3783. kishshalon
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: [from H3782 (כָּשַׁל - stumble)]

1. (properly) a tottering, i.e. ruin

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
fall

From kashal; properly, a tottering, i.e. Ruin -- fall.

see HEBREW kashal

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from kashal
Definition
a stumbling
NASB Translation
stumbling (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
כִּשָּׁלוֺן noun [masculine] a stumbling; figurative = calamity Proverbs 16:18.

Topical Lexicon
Kishalon – Downfall and Collapse

Definition 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 of Proverbs 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 of Proverbs 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
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Proverbs 16:18
HEB: גָּא֑וֹן וְלִפְנֵ֥י כִ֝שָּׁל֗וֹן גֹּ֣בַהּ רֽוּחַ׃
NAS: spirit before stumbling.
KJV: spirit before a fall.
INT: Pride before stumbling haughty spirit

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 3783
1 Occurrence


ḵiš·šā·lō·wn — 1 Occ.

3782
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