Lexical Summary kishshalon: Stumbling, downfall, ruin Original Word: כִּשָּׁלוֹן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fall From kashal; properly, a tottering, i.e. Ruin -- fall. see HEBREW kashal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom 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 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). 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. 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 ḵiššālōwnLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman'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 |
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