Lexical Summary
kishshalon: Stumbling, downfall, ruin
Original Word:כִּשָּׁלוֹן
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:kishshalown
Pronunciation:kish-shaw-lone'
Phonetic Spelling:(kish-shaw-lone')
KJV: fall
NASB:stumbling
Word Origin:[fromH3782 (כָּשַׁל - stumble)]
1. (properly) a tottering, i.e. ruin
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
fall
Fromkashal; properly, a tottering, i.e. Ruin -- fall.
see HEBREWkashal
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
kashalDefinitiona stumbling
NASB Translationstumbling (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; figurative = calamity
Proverbs 16:18.
Topical Lexicon
Kishalon – Downfall and CollapseDefinition and Conceptual Range
Kishalon conveys a decisive collapse that follows prideful self-exaltation. It is more than a stumble; it is ruin brought on by violated divine order.
Biblical Occurrence
Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall”. Here kishalon (“fall”) answers “destruction” in Hebrew parallelism, underscoring the moral certainty that arrogance culminates in ruin.
Theological Themes
• Moral Retribution—God opposes the proud (James 4:6;1 Peter 5:5).
• Divine Sovereignty—Downfall is not random but governed by the Lord’s justice (Proverbs 11:2; 29:23).
• Human Limitation—Kishalon exposes the fragility of self-reliance (Isaiah 2:11-17;Daniel 4:30-37).
Intertextual Resonance
Genesis 11:4-9;2 Chronicles 26:16;Daniel 5:20-30;1 Corinthians 10:12—each illustrates the pattern of pride leading to collapse even where kishalon is not the lexical term.
Historical Background
Ancient Near Eastern wisdom warned against hubris, yet Israel’s sages uniquely anchored the warning in covenant theology: downfall is divine discipline, not fatalistic fate.
Practical Ministry Implications
• Formation—Foster humility through prayer and accountability to avert kishalon.
• Leadership—Pride disqualifies; humility safeguards (1 Timothy 3:6).
• Restoration—Counsel the fallen with gentleness, teaching the principle ofProverbs 16:18 (Galatians 6:1).
Christ-Centered Perspective
Jesus Christ, “being found in appearance as a man, humbled Himself… therefore God exalted Him” (Philippians 2:8-9). Union with Him equips believers to resist the pride that leads to kishalon.
Homiletical Uses
Sermon series on biblical case studies, object lessons of fragile elevation, and responsive readings ofProverbs 16 can impress the warning and invite repentance.
Related Concepts
Pride (ga’ôn), destruction (sheber), humility (‘anavah), divine discipline (musar).
Forms and Transliterations
כִ֝שָּׁל֗וֹן כשלון chishshaLon ḵiš·šā·lō·wn ḵiššālōwn
Links
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Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
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