An adjective meaning haughty, lofty, or arrogant. It derives from the root meaning to rise up or be exalted, but carries the negative connotation of proud self-elevation above one's proper station before God. It describes the proud person who sets himself above God and others.
Gayon belongs to a cluster of Hebrew words dealing with pride as the foundational human sin. Scripture consistently treats pride as the root of rebellion against God — the attitude that says 'I will be like the Most High' (Isaiah 14:14). The haughty person does not simply think highly of himself; he resists God's authority and exaltation. Proverbs declares God actively opposes the proud, and this divine opposition makes pride not merely a character flaw but a spiritually catastrophic posture.