hubris (excessive arrogance) and making virtually all their literary tragedies a variation on the theme of the self-destructive effects of pride.

As a character trait, pride produces a gallery of memorable characters in the pages of the Bible. We find people who ostentatiously (brazenly) flaunt their power and wealth. The most certain feature of pride in the Bible is that it precedes a downfall.

The embodiment of pride is the nation and ruler of Tyre. Not only kings are natural candidates for pride, so are nations, often represented by their rulers, as we see repeatedly in the Old Testament prophetic books.

The biblical images of pride are most obviously of rulers and nations, but pride is a vice within reach of any individual with enough money or power to provide a platform for it. From Jesus comes the satiric portrait of the banquet quest who ostentatiously seats himself in a place of honor, only to be moved to a lower place, accompanied by the aphorism that “he who exalts himself will be humbled” (Lk 14:7-11).

As these brief pictures show, pride keeps some very bad company. It is associated with such varied vices as perverted speech, boastfulness, defiance of God, indifference to the poor and needy, self deceit, the lust of the flesh and of the eyes and false trust in riches.

A survey of the numerous biblical passages on pride will yield the following conclusions. Pride in the Bible is not just an abstraction but instead yields a series of vivid images. It is especially linked to certain body parts: the heart, the mouth and the eyes. It is also treated as generic evil or wickedness. Material prosperity and its accompanying power are prerequisites to pride. Morally the most common manifestation of pride is oppression of less fortunate people. Spiritually its root sin is disregard for God or defiance of Him. The leading self-delusion of proud people is their false security in themselves and their resources. The most important thing about proud people is that God opposes them, and the most predictable thing we know about pride is that God will bring it down. Indeed, pride in the Bible seems always on the verge of being humbled. The biblical image of pride add up to such a repulsive picture that they would lead one to abhor it, yet the frequency with which it appears in the bible suggests something of its perennial (recurring or enduring) appeal to the sinful heart.
-Dictionary of Biblical Imagery

portrait of the banquet quest who ostentatiously seats himself in a place of honor, only to be moved to a lower place, accompanied by the aphorism that “he who exalts himself will be humbled” (Lk 14:7-11).
As these brief pictures show, pride keeps some very bad company. It is associated with such varied vices as perverted speech, boastfulness, defiance of God, indifference to the poor and needy, self deceit, the lust of the flesh and of the eyes and false trust in riches.
A survey of the numerous biblical passages on pride will yield the following conclusions. Pride in the Bible is not just an abstraction but instead yields a series of vivid images. It is especially linked to certain body parts: the heart, the mouth and the eyes. It is also treated as generic evil or wickedness. Material prosperity and its accompanying power are prerequisites to pride. Morally the most common manifestation of pride is oppression of less fortunate people. Spiritually its root sin is disregard for God or defiance of Him. The leading self-delusion of proud people is their false security in themselves and their resources. The most important thing about proud people is that God opposes them, and the most predictable thing we know about pride is that God will bring it down. Indeed, pride in the Bible seems always on the verge of being humbled. The biblical image of pride add up to such a repulsive picture that they would lead one to abhor it, yet the frequency with which it appears in the bible suggests something of its perennial (recurring or enduring) appeal to the sinful heart.
-Dictionary of Biblical Imagery

PRIDE. Pride is more easily recognized than defined and is more easily detected in others than in self. The concept embraces many synonyms that reflect attitudes as well as acts- such as arrogance, presumption, conceit, and esp. vanity and self-satisfaction. Pride is incessantly selfish, and a proud person thus loses any balance that might grow out of a recognition of his true position as over against God or over against the ability and worth of others. Since man’s true nature is understood primarily in his dependence and- contingence "God- ward" and finds further fulfillment and enrichment "man-ward", it follows that pride is a self-isolating and independent attitude that cuts a man off from his necessary "godly" relationship and prevents his true humanity; thus pride is sin. Although pride usually is thought of as a character trait by which an individual is constantly contrasting himself to others- to his own satisfaction, it is not really understood unless it is seen that its very scorn of all others- that is profoundly indifferent to the options and favors as well as the virtues of others. In this cold and hateful indifference it is most deadly.


Morally the most common manifestation of pride is “oppression of the less fortunate”. Spiritually its root sin is disregard for God or defiance of Him. The leading self-delusion of pride in people is their false security in themselves and their resources.

PRIDE.- Old Testament Heb. Roots uniformly mean “to lift up,” “to be high.” New Testament words reflecting a wide range of synonyms and equivalents allow such translations as “empty display” or “swagger”, “glorying” or “boasting”, “haughtiness” or “arrogance”. The pride condemned in the Bible is “an insolent and empty assurance which trusts in its own power and resources and shamefully despise and violates divine laws and morally virtuous human laws.”

Many of the Hebrew and Greek words, point to the root of pride” being lifted up high, whether literally or figuratively. Pride can be attributed metaphorically to natural phenomena that are literally high. Thus the waves of the sea are said to be proud because they are high and majestic. When attributed to human beings, this sense of exaltation may be either positive or negative, depending on the relative height attributed to the holy standard of God.

Pride is equated with rebelling against Jehovah. It refuses to listen when Jehovah speaks and is unwilling to learn from God’s chastening.

The Psalms and wisdom literature picked up these themes as well: pride is tied to ignorance of God and prefers to trust in what is deceptive and empty. But here the focus is more often on pride in relationship to other people. Pride is associated with wickedness and injustice and is antithetical (opposed) to wisdom, patience and humility. The proud tell contemptuous lies against the righteous. At ease in their riches they represent the antithesis (direct opposite) of the lowly poor, which identifies the sin of Sodom as pride and a complacent prosperity that ignores the needy.

Thus the proud person offends against God by self-deception. The delusion increases until one fancies oneself so high as to be invulnerable. “’Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, thence I will bring you down’, says the Lord”.

Although there are occasional passages in the Old Testament and New Testament which seem to accept various forms of natural pride, the distinctive biblical trust is overwhelmingly against human presumption and self-glorification-on the level of warnings against boasting on the basis of the logic of practical Wisdom.

Jehovah in His wrath destroys the proud nations, as well as the arrogant man. Thus pride and boastfulness characterize the “wicked” in the Psalms and wisdom literature.

Jehovah alone is glorious and exalted, and He achieves, by His ultimate victory over the proud, and through the establishment of the poor and humble remnant. Thus the tangible landmarks of pride in the land must be destroyed, in order that Israel’s new age of humble obedience may come, bringing with it a proper pride in the fruits of Jehovah’s redemptive acts. This abasement is of the proud and exaltation of the humble. Thus Israel’s only proper boast is in the righteous deeds of Jehovah.


Barnes Commentary.- “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.” This does not mean that he shall be brought to be humble, or to have a humble heart, but that- that on which he so much prided himself would be taken away. God will so deal with them as to vindicate His honor; to turn the attention entirely on Himself, and to secure the reverence of the people.

Young Commentary.- At the time when men shall be abased, Jehovah will be exalted and He alone. The primary reference is to the time when Jehovah will be exalted.