Boastful
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Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Nature:
The term "boastful" refers to an attitude or behavior characterized by excessive pride and self-glorification. In the biblical context, boasting is often associated with arrogance and a lack of humility before God. It is considered a sin because it elevates the self above others and, more importantly, above God.

Biblical References:

1. Old Testament:
· Proverbs 27:1-2 : "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. Let another praise you, and not your own mouth—a stranger, and not your own lips." This passage warns against self-praise and presumption about the future, emphasizing the unpredictability of life and the importance of humility.
· Psalm 10:3 : "For the wicked man boasts in the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD." Here, boasting is linked with wickedness and a heart that is not aligned with God's will.

2. New Testament:
· James 4:16 : "As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil." James condemns boasting as evil, particularly when it stems from prideful intentions and self-reliance rather than dependence on God.
· 1 Corinthians 1:31 : "Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'" This verse redirects the focus of boasting from self to God, encouraging believers to find their worth and pride in their relationship with the Lord rather than in personal achievements.

Theological Implications:
Boasting is often seen as a manifestation of pride, which is one of the seven deadly sins. It reflects a heart that is not fully submitted to God and His sovereignty. The Bible consistently teaches that all good things come from God, and thus, any boasting should be directed towards His glory and not one's own accomplishments.

Moral and Ethical Considerations:
From a moral standpoint, boasting is discouraged because it can lead to division, envy, and strife among individuals. It undermines the Christian virtues of humility, gratitude, and love. The Apostle Paul, in his letters, frequently admonishes believers to live in humility and to consider others better than themselves (Philippians 2:3).

Practical Application:
Believers are encouraged to cultivate a spirit of humility and gratitude, recognizing that all talents, successes, and blessings are gifts from God. Instead of boasting in personal achievements, Christians are called to boast in the Lord, acknowledging His work in their lives and giving Him the glory for all things.

Contrast with Godly Boasting:
While human boasting is condemned, the Bible does make a distinction for boasting in the Lord. This form of boasting is not about self-exaltation but about exalting God and His deeds. It is an expression of faith and trust in God's power and goodness, as seen in passages like Jeremiah 9:23-24 : "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches. But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice, and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things, declares the LORD."

Conclusion:
The Bible's teaching on boastfulness serves as a reminder of the importance of humility and the recognition of God's sovereignty in all aspects of life. By redirecting any inclination to boast towards God, believers can maintain a proper perspective on their achievements and their relationship with the Creator.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(a.) Given to, or full of, boasting; inclined to boast; vaunting; vainglorious; self-praising.
Greek
2755. kenodoxos -- vainglorious
... Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: kenodoxos Phonetic Spelling:
(ken-od'-ox-os) Short Definition: vainglorious Definition: vainglorious, boastful. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2755.htm - 7k

5246. huperogkos -- of excessive weight or size
... size. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: huperogkos Phonetic Spelling:
(hoop-er'-ong-kos) Short Definition: immoderate, boastful Definition: immoderate ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5246.htm - 7k

213. alazon -- vagabond, hence an impostor, boaster
... it.]. Word Origin from ale (wandering) Definition vagabond, hence an impostor,
boaster NASB Word Usage boastful (2). boaster. From ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/213.htm - 7k

212. alazoneia -- boastfulness
... etc.). Word Origin from alazon Definition boastfulness NASB Word Usage arrogance
(1), boastful pride (1). boasting, pride, arrogance. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/212.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew
1984b. halal -- to be boastful, to praise
... 1984a, 1984b. halal. 1985 . to be boastful, to praise. Transliteration:
halal Short Definition: praise. Word Origin a prim. root ...
/hebrew/1984b.htm - 6k

7229. rab -- great
... Word Origin (Aramaic) corresponding to rab Definition great NASB Word Usage boastful
(1), captain (1), chief (3), great (15), large (2), larger (1). ...
/hebrew/7229.htm - 6k

6286. paar -- to beautify, glorify
... root Definition to beautify, glorify NASB Word Usage adorn (1), beautify (2), become
boastful (1), boast (1), glorified (4), glorify (1), honor (1), show my ...
/hebrew/6286.htm - 6k

Library

O, Death, be not Thou Boastful, Over the Just
... Hymn LXVIII. O, Death, be not thou boastful, over the just. 1. Man., O,
Death, be not thou boastful, over the just: the sons of thy ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn lxviii o death be.htm

But Now, Since My Pleading Has Steered Its Course Out of These ...
... wound with the point of my pen some Luscius Lanuvinus or an Asinius Pollio of the
race of the Cornelii, if I repel the attacks of a man of boastful and curious ...
/.../30 but now since my.htm

On Sandals and Simplicity
... The great misfortune of the modern English is not at all that they are more boastful
than other people (they are not); it is that they are boastful about those ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/heretics/x on sandals and simplicity.htm

Second Stage of Jewish Trial. Jesus Condemned by Caiaphas and the ...
... [While the testimony then before the court might be used to show that Jesus was
recklessly boastful, it was insufficient to justify a sentence of blasphemy. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cxxvi second stage of jewish.htm

Letter vi. To Salvius: a Complaint that the Country People were ...
... In like manner, let it delight the boastful soldier after his term of service is
completed, to hang up his trophies, and patiently to bear the burden of age. ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /letter vi to salvius a.htm

Christ the Bread of Life.
... vitality. He goes forth to his work boastful of his strength. ... strength? How long
can he live on the boastful supply of his physical manhood? ...
/.../ii christ the bread of life.htm

On the Different Functions of Modesty. ...
... [120] He desires that this should be first, and, as it were, lead the way of prayers
to come, so that the sinner's prayer may not be boastful, but veiled, as ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xviii on the different.htm

But we must Follow Our Preacher, who Can Only Turn Away with ...
... march of the present generation with the next that shall follow it; yea, there is
no end of the succession of surging generations, each boastful of itself, and ...
/.../jennings/old groans and new songs/chapter iv but we must.htm

The Fig-Tree.
... Graphic picture of boastful and vaunting Israel! ... Fig-trees were they, too"naked stems,
fruitless and leafless; but then they made no boastful pretensions. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macduff/memories of bethany/xix the fig-tree.htm

Deliverance from Assyria
... The boastful Assyrian, while used by God for a season as the rod of His anger
for the punishment of the nations, was not always to prevail. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 30 deliverance from assyria.htm

Thesaurus
Boastful (18 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Boastful (18 Occurrences). ... Love knows neither envy nor
jealousy. Love is not forward and self-assertive, nor boastful and conceited. ...
/b/boastful.htm - 11k

Glorious (91 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Eager for glory or distinction; haughty; boastful; ostentatious;
vainglorious. 3. (n.) Ecstatic; hilarious; elated with drink. Int. ...
/g/glorious.htm - 34k

Parents (27 Occurrences)
... Romans 1:30 backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of
evil things, disobedient to parents, (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV ...
/p/parents.htm - 14k

Arrogant (60 Occurrences)
... Arrogant (60 Occurrences). Romans 1:30 backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty,
boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (See NAS NIV). ...
/a/arrogant.htm - 22k

Haughty (35 Occurrences)
... (WEY DBY). Romans 1:30 backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful,
inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (WEB WEY ASV RSV). ...
/h/haughty.htm - 16k

Disobedient (30 Occurrences)
... Romans 1:30 backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of
evil things, disobedient to parents, (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV). ...
/d/disobedient.htm - 17k

Boast (86 Occurrences)
... Boaster (alazon, "a braggart") occurs in the King James Version (Romans 1:30 2 Timothy
3:2); the Revised Version (British and American) has "boastful.". ...
/b/boast.htm - 33k

Boastfully (6 Occurrences)

/b/boastfully.htm - 8k

Vainglorious (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Feeling or indicating vainglory; elated by vanity;
boastful. Multi-Version Concordance Vainglorious (1 Occurrence). ...
/v/vainglorious.htm - 6k

Ungrateful (2 Occurrences)
... 2 Timothy 3:2 for men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant,
evil speakers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, profane, (DBY NAS RSV NIV ...
/u/ungrateful.htm - 7k

Resources
What is the little horn in the book of Daniel? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Sennacherib in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who are the super-apostles Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 11:5? | GotQuestions.org

Boastful: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Boastful (18 Occurrences)

Romans 1:30
backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
(WEB WEY ASV NAS RSV NIV)

1 Corinthians 4:6
In writing this much, brethren, with special reference to Apollos and myself, I have done so for your sakes, in order to teach you by our example what those words mean, which say, "Nothing beyond what is written!" --so that you may cease to take sides in boastful rivalry, for one teacher against another.
(WEY)

1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient and kind. Love knows neither envy nor jealousy. Love is not forward and self-assertive, nor boastful and conceited.
(WEY RSV)

2 Corinthians 11:17
That which I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting;
(See RSV)

Galatians 5:26
Let's not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another. Paul's Letter to the Philippians
(See NAS)

2 Timothy 3:2
For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
(WEB WEY ASV DBY NAS NIV)

James 3:5
In the same way the tongue is an insignificant part of the body, but it is immensely boastful. Remember how a mere spark may set a vast forest in flames.
(WEY)

2 Peter 2:18
For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error;
(See NIV)

1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn't the Father's, but is the world's.
(See NAS)

Jude 1:16
These men are murmurers, ever bemoaning their lot. Their lives are guided by their evil passions, and their mouths are full of big, boastful words, while they treat individual men with admiring reverence for the sake of the advantage they can gain.
(WEY)

Revelation 13:5
And there was given him a mouth full of boastful and blasphemous words; and liberty of action was granted him for forty-two months.
(WEY)

Judges 7:2
Yahweh said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying,'My own hand has saved me.'
(See NAS)

Psalms 5:5
The boastful station not themselves before Thine eyes: Thou hast hated all working iniquity.
(YLT NAS RSV)

Psalms 12:3
May Yahweh cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that boasts,
(See NIV)

Psalms 73:2
As nothing, have my steps slipped, For I have been envious of the boastful,
(YLT)

Psalms 75:4
I said unto the boastful, Boast not; and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:
(DBY YLT NAS RSV)

Jeremiah 49:4
What -- dost thou boast thyself in valleys? Flowed hath thy valley, O backsliding daughter, Who is trusting in her treasures: Who doth come in unto me?
(See NAS)

Daniel 7:11
I saw at that time because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke; I saw even until the animal was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire.
(See NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Boastful

Related Terms

Brag (6 Occurrences)

Boastful (18 Occurrences)

Jael (6 Occurrences)

Falsely (72 Occurrences)

Feelings (26 Occurrences)

Taunting (2 Occurrences)

Taunts (11 Occurrences)

Rivalry (8 Occurrences)

Defiance (9 Occurrences)

Proudly (23 Occurrences)

Boastfulness (1 Occurrence)

Boasted (12 Occurrences)

Boasts (18 Occurrences)

Connexion (9 Occurrences)

Astray (116 Occurrences)

Boasteth
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