But “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
Parallel translations
- WEB But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”
- KJV But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
- BSB Rather, “Let him who boasts boast 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 9:23–24Yahweh says, “Don’t let the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might. Don’t let the rich man glory in his riches.
- 1 Cor 1:31that, according as it is written, “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”
- Jas 1:9–10But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;
- Isa 65:16so that he who blesses himself in the earth will bless himself in the God of truth; and he who swears in the earth will swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from my eyes.
- Ps 105:3Glory in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh rejoice.
- Phil 3:3For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;
- Jer 4:2and you shall swear, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.”
- 1 Cor 1:29that no flesh should boast before God.
- Gal 6:13–14For even they who receive circumcision don’t keep the law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh.
- Rom 5:11Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
- Isa 41:16You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, and the whirlwind will scatter them. You will rejoice in Yahweh. You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
- Isa 45:25All the offspring of Israel will be justified in Yahweh, and will rejoice!
- Ps 106:5that I may see the prosperity of your chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.
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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
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