What connections exist between Habakkuk 2:5 and Proverbs 16:18 on pride?

Key Passages

Habakkuk 2:5

“Indeed, wealth betrays him; a proud man is never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like death he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself; he collects all the peoples for his own.”

Proverbs 16:18

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

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One Sin, Two Angles

- Habakkuk exposes pride on an imperial scale.

- Proverbs zooms in on the individual heart.

- Combined, they show pride inflating, controlling, then collapsing both persons and nations.

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Portrait of Pride

Habakkuk highlights three traits:

1. Restlessness—“never at rest.”

2. Insatiable appetite—“like Sheol… never satisfied.”

3. Aggressive self-exaltation—“gathers all the nations to himself.”

Proverbs names the root:

- “Pride” = self-trust that pushes God out.

- “Haughty spirit” = inflated view of self over others.

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Built-In Consequence

• Habakkuk’s proud conqueror soon hears God’s “woe” (2:6-8).

• Proverbs warns: destruction and a fall are certain.

The collapse is not capricious; it is pride’s natural end. “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled” (Luke 14:11).

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Insatiability Breeds Instability

- Both texts tie pride to an inner vacuum—always taking, never filled.

- Like Sheol’s endless hunger, the proud heart stays empty, making life a precarious balancing act (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:12).

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From Person to Empire

- Proverbs cautions a single soul; Habakkuk shows what happens when millions share that soul.

- Collective arrogance invites national judgment (see Isaiah 10:12).

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God’s Opposition, God’s Grace

- “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).

- Pride attracts resistance; humility receives mercy.

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Walking the Other Path

• Thankfulness over entitlement (Psalm 100:4).

• Contentment over craving (Philippians 4:11-13).

• Hidden service over public acclaim (Matthew 6:1-4).

• Fixing eyes on Christ, who “humbled Himself… to death on a cross” and was afterward exalted (Philippians 2:5-11).

Habakkuk 2:5 and Proverbs 16:18 harmonize to unmask pride’s restless hunger and certain downfall, urging every heart—and every nation—to choose humility while there is time.