Pro 16:19 | KingComments | STEP | It is an act of God’s justice that He humbles proud, haughty people ( ). They have exalted themselves and are thrown down by God. Their destruction and stumbling come when they imagine themselves at the height of their glory and with their noses on high defy God ( ; ). He who walks with his nose on high does not see where he is walking and what he may stumble over. This causes his “destruction” and “stumbling”. Therefore, we need not fear the pride and haughtiness of others, but all the more our own pride and haughtiness. Haman is an illustration of this verse ( ). connects to . It is better to “be humble in spirit together with the lowly”, than to “divide” with the “proud” in “the spoil” of plunder. The humble in spirit submits to God. He is humble and does not push himself to the forefront. This proves that he belongs to the company of the lowly and therefore to the Lord Jesus from Whom they learned to be “gentle and humble in heart” ( ). A person is gentle if he does not stand on his rights and does not defend himself when he is wronged. The proud are those who rebel against God in their pride. They are presumptuous and oppressive. That there is mention of dividing the spoil with the proud points to the pressure that the proud put on the humble to join in their evil practices, using the bait of dividing the spoil with them. To avoid biting the bait, we must have a spirit of humility dependent on God.

‏ Proverbs 16:19

Humbleness Is Better Than a Haughty Spirit

It is an act of God’s justice that He humbles proud, haughty people (Pro 16:18). They have exalted themselves and are thrown down by God. Their destruction and stumbling come when they imagine themselves at the height of their glory and with their noses on high defy God (Dan 4:30-31; Rev 18:7-8). He who walks with his nose on high does not see where he is walking and what he may stumble over. This causes his “destruction” and “stumbling”. Therefore, we need not fear the pride and haughtiness of others, but all the more our own pride and haughtiness. Haman is an illustration of this verse (Est 5:9-14 ; Est 7:1-10).

Pro 16:19 connects to Pro 16:18. It is better to “be humble in spirit together with the lowly”, than to “divide” with the “proud” in “the spoil” of plunder. The humble in spirit submits to God. He is humble and does not push himself to the forefront. This proves that he belongs to the company of the lowly and therefore to the Lord Jesus from Whom they learned to be “gentle and humble in heart” (Mt 11:29). A person is gentle if he does not stand on his rights and does not defend himself when he is wronged.

The proud are those who rebel against God in their pride. They are presumptuous and oppressive. That there is mention of dividing the spoil with the proud points to the pressure that the proud put on the humble to join in their evil practices, using the bait of dividing the spoil with them. To avoid biting the bait, we must have a spirit of humility dependent on God.