Proverbs 16:18

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16 ^aHow much better to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before¹ a fall.

19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the¹ spoil with the proud.

20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever ^atrusts in the Lord, happy is he.

Commentaries:

Adam Clarke

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Proverbs 16:19 >>

Proverbs 16:18

Pride goeth before destruction - Here pride is personified: it walks along, and has destruction in its train.

And a haughty spirit before a fall - Another personification. A haughty spirit marches on, and ruin comes after.

In this verse we find the following Masoretic note in most Hebrew Bibles. chatsi hassepher : "the middle of the book." This verse is the middle verse; and the first clause makes the middle of the words of the book of Proverbs.

**Other Adam Clarke entries containing Proverbs 16:18:**

Proverbs 18:12

<< Proverbs 16:17

Proverbs 16:19 >>

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