Proverbs 29:23 commentary; your pride is a weakness, not a strength

23 ¶ A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

This is a strikingly similar thought to something that Jesus Christ says later.

Matthew 23:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

(We know from John 3:2 that ‘rabbi’ means ‘teacher’, if you didn’t know it from somewhere else. We also know that ‘master’ means teacher in many contexts as per Malachi 2:12 and James 3:1 as opposed to the times where a master/servant relationship is expressed as in 1 Peter 2:18. In this passage both contexts are used and both definitions of ‘master’ are given. God is the only true teacher, father, and master. Jesus says that the person who lifts himself up will be abased. In contrast to exalted we can surmise that it means in this context to be put down. Abased can also mean, depending on the context, to be made destitute, to have nothing as in Phillipians 4:12 as the serious Bible student observes how the Bible is self defining. )

In keeping with the thought in this Proverb, James and Peter have said;

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

1Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Paul, in the doctrine written specifically to Christians gives this admonition;

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

The Scriptures had said previously,

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Jesus gives another example of the thought of placing oneself in a lower position and being lifted up from there in Luke 14. So, Christian, when you are feeling particularly pleased about how manly, spiritual, wise, or wonderful you are remember that you can be brought low in a heartbeat and reduced to nothing in an instant. Humble yourself before God and don’t seek to lord it over other men. Those men whose lives are centered around dominating others are simply fools, whose folly will result in their destruction, either in this life or in Hell. Remember, at all times, and in every place its not about you, it’s about Christ. Let Him lift you up. Pride is this huge wart on the nose of any professing Christian. Everyone else sees it even if he doesn’t and it isn’t attractive in the least. No one is fooled but you.