Pride comes before a fall and pride goeth before a fall are two renditions of a proverb. We will examine the meaning of the proverb pride comes before a fall or pride goeth before a fall, where the expressions came from, and some examples of their use in sentences.
Pride comes before a fall and pride goeth before a fall mean hubris or overconfidence can lead to mistakes that in turn, lead to failure or disaster. The idea is that someone who thinks he is always right cannot actually be always right; if he does not acknowledge that fact, he can make terrible mistakes. The form pride goeth before a fall harkens back to the phrase’s origin: the Bible. In the King James Version of Proverbs 16:18, we find: “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” The phrase then morphed into pride goes before a fall, and then finally, pride comes before a fall. All three iterations of this phrase can be currently found in use in the English language.
Examples
Pride comes before a fall, and in the case of Back 4 Blood’s zombie-blasting Cleaners, I have high hopes they’ll trip over their shoelaces and tumble into the abyss. (Escapist Magazine)
From behind a scrim depicting tall forests of WA’s south, Williams looms as Ngaank Boodja (Mother Earth), radiant in presence, costume and voice, singing the motto of the story: “Pride comes before a Fall.” (West Australian)
Pride goeth before a fall is a proverb which was sometimes declaimed by my late grandfather when he wanted to remind someone that the vagaries of life would often humble those who were cocksure. (Jamaica Observer)
“Pride Goeth Before a Fall,” according to Proverbs, so best to keep Ken from appearing too flashy, too immodest; just nurture the public perception that Ken – a wise old soul — has brought forth a documentary genre that uplifts the American soul and encourages viewers to be “curious, not cool” (a further bit of wisdom he offered at the end of his Stanford speech). (The Observer)