One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Proverbs 29:23
What does Proverbs 29:23 mean?
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Proverbs 29:23
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This verse highlights that honor isn't something you chase; it's something that finds and holds onto those who are genuinely humble in spirit. The original language suggests the humble don't just receive honor, but they "lay hold of" or "obtain" it, implying a deep-seated, enduring connection with it.
One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This proverb is part of a larger section in Proverbs contrasting the wise and foolish, the righteous and wicked. It sits right after verses that warn against associating with rebels and the consequences of hasty promises, emphasizing a pattern of thought about the downfall of arrogance and the elevation of humility. The verses that follow continue this theme, speaking about the importance of honest business dealings and the corrupting influence of bad company.
Ever chased something only to have it slip away? Pride often works the same way, but in reverse.
This verse paints a stark picture: pride is not just a flaw, it's a destructive force. It doesn't just make you look bad; it actively works to bring you down.
What if the path to true honor isn't about climbing higher, but about embracing a different kind of 'low'?
The second half of the verse offers a profound counterpoint to pride. It's not about faking humility, but about a genuine 'lowliness in spirit'.
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Understand the original words
ga'awah · Hebrew Noun
An arrogant, haughty attitude that elevates self above God and others, inevitably leading to divine judgment and humiliation.
shaphal ruach · Hebrew Adjective
A humble, contrite, or meek disposition; one who is emptied of self-sufficiency and recognizes a total dependence on God.
kabod · Hebrew Noun
High reputation, glory, or exaltation, especially the status given by God to those who walk in righteousness and humility.
Jesus echoes this proverb directly, stating 'Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted,' showing the timelessness of this truth.
Matthew 23:12This passage also features Jesus' teaching on humility versus pride, reinforcing the idea that self-exaltation leads to downfall and humility leads to exaltation.
Isaiah 57:15The prophet describes God dwelling with those who are humble and contrite in spirit, revealing that true honor comes from God's presence, which is reserved for the lowly.
1 Samuel 2:3Hannah's prayer beautifully illustrates this proverb, acknowledging God's sovereignty and declaring 'Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed,' highlighting that pride is ultimately futile against God's discernment.
James 4:6James directly confronts those who are proud and driven by selfish desires, stating that 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble,' making it clear that pride incurs God's resistance while humility draws His favor.
pooleProverbs 29:23: "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit."
Shall bring him low, because both God and man conspire against him, and abhor him. Honour shall uphold the humble in spirit; or, as others render it, without any difference in the sense, the humble in spirit shall hold their honour, shall be honoured by God and men. Thus honour, like a shadow, flees from them that pursue it, and follows them who flee from it.
gillProverbs 29:23: "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit."
A man's pride shall bring him low,.... As the pride of Adam, in affecting to be as gods, knowing good and evil; he lost the image of God; was brought into a state of darkness and ignorance, into debt and to a dunghill, to beggary and rags; filled with loathsome diseases, and left in thraldom and bondage to sin and Satan; and so all his posterity were brought into the same low estate. This might be…
This verse highlights that honor isn't something you chase; it's something that finds and holds onto those who are genuinely humble in spirit. The original language suggests the humble don't just receive honor, but they "lay hold of" or "obtain" it, implying a deep-seated, enduring connection with it.
This proverb is part of a larger section in Proverbs contrasting the wise and foolish, the righteous and wicked. It sits right after verses that warn against associating with rebels and the consequences of hasty promises, emphasizing a pattern of thought about the downfall of arrogance and the elevation of humility. The verses that follow continue this theme, speaking about the importance of honest business dealings and the corrupting influence of bad company.
This proverb is part of a larger section in Proverbs contrasting the wise and foolish, the righteous and wicked. It sits right after verses that warn against associating with rebels and the consequences of hasty promises, emphasizing a pattern of thought about the downfall of arrogance and the elevation of humility. The verses that follow continue this theme, speaking about the importance of honest business dealings and the corrupting influence of bad company.
"One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor." — This verse highlights that honor isn't something you chase; it's something that finds and holds onto those who are genuinely humble in spirit. The original language suggests the humble don't just *re…
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Last reviewed October 2026