The Bible says pride can lead to trouble and moves us away from God, urging us to be humble and follow God’s guidance instead. These 160 Bible verses about pride and humility, offering Scriptures of caution and the beauty of being humble. Whether you’re looking for advice, motivation, or just a moment to think, these verses teach valuable lessons for a balanced and fulfilling life. Let’s discover together how pride and humility play out, led by the timeless wisdom of the Bible.
The Dangers of Pride
- Proverbs 16:18 – “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
- Proverbs 11:2 – “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
- Proverbs 29:23 – “Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.”
- Proverbs 21:24 – “The proud and arrogant person—’Mocker’ is his name— behaves with insolent fury.”
- Jeremiah 50:31-32 – “‘See, I am against you, you arrogant one,’ declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty, ‘for your day has come, the time for you to be punished. The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up; I will kindle a fire in her towns that will consume all who are around her.'”
- Proverbs 18:12 – “Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.”
- 1 Peter 5:5 – “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'”
- Proverbs 8:13 – “To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”
- Psalm 101:5 – “Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.”
- Daniel 4:37 – “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”
Pride vs. Humility
- Matthew 23:12 – “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
- Philippians 2:3 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”
- Isaiah 28:1 – “Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!”
- James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
- 1 Peter 5:6 – “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
- Proverbs 27:2 – “Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.”
- 1 Corinthians 4:6 – “Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, ‘Do not go beyond what is written.’ Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.”
- Colossians 3:12 – “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
- Ephesians 4:2 – “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
- Luke 14:11 – “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Consequences of Pride
- Obadiah 1:3 – “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?'”
- Psalm 119:78 – “May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts.”
- Isaiah 2:11 – “The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.”
- Proverbs 21:4 – “Haughty eyes and a proud heart— the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.”
- Jeremiah 50:31 – “See, I am against you, you arrogant one,’ declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty, ‘for your day has come, the time for you to be punished.'”
- Proverbs 16:18-19 – “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.”
- Isaiah 23:9 – “The LORD Almighty planned it, to bring down her pride in all her splendor and to humble all who are renowned on the earth.”
- Proverbs 13:10 – “Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”
- Habakkuk 2:4 – “See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness—”
- Malachi 4:1 – “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the LORD Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.”
Pride and Wisdom
- Jeremiah 13:15 – “Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken.”
- Hosea 5:5 – “Israel’s arrogance testifies against them; the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin; Judah also stumbles with them.”
- Job 38:11 – “And I said, ‘Here shall your proud waves be halted’?”
- Proverbs 15:33 – “Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the LORD, and humility comes before honor.”
- Proverbs 12:15 – “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.”
- Ecclesiastes 7:8 – “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.”
- Proverbs 14:3 – “A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them.”
- Job 40:12 – “Look at every proud man and humble him, crush the wicked where they stand.”
- Proverbs 28:26 – “Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:28-29 – “God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”
Pride and Relationships
- Proverbs 13:10 – “Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”
- Proverbs 28:25 – “The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the LORD will prosper.”
- Romans 12:16 – “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”
- Philippians 2:1-2 – “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”
- James 3:14-16 – “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 – “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
- Proverbs 10:12 – “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.”
- Ephesians 4:31-32 – “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
- 1 Peter 3:3-4 – “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
- Galatians 5:26 – “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”
The Call to Humility
- Micah 6:8 – “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
- Proverbs 30:13 – “There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!”
- Isaiah 5:15 – “So man will be brought low and mankind humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled.”
- Philippians 2:3-4 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
- Psalm 31:23 – “Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full.”
- Amos 6:8 – “The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself—the Lord God Almighty declares: ‘I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it.'”
- Isaiah 13:11 – “I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.”
- Matthew 5:5 – “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
- Luke 18:14 – “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
- Proverbs 3:34 – “He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.”
Pride’s Impact on Self
- Proverbs 16:5 – “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.”
- Proverbs 26:12 – “Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them.”
- Job 40:11-12 – “Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at all who are proud and bring them low, look at all who are proud and humble them, crush the wicked where they stand.”
- Isaiah 16:6 – “We have heard of Moab’s pride—how great is her arrogance!—of her conceit, her pride and her insolence; but her boasts are empty.”
- Isaiah 5:21 – “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.”
- Galatians 6:3 – “If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.”
- 2 Timothy 3:2-4 – “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good.”
- Jeremiah 9:23-24 – “This is what the LORD says: ‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD.”
- Proverbs 25:27 – “It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep.”
- Romans 12:3 – “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”
Examples of Pride and Humility in the Bible
- Daniel 4:30 – “He said, ‘Is not this great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?'”
- Luke 1:51-52 – “He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.”
- Acts 12:22-23 – “The people were shouting, ‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’ Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.”
- Exodus 10:3 – “So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me.'”
- Psalm 138:6 – “Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar.”
- 1 Samuel 2:3 – “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.”
- 2 Chronicles 32:26 – “Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the LORD’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.”
- Mark 9:35 – “Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.'”
- 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
- Zephaniah 3:11 – “On that day you will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from this city those who rejoice in their pride. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill.”
The Reward of Humility
- Psalm 149:4 – “For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.”
- Psalm 10:4 – “In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”
- Matthew 5:3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
- James 1:9-10 – “Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.”
- Zephaniah 2:10 – “This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the Lord Almighty.”
- Isaiah 57:15 – “For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'”
- Psalm 59:12 – “For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter,”
- Proverbs 22:4 – “Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life.”
- Psalm 25:9 – “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.”
- Proverbs 15:33 – “Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the LORD, and humility comes before honor.”
Pride and Judgment
- Isaiah 26:5 – “He humbles those who dwell on high, he lays the lofty city low; he levels it to the ground and casts it down to the dust.”
- Isaiah 2:12 – “The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled),”
- Psalm 119:21 – “You rebuke the arrogant, who are accursed, those who stray from your commands.”
- James 4:6 – “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'”
- 1 Samuel 2:7 – “The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.”
- Isaiah 2:17 – “The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,”
- Ezekiel 28:2 – “Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘In the pride of your heart you say, “I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas.” But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god.'”
- Daniel 5:20 – “But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.”
- Obadiah 1:4 – “Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.”
- Job 35:12 – “He does not answer when people cry out because of the arrogance of the wicked.”
Humility in Service
- Philippians 2:5-7 – “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
- Galatians 5:13 – “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”
- 1 Peter 4:10 – “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
- Matthew 20:26-28 – “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- John 13:14 – “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”
- Acts 20:35 – “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”
- Romans 12:10 – “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
- Luke 22:26 – “But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:19 – “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:5 – “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.”
The Folly of Pride
- Proverbs 14:8 – “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.”
- Proverbs 26:16 – “The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly.”
- Proverbs 28:26 – “Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.”
- 1 Corinthians 3:18 – “Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become ‘fools’ so that you may become wise.”
- Proverbs 12:15 – “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.”
- Ecclesiastes 7:9 – “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.”
- Proverbs 15:5 – “A fool spurns a parent’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.”
- Proverbs 19:3 – “A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the LORD.”
- Jeremiah 49:16 – “The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s, from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.”
- Obadiah 1:3 – “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?'”
Overcoming Pride
- Proverbs 16:19 – “Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.”
- James 4:7 – “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
- 1 John 2:16 – “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
- Galatians 6:14 – “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
- Romans 12:16 – “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”
- Philippians 2:8 – “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”
- Colossians 2:18 – “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.”
- Jeremiah 48:29 – “We have heard of Moab’s pride—her overweening pride and conceit, her pride and her insolence—but her boasts are empty.”
- 2 Chronicles 26:16 – “But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.”
- Proverbs 15:25 – “The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but he maintains the widow’s boundaries.”
The Humility of Jesus
- Matthew 11:29 – “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
- John 13:12-15 – “When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. ‘You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.'”
- Philippians 2:6-7 – “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
- Isaiah 53:2 – “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”
- Luke 9:58 – “Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.'”
- 2 Corinthians 8:9 – “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
- Hebrews 4:15 – “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”
- 1 Peter 2:23 – “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
- Luke 23:34 – “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”
- Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Pride vs. Wisdom
- Proverbs 11:12 – “Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.”
- James 3:13 – “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”
- Proverbs 17:27-28 – “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.”
- Ecclesiastes 9:17 – “The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools.”
- James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
- Proverbs 9:10 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
- Colossians 3:16 – “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
- Proverbs 2:6 – “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
- Proverbs 3:7 – “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.”
- 1 Corinthians 2:13 – “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.”
Pride and Conflict
- Proverbs 13:10 – “Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”
- James 4:1-2 – “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.”
- Proverbs 28:25 – “The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the LORD will prosper.”
- Galatians 5:26 – “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”
- Isaiah 10:12 – “When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, ‘I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes.'”
- Proverbs 20:3 – “It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.”
- Titus 3:9 – “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and useless.”
- Romans 13:13 – “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.”
- Proverbs 22:10 – “Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended.”
- Ephesians 4:26-27 – “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”
Conclusion
As we conclude our journey through these 160 Bible verses about pride, we hope you’ve found wisdom and comfort in the Scriptures’ call to humility. May these teachings guide you towards a life filled with grace, understanding, and a closer connection to the Lord. Remember, in the embrace of humility, we find true strength and the path to a more fulfilling relationship with God and those around us.