Topical Encyclopedia
Haughtiness, often synonymous with pride or arrogance, is a disposition characterized by an inflated sense of self-worth and a disdainful attitude towards others. In the Bible, haughtiness is frequently condemned as it stands in opposition to the humility and meekness that God desires from His people. The Scriptures provide numerous warnings against haughtiness, illustrating its destructive nature and the divine judgment it incurs.
Biblical References:1.
Proverbs 16:18 · "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." This verse succinctly captures the inevitable downfall that follows haughtiness. It serves as a cautionary reminder that arrogance leads to one's ruin.
2.
Isaiah 2:11-12 · "The proud look of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men will be brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. For the Day of the LORD of Hosts will come against all the proud and lofty, against all that is exalted—it will be humbled." Here, the prophet Isaiah warns of the coming judgment against the haughty, emphasizing that only God will be exalted.
3.
James 4:6 · "But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'" This New Testament passage reiterates the Old Testament theme that God actively resists the proud, while extending grace to those who are humble.
4.
Proverbs 18:12 · "Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor." This proverb highlights the contrast between pride and humility, indicating that honor is a result of humility, not haughtiness.
5.
Psalm 101:5 · "Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not endure." The psalmist expresses God's intolerance for haughtiness, associating it with slander and a proud heart.
Theological Implications:Haughtiness is fundamentally a sin of the heart, reflecting a rebellion against God's sovereignty and an overestimation of one's own importance. It is often linked with other sins such as envy, strife, and disobedience. The Bible consistently teaches that God values humility and contrition, as seen in passages like
Micah 6:8, which calls believers to "walk humbly with your God."
Examples in Scripture:·
Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4): The Babylonian king's haughtiness led to his temporary downfall and madness until he acknowledged God's sovereignty.
·
Pharaoh (Exodus 5-14): Pharaoh's prideful refusal to release the Israelites resulted in the plagues and the eventual destruction of his army in the Red Sea.
·
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14): Jesus' parable contrasts the haughty self-righteousness of the Pharisee with the humble repentance of the tax collector, illustrating God's favor towards the humble.
Practical Application:Believers are called to examine their hearts for any traces of haughtiness and to cultivate humility through the example of Christ, who "humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross" (
Philippians 2:8). The pursuit of humility involves recognizing one's dependence on God, valuing others above oneself, and seeking to serve rather than to be served.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
n.) The quality of being haughty; disdain; arrogance.
Greek
5243. huperephania --haughtiness, disdain...haughtiness, disdain. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: huperephania
Phonetic Spelling: (hoop-er-ay-fan-ee'-ah) Short Definition: pride, arrogance
...5450. phusiosis -- a puffing up
... swelling. From phusioo; inflation, ie (figuratively)haughtiness -- swelling. see
GREEK phusioo. (phusioseis) -- 1 Occurrence. 5449, 5450. phusiosis. 5451...
Strong's Hebrew
7312. rum -- height,haughtinessrum or rum. 7311, 7312. rum or rum. 7313 . height,
haughtiness. Transliteration:
rum or rum Phonetic Spelling: (room) Short Definition:
haughtiness.
...1365. gabhuth --haughtiness
... 1364, 1365. gabhuth. 1366 .haughtiness. Transliteration: gabhuth Phonetic
Spelling: (gab-hooth') Short Definition: pride. Word...
1346. gaavah -- majesty, pride
... Word Origin from gaah Definition majesty, pride NASB Word Usage arrogance (2), back
(1),haughtiness (1), majesty (3), pride (8), proud (2), proudly (1...
1363. gobah -- height
... Word Origin from gabah Definition height NASB Word Usage dignity (1),haughtiness
(1), haughty (1), height (6), high (2), loftiness (1), lofty (1), pride (1...
1364. gaboah -- high, exalted
... Word Origin from gabah Definition high, exalted NASB Word Usagehaughtiness (1),
haughty (2), high (22), higher officials (1), lofty (1), long (1), longer (1...
7830. shachats -- dignity, pride
... lion, pride. From an unused root apparently meaning to strut;haughtiness (as evinced
by the attitude) -- X lion, pride. 7829, 7830. shachats. 7831 ....
Library
How the Humble and the Haughty are to be Admonished.
... What, then, is more debased thanhaughtiness, which, while it stretches itself above
itself, is lengthened out beyond the stature of true loftiness?...
Philippians ii. 4-Jan
... when we see children drawing themselves up, and looking haughty, or when we see
them picking up stones and throwing them, thus too thehaughtiness [585] of men...
The Way of Death.
... fornications, thefts, idolatries, magic arts, witchcrafts, rapines, false witnessings,
hypocrisies, double-heartedness, deceit,haughtiness, depravity, self...
Rom. xii. 4, 5
... passion. For great is the power of the medicine, and the force of this
illustration for the correcting of this disease ofhaughtiness....
On Pleasing all Men
... spring therefrom, nothing is more disgusting, not only to persons of sense and religion,
but even to the generality of men, than pride,haughtiness of spirit...
John i. 11
... that stumbling stone." ( Romans 9:30, 32.) His meaning is this: "These men's unbelief
has been the cause of their misfortunes, and theirhaughtiness was parent...
On Actual Sins
... the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life," that is, either
pleasure specially so called, or avarice, or arroganthaughtiness; all of...
Third Sunday after Trinity Humility, Trust, Watchfulness...
... But what a blind, condemned creature are you, who, with your filthy, shameful pride
andhaughtiness, become like the spirit of evil, thereby turning all the...
I Would Add, Moreover, that they Themselves...
... [2492] But if we investigate the story further, we shall find that the handmaid
rather persecuted Sarah by herhaughtiness, than Sarah the handmaid by her...
The Established Christian Urged to Exert Himself for Purposes of...
... your behavior, in circumstances of such superior eminence, and amidst so many tokens
of general esteem, silently reprove the rashness andhaughtiness of those...
Thesaurus
Haughtiness (11 Occurrences)...Haughtiness (11 Occurrences). Mark 7:22 thefts, covetousness, wickednesses, deceit,
licentiousness, a wicked eye, injurious language,
haughtiness, folly; (DBY).
...Haughty (35 Occurrences)
... 2. (superl.) Disdainfully or contemptuously proud; arrogant; overbearing.
3. (superl.) Indicatinghaughtiness; as, a haughty carriage....
Loftiness (10 Occurrences)
... The second is found only in Jeremiah 48:29, where the loftiness of Moab
also means hishaughtiness, his groundless self-conceit....
Arrogance (30 Occurrences)
... or power, or which exalts the worth or importance of the person to an undue degree;
proud contempt of others; lordliness;haughtiness; self-assumption...
Lofty (44 Occurrences)
... The second is found only in Jeremiah 48:29, where the loftiness of Moab
also means hishaughtiness, his groundless self-conceit....
Foliage (14 Occurrences)
... the Lord Jehovah: Because that thou hast been high in stature, And he yieldeth his
foliage between thickets, And high is his heart in hishaughtiness, (YLT NIV...
Arrogancy (16 Occurrences)
... the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the
arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low thehaughtiness of the...
Abased (17 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). Isaiah 2:11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and thehaughtiness
of men shall be abased, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day....
Haughtily (8 Occurrences)
Proud (96 Occurrences)
... I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will humble the
haughtiness of the terrible. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS)....
Resources
What does the Bible mean when it speaks against haughty eyes? | GotQuestions.orgShould a Christian have swag / swagger? | GotQuestions.orgDoes the Bible instruct us to have childlike faith? | GotQuestions.orgHaughtiness: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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