There is something about boasting that just seems to draw us in, isn’t there? We see people doing it on social media, and we hear about it on the news. It seems like everyone is bragging about something these days! But what does the Bible say about boasting? Is it wrong? Is there a time and place for it? In this blog post, we will explore 10 Bible verses about boasting and answer some of the most common questions people have about it. We will also take a look at what God says about pride and boasting, and how we can avoid this sin in our lives.
Scripture about Boasting
10 Bible Verses about Boasting
James 4:16 ESV
As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
Proverbs 27:2 ESV
Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
Jeremiah 9:23 ESV
Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,
2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
Proverbs 27:1 ESV
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
1 Corinthians 4:7 ESV
For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
Psalm 94:4 ESV
They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.
Ephesians 2:8 ESV
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
2 Corinthians 11:30 ESV
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
Matthew 6:1-34 ESV
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. …
James 3:5 ESV
So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!
https://www.openbible.info/topics/boasting
Scripture about Boasting KJV
There are a few different scriptures in the Bible about boasting, but one of the most famous is from the book of James. In chapter 4, verse 16, it says: “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
FAQ about Bosting in the Bible
The biblical definition of boasting is simply bragging or excessively inflating one’s own achievements or accomplishments. Boasting can be done in an attempt to make oneself look better than others, or it can simply be a way of drawing attention to oneself. Either way, it’s generally considered to be extremely arrogant and self-centered behavior.
There are a few different theories on the origins of boasting. One theory suggests that it evolved as a way to show off one’s strength and power in order to intimidate others and gain status within a community. Another theory suggests that it evolved as a way to brag about one’s accomplishments in order to attract mates.
It doesn’t say anything specifically about boasting about giving, but the Bible does talk about the importance of giving without seeking recognition. In fact, one of the most famous verses about giving is from Matthew 6:1-4, which says: “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
The Bible has a lot to say about pride and boasting. In Proverbs, we are told that “pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” And in James, we read that ” Each person should be true to their own abilities and not think they are more than they really are.” We also see in scripture that it is the humble who are exalted by God and given honor. So, it seems clear from what the Bible says on the matter, that God is not okay with us being proud or boastful.