Whenever man gets a hold of a word that God uses he always destroys and defaces its original God implied meaning. Its sense, significance, and worth are always devalued to reflect something the word was never meant to denote.
Take the word pride for instance. The word pride went from vice to victory from sin to strength.
Pride is a word that has had a number of changes in meaning over its lifetime. In addition to a functional shift (taking on a new part of speech) and semantic drift (an evolution of usage resulting in changed meaning), both of which are common to many words in English, pride has undergone some blatant shifts also.
The noun form of pride precedes the verb, although both are quite old (the verb has been in use since the 13th century, and the noun since Old English) which dates back to the 5th century.
In its original sense, pride was hardly something to be proud of, as it carried the meaning of "inordinate self-esteem" and "an unreasonable conceit of superiority." In early use pride was also often found in capitalized form, referring to one of the seven deadly sins. The use of pride to refer to a reasonable form of self-respect began to appear in the 14th century, and the word has taken on a number of other shades of meanings since then. Pride may still switch easily between positive and negative connotations; as is the case with many other words, it is generally easy to tell which meaning is intended, based on context.
One of the more recent shifts in the word is concerned with the modern gay rights movement, which, if it may be said to have originated with any one event, is tied to the riot that occurred at the Stonewall Inn in New York City on June 28th, 1969, in which some 400 people protested the police raid of that establishment.
In June of the following year marches commemorating Stonewall were held in Los Angeles and New York City. Pride is frequently found, modified by gay, in early texts referring to these events. At about the same time there is also evidence of gay pride being used in reference to a collective sense of self-worth, rather than tied to a specific event.
Prior to pride being associated with the gay rights movement, it was occasionally found modified by the word black, especially during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
An interesting article titled, "Black Pride: a Woman speaks for Her Race," appearing in the February issue of the Atlantic Monthly, is authored by Mrs. Kimbal Goffman…
In her piece, the author expresses hope for dawning of the day when Negroes shall have more of pride in race and in the customs, habits, and achievements of Negroes.
Pittsburgh Courier, 18 Feb. 1939
I think it was Martin Luther King who said "Black Power" should be interpreted as "Black Pride."
As Pride celebrations and events have progressed from year to year they have been attended and celebrated by an increasingly broad range of groups (adding those who identify as bisexual, transgender, straight allies, and others).
Attempting to predict what a word will end up meaning is often an exercise in futility, and pride seems to still be in a state of flux. But that is simply the nature of a living language: messy, hard to pin down, and relishing change.
You must always be careful when working the word of God to allow God and God alone to define the words he uses.
Revelation 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Mankind in his pride and rebellion always walks contrary to God's word and his love.
The word pride Strong's number 01347 was used in the scriptures in different ways also. However we must allow God to define how the word is used and what its meaning is and not capitulate to man's convoluted formulas resulting in deception.
The first occurrence of the Hebrew word ga'own translated - pride 20, excellency 10, majesty 7, pomp 5, swelling 3, arrogancy 2, excellent 1, proud 1; for a total of 49 times in the Old Testament; is in the book of Exodus chapter 15.
Exodus 15:1 1Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 2The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. 3The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. 4Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. 5The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. 6Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. 7And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
Excellency or in the Hebrew ga'own [gaw-ohn'] meaning: exaltation, majesty, or pride. Here it's referring to the deliverance of Israel, the acts that God preformed.
Psalm 47:2-4 2For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. 3He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. 4He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency [1347 ga'own [gaw-ohn'] of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
So this word gaw-ohn' has a positive side, a good meaning and the context usually determines this.
Most of the time when it's used in a good sense it refers to God or His works.
However, the majority of the time when this word is used it's not so good.
Leviticus 26:18-19 18And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:
In its first negative occurrence it depicts the arrogance and rebellion of mankind and the penalties it produces.
Job 35:12 There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men. NKV Job 35:12 There they cry out, but He does not answer, Because of the pride of evil men.
Pride stops you from hearing God's voice, will, and direction in your life.
Psalm 59:12a For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride:
Pride causes people to speak words that teach, defend, and promote sin.
Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
All who honor and respect the LORD will hate evil and pride is evil.
KJV Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Pride precedes, prepares, and produces your destruction. The word destruction means "ruin or scattering". Strong's says it's "a breaking of a dream".
When pride reaches this level of destruction it usually has a spiritual root.
Isaiah 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy [gaw-ohn'] of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
The world will one day be punished for their pride and one day pride will be no more.
Isaiah 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 14:11-15 11Thy pomp [gaw-ohn'] is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. 12How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Destructive pride comes from the heart and seeks its own purposes. It is rooted in the devil and will be brought down to the sides of the pit.
To be continued …ÿ
Note: All scripture is from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. NIV indicates The New International Version, NKJV indicates the New King James Version, ASV means the American Standard Version, BBE means the Bible in Basic English, DBY means the Darby translation, NAU means the American Standard Version, 1995 Edition, and NAB means the New American Bible translation. For more information, go to the Works Cited page.