### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **kishshâlôwn**, represented by `{{H3783}}`, signifies a **fall**. It appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible. Derived from a word meaning to totter, its definition points to a ruin or a calamitous fall resulting from instability.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single use of `{{H3783}}` is found in [[Proverbs 16:18]], where it is a key component of a well-known proverb. The verse states that "an haughty spirit" comes before a **fall**. This places the word in a direct cause-and-effect relationship, where the internal state of a person—a spirit characterized by pride and arrogance—leads directly to the external consequence of ruin or collapse. It is used in parallel with the idea that pride precedes destruction.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from its context in [[Proverbs 16:18]] illuminate the meaning of `{{H3783}}`:
* `{{H1347}}` **gâʼôwn** (arrogancy, excellency(-lent), majesty, pomp, pride, proud, swelling): This word for **pride** is identified as the precursor to destruction, establishing the thematic parallel for the fall that follows a haughty spirit.
* `{{H1363}}` **gôbahh** (elation, grandeur, arrogance; excellency, haughty, height, high, loftiness, pride): This is the specific quality of the spirit that leads to the **fall**. It describes an attitude of loftiness and arrogance.
* `{{H7307}}` **rûwach** (wind; by resemblance breath... spirit): This is the word for the **spirit** which, when haughty, precedes the fall. This highlights that the origin of the fall is an internal disposition.
* `{{H7667}}` **sheber** (a fracture, figuratively, ruin... destruction): Used in direct parallel to **fall** `{{H3783}}`, this word for **destruction** reinforces the severity of the outcome, defining it as a ruinous breach or fracture.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H3783}}` is concentrated in its single, powerful appearance.
* **A Law of Consequence:** The use of **kishshâlôwn** in [[Proverbs 16:18]] frames the relationship between pride and downfall not as a possibility, but as a moral and spiritual certainty. A haughty spirit leads inevitably to a fall.
* **Internal Attitude, External Result:** The term illustrates that a person's ruin begins internally. The "haughty spirit" (`{{H1363}}`, `{{H7307}}`) is the direct cause of the subsequent "tottering" and **fall** `{{H3783}}`.
* **The Nature of the Fall:** Paired with **destruction** `{{H7667}}`, the fall described by `{{H3783}}` is not merely a stumble but a ruinous collapse, a fracture in one's state of being, security, or honor.
### Summary
In summary, though **kishshâlôwn** `{{H3783}}` is one of the rarest words in the biblical text, its single instance delivers a profound and memorable warning. It functions as the ultimate consequence in a divine equation where a haughty spirit is the cause and a ruinous **fall** is the effect. Its placement in [[Proverbs 16:18]] makes it a cornerstone for understanding the biblical teaching on the perilous nature of pride.
TRV