Bible Verses About Pride

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

A short proverb about the pattern: a proud spirit walks ahead of a fall. It is a plain observation about how self-confidence without humility tends to end.

“When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.”

Pride and disgrace are set side by side, and so are humility and wisdom. The proverb suggests that wise people are the ones who know their limits.

“A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.”

Arrogance brings a person low, while a humble spirit is the one that ends up honored. Life often works out the opposite way from what pride expects.

“The pride of your heart has deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks whose habitation is the heights, who say in your heart, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, even from there I will bring you down,”declares the LORD.”

Edom trusted in its mountain fortresses and told itself no one could touch it. God answers that even the highest security is nothing before him.

“But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.””

God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. Pride shuts the very hand that would help us, and humility opens it.

“For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”

Paul asks a question that deflates boasting: what do you have that was not given to you? Talents, health and opportunities all come to us as gifts.

“This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches. But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth— for I delight in these things,”declares the LORD.”

If anyone is going to boast, the prophet says, let it not be about wisdom, strength or wealth. The only worthwhile pride is in knowing the Lord and his kindness, justice and faithfulness.

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.”

Paul asks for sober self-assessment: neither inflated nor falsely small, and measured by the faith God has given. Honest humility is accuracy, not self-hatred.

“If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own work. Then he will have reason to boast in himself alone, and not in someone else.”

Comparison feeds pride, so Paul suggests testing your own work rather than measuring yourself against a neighbor. Your task is your own, and you answer for it.

“To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ 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.””

Jesus tells of two men praying, one certain of his own goodness and one simply asking for mercy. It is the second who goes home right with God.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Paul asks the church to drop rivalry and to count others as worth attention. Humility here is practical: it looks out for other people's interests too.

“When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, He told them a parable: “When you are invited to a wedding banquet, do not sit in the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited. Then the host who invited both of you will come and tell you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ And in humiliation, you will have to take the last place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the last place, so that your host will come and tell you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.””

At a dinner, Jesus tells guests not to grab the best seats, because those who lift themselves up will be lowered and the humble raised. He is talking about the kingdom, not table manners.

“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.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.”

Peter calls everyone in the church to clothe themselves in humility toward one another and to trust God to lift them in his own time. Waiting for God's timing is itself a humbling.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

The instruction is simple: bow low before the Lord and he will lift you up. Notice who does the lifting.