Original Word: רוּם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: ruwm
Pronunciation: room
Phonetic Spelling: (room)
KJV: haughtiness, height, X high
NASB: haughtiness, loftiness, haughty, height
Word Origin: [from H7311 (רוּם - exalted)]

1. (literally) elevation or (figuratively) elation

haughtiness, height, high

Or rum {room}; from ruwm; (literally) elevation or (figuratively) elation -- haughtiness, height, X high.

see HEBREW ruwm

Word Origin
from rum
Definition
height, haughtiness
NASB Translation
haughtiness (2), haughty (1), height (1), loftiness (2), self-exaltation* (1).

רוּם, רֻם noun [masculine] height, haughtiness (properly infinitive); — absolute ׳ר,

1 height, loftiness, שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ לָעֹמֶק ׳לָר Proverbs 25:3; construct רוּם עֵינַיִם figurative of haughtiness Isaiah 10:12 ("" גֹּדֶל לֵבָב), Proverbs 21:4 ("" רְחַבלֵֿב); so רֻם לִבּוֺ Jeremiah 48:29 ("" גַּאֲוָה, גָּאוֺן, גֹּבַהּ); then alone:

2 haughtiness, רוּם אֲנָשִׁים Isaiah 2:11,17 (both "" גַּבְהוּת).

Essential Concept

רוּם speaks of loftiness—physical height in Proverbs 25:3, but far more often an inward elevation of self that Scripture portrays as pride, presumption, and self-exaltation before God.

Occurrences and Literary Settings

• Wisdom Literature: Proverbs 25:3 employs the term neutrally to picture inaccessible height—“As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be searched”.
• Major Prophets: Isaiah twice warns that humanity’s lofty self-regard will be humbled (Isaiah 2:11, 2:17).
• Historical Prophecy: Isaiah 10:12 applies the word to Assyria’s imperial arrogance.
• Oracles against the Nations: Jeremiah 48:29 piles up synonyms for Moab’s overweening pride, with רוּם standing at the center.

Theological Emphases

1. God Alone Is Truly Exalted. In every prophetic example, רוּם linked to human beings is condemned, while the same verb used of the LORD denotes rightful, incomparable majesty (Isaiah 2:11b).
2. Pride Precedes Judgment. Assyria’s downfall (Isaiah 10:12) and Moab’s ruin (Jeremiah 48:29) illustrate a pattern: inflated self-confidence draws divine opposition.
3. Hidden Motives. Proverbs 25:3 shows that inward loftiness can be concealed beneath royal power or social respectability; God alone penetrates that height.

Historical-Cultural Backdrop

• Eighth-century Judah faced Assyrian expansion. Assyria’s “proud look” was not abstract but expressed in boastful annals and brutal campaigns.
• Moab’s prosperity in Jeremiah’s day bred nationalistic arrogance, soon shattered by Babylonian invasion.
• Ancient Near Eastern kings claimed their thrones were set “as high as the heavens.” Biblical authors deliberately invert this language to affirm that any creaturely loftiness is illusory.

Intertextual Connections

• Psalms contrast false human height with the true exaltation of the LORD (for example, Psalm 113:5-6).
• New Testament writers echo the same principle: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5), drawing upon the prophetic tradition where רוּם signals pride.
• The paradox of Christ, who “humbled Himself” and was therefore “highly exalted” (Philippians 2:8-9), supplies the ultimate corrective to sinful loftiness.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Heart Diagnosis: רוּם warns that pride is not merely overt boasting; it hides in motives unreachable by human scrutiny. Pastoral care must therefore direct believers to the Spirit’s searchlight rather than external metrics.
• Leadership Accountability: Kings, empires, and nations fell because of רוּם. Christian leaders must cultivate humility, guarding against institutional pride dressed up as vision or excellence.
• Preaching and Teaching: Whenever the text exposes רוּם, the sermon should lift up the majesty of God, call for repentance from self-exaltation, and point to Christ who alone deserves the loftiest throne.

Devotional Reflection

Pray with the psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart” (Psalm 139:23), confessing any hidden loftiness. Rejoice that the One who dwells “on high” also “humbles Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth” (Psalm 113:5-6), extending grace to the lowly.

וְרֻ֥ם ורם לָ֭רוּם לרום ר֣וּם ר֥וּם רום lā·rūm Larum lārūm rum rūm veRum wə·rum wərumInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts