Pride can refer to a reasonable or justifiable self-respect, but it can also mean improper and excessive self-esteem, known as conceit or arrogance.
Positive and Negative Pride
The apostle Paul showed a positive kind of pride when he spoke about his confidence in Christians or strength in the Lord (2 Corinthians 7:4; 12:5, 9). However, the Bible mostly refers to the negative side of pride in both the Old and New Testaments.
In the Bible, pride often means having an attitude of being high or superior, which is the opposite of humility. One Greek word for pride describes someone who seems important but is really just puffed up with self-importance (for example, 1 Corinthians 5:2; 8:1; 13:4; Colossians 2:18).
Pride as a Sin
Pride is a sin of attitude and spirit. So it is said, “Haughty eyes and a proud heart—the guides of the wicked—are sin” (Proverbs 21:4). Ecclesiastes 7:8 talks about being proud in spirit, and the psalmist says, “O LORD, my eyes are not haughty” (Psalm 131:1).
Pride is cited in the two lists of the most obvious sins in the Bible. n addition to the sins for which God will judge the gentiles, Paul lists insolence, arrogance, and boasting (Romans 1:30). Paul also mentions that in the last days, people will be boastful, arrogant, and conceited (2 Timothy 3:2–4).
Just like many sins of attitude, pride cannot remain internal:
It can affect how someone speaks:
They may boast more often (Malachi 3:13).
It can affect how someone looks:
They may have “haughty eyes” or "a proud look" (Proverbs 6:17; Psalm 101:5; Proverbs 30:13).
It can affect how someone treats others:
They may treat others rudely (Proverbs 21:24). For example, how the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders treated and talked about those they saw as lesser (for example, Matthew 23:5–12; John 9:34). This was especially true of tax collectors and sinners.
Biblical Examples of Pride Leading to Downfall
The Bible gives several examples of pride leading to downfall:
Pride was the downfall of King Uzziah, who, because of this sin, dared to offer incense on the altar of incense and was made sick with leprosy as his punishment from God (2 Chronicles 26:16).
Hezekiah, after his healing by the Lord, became proud of heart and brought God’s anger upon himself, Judah, and Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 32:25–26).
The Pharisee praying in the temple, comparing himself with the humble tax collector, is another example (Luke 18:9–14).
Herod’s refusal to give God the glory for his greatness brought judgment from God; Herod was eaten by worms and died for his sin of pride (Acts 12:21–23).
Ezekiel 28, which describes the pride of the leader of Tyre, is taken by many biblical scholars to refer, in a deeper sense, to the fall of Satan back in the beginning.
Pride not only causes personal downfall but can also affect nations. It was a key reason for the removal of Israel and Judah from Canaan (Isaiah 3:16; 5:15; Ezekiel 16:50; Hosea 13:6; Zephaniah 3:11). It also led to the downfall of the Assyrian king and Moabite king (Isaiah 10:12, 33; Jeremiah 48:29). Because of its deadliness, Israel is warned against pride and forgetting God (Deuteronomy 8:14).
God Hates Pride
Given this, it is clear why the Bible says pride is one of the seven things God hates (Proverbs 6:17). It also mentions that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5; see also Proverbs 3:34; 18:12). The hymn of Mary, the mother of Jesus, may summarize the attitude of God towards pride: “He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble” (Luke 1:51–52).