But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Parallel translations
- WEB But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”
- BSB Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
- NKJV But “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
- NASB But the one who boasts is to boast in the Lord.
- NLT As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul cites Scripture: anyone who boasts should boast in the Lord. All legitimate glorying centers on God, not self.
Overview
Echoing Jeremiah 9:24, Paul redirects all boasting away from human achievement to the Lord Himself. The rivals gloried in themselves; Paul glories in God's grace and work. This principle dismantles spiritual pride and roots all true confidence in what God has done, supremely in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Jer 9:23–24Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
- 1 Cor 1:31That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
- Jas 1:9–10Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
- Isa 65:16That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.
- Ps 105:3Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
- Phil 3:3For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
- Jer 4:2And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
- 1 Cor 1:29That no flesh should glory in his presence.
- Gal 6:13–14For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
- Rom 5:11And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
- Isa 41:16Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
- Isa 45:25In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
- Ps 106:5That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
In Christ all God's promises are 'Yes and Amen'; though rich, he became poor to make us rich, and in him God reconciles the world, making us new creations.
How 2 Corinthians 10:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.