II Corinthians 10:17 · Bible study
2 Corinthians 10:17 Commentary: Boasting in the Lord
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Paul's command to boast only in the Lord, reconciled with his own apostolic boasting. Original Greek, context, and pastoral meaning.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Redirect all boasting from human achievements to the Lord as the source and object of glory.
- Key words: καυχάομαι (to boast/glory), κύριος (Lord), ἐν (in/within the sphere of).
- Main debate: Whether 'boast in the Lord' means ascribing all blessings to God (first sense) or placing one's full confidence in God's judgment (second sense, per Calvin).
- Theological theme: The lordship of Christ over all human efforts; humility before God's grace; the proper place of human agency.
- Best use: As a corrective to pride in ministry or personal achievement; a call to doxology in the midst of conflict.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”
KJV King James Version 1769
But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and he who is boasting--in the Lord let him boast;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But he that boasts, let him boast in the Lord.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Mas el que se gloría, gloríese en el Señor.
Porém o que se orgulha, se orgulhe no Senhor.
Que celui qui se glorifie se glorifie dans le Seigneur.
Wer sich aber rühmt, der rühme sich des HERRN.
Doch wie roemt, die roeme in den Heere.
Ma chi si gloria, si glori nel Signore.
Kto się tedy chlubi, niech się Panu chlubi.
Хвалящийся хвались о Господе.
但 誇口的，當指著 主 誇口。
But whoever has a desire for glory, let his glory be in the Lord.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · II Corinthians 10:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
All consulted commentators agree that this verse redirects boasting from human achievements to the Lord. Clarke notes that even apostolic success comes from God's blessing, so the glory belongs to God. Barnes connects it to Jeremiah 9:23, 24 and observes that Paul himself boasted only of what the Lord had done. Gill specifies that boasting must not be in natural gifts, labors, or others' opinions, but in Jesus Christ as the source of all good. Calvin distinguishes two senses: recognizing God as the author of blessings (as in 1 Cor 1:31), and placing one's glory entirely in God's judgment rather than human estimation. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown show that the verse contrasts directly with the false teachers' boasting in another man's sphere. The shared core is clear: true boasting has the Lord as its proper object.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Boasting as ascribing all to God: Barnes, Clarke, and Gill emphasize that the verse means recognizing God as the source of every blessing. This view depends on the parallel in 1 Cor 1:31 and Jer 9:23-24.
- Boasting as seeking only God's approval: Calvin's second sense: to glory in the Lord means to submit to His judgment alone and to count all human estimation as nothing. Based on the immediate context (v.18) where the Lord's commendation is contrasted with self-commendation.
What is clear: The verse forbids boasting in oneself or human accomplishments, and commands that all boasting be directed to the Lord as the proper object and sphere of glory.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'boast in the Lord' | Boasting should be directed to the Lord as the source of all good, not to oneself or human accomplishments. | Calvin distinguishes two senses: 1) recognizing God as the giver of blessings (as in 1 Cor 1:31), and 2) placing one's glory solely in God's judgment. Some commentators (Barnes, Clarke) emphasize the first sense; the second sense is more about seeking divine approval. |
| Relation to Paul's own boasting | Paul uses this verse to correct the false teachers' practice of boasting in human lines and achievements. He presents himself as an example of one who boasts in the Lord. | Is Paul's own boasting in chs. 11-12 compatible with this command? Barnes sees Paul's boasting as consistent because it traces all to God; others see a tension that Paul himself acknowledges (2 Cor 11:16-18). The disagreement is whether Paul's 'boasting in weaknesses' is a form of boasting in the Lord or an ironic concession. |
| Old Testament background | The verse is a clear reference to Jeremiah 9:23-24, which forbids glorying in human attributes and commands glorying in knowing God. | Some commentators (Cambridge Bible) treat it as a direct quotation, while others (Barnes) say Paul 'had in his eye' the passage but didn't quote verbatim. This affects whether Paul is making a scriptural citation or a free paraphrase. |
Historical & Cultural Context
In the Greco-Roman world, boasting or self-praise was often considered vulgar, yet it could be justified in self-defense. Paul's opponents in Corinth were boasting about their own achievements and spheres of influence (v.15, 16). They commended themselves (v.12), measuring themselves by themselves. Paul's quotation of Jeremiah 9:23, 24 anchors the concept in the Old Testament tradition: the only legitimate ground for glory is knowing the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23 forbids glorying in wisdom, might, or riches; Jeremiah 9:24 directs glory to God's character and deeds.
The immediate context is Paul's defense of his apostolic authority. He has been accused of being bold only in letters (v.10) and of boasting beyond proper limits (v.13). In verses 13, 16 he insists that his boasting is within the boundaries God apportioned to him. Verse 17 serves as the theological summit: rather than boasting in human boundaries or labors, all boasting must be in the Lord. The present imperative καυχάσθω (let him boast) indicates this should be the ongoing habit of the believer. The participle καυχώμενος (he who boasts) is a present participle, describing the person who makes boasting a regular practice. The preposition ἐν (in) marks the sphere or basis of the boasting: in the Lord, not in oneself.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentary sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The reading is consistent across the major manuscript traditions. The New Testament text of 2 Corinthians 10:17 is stable.
Reception History
From the early church through the Reformation, this verse has been a key text for Christian humility and the proper recognition of God's grace. Origen and Chrysostom used it to denounce self-glorification in ascetic achievement. During the Reformation, Luther and Calvin appealed to it to argue that all human righteousness is excluded and that even the believer's good works must be referred entirely to God's glory. The verse appears in hymns that redirect praise from human effort to divine mercy. In modern application, it has been used to caution against boasting in numerical growth, personal talents, or spiritual accomplishments, and to encourage a doxological posture in all of life.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The command: Boasting is not forbidden but redirected, let every boaster boast in the Lord. The object of glory matters.
- The contrast: Boasting in human achievement, natural gifts, or others' labors (as the false teachers did) is misplaced. Only God deserves the credit for any success.
- The foundation: This command rests on the Old Testament (Jeremiah 9:23, 24) and on Paul's own example: he boasted only in what the Lord had done through him (1 Cor 15:10).
Five-point outline
- What boasting is not: Not in ourselves, our wisdom, might, riches, labors, or the approval of others (Gill; Barnes).
- What boasting is: Acknowledging God as the giver of every blessing and the judge of all worth (Calvin's first sense).
- Why it matters: To humble our pride and to give glory where it is due, to the Lord alone.
- How it applies to leaders: Even apostolic success comes from God's blessing; ministers must not take credit for what God does (Clarke).
- The ultimate reward: Those who boast in the Lord are commended by God, not by self-praise (v.18).
Illustration hooks
- An athlete who scores the winning point and immediately points upward, giving credit to God. The achievement is real but the glory is transferred.
- A student who aces an exam and thanks the teacher, the parents, and luck, but never the one who gave the ability to study. Paul calls us to name the true source.
- In a church, a ministry that grows quickly can tempt leaders to boast in their methods. The verse resets the focus: any lasting fruit is the Lord's work.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Can I be proud of my accomplishments without sinning? Where is the line?
- Paul himself seems to boast in other passages, is that inconsistent?
- What does it look like to boast in the Lord in my daily life, especially when others praise me?
Leading a Discussion
This short verse contains a world of meaning. Paul does not forbid boasting, he redirects it. The challenge is to examine where our hearts naturally place their pride, and to learn what it means to make the Lord our only boast. As you discuss, let the Old Testament background (Jer 9:23, 24) and Paul's own example inform your understanding.
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 9:23, 24. How does Paul's quotation of this passage shape what it means to 'boast in the Lord'?
- In what situations are you most tempted to boast in yourself or in human achievements? Why?
- Paul says even he would boast in the Lord (2 Cor 10:17). How can we tell if our boasting is truly in the Lord or just dressed up as spiritual language?
- Consider the immediate context: false teachers boasting in 'another man's labors' (v.15). What does this tell us about the kind of boasting Paul is rejecting?
- Verse 18 connects boasting with the Lord's commendation. How does this change your view of what ultimately matters?
- How can your small group or church practice boasting in the Lord together, in worship, testimony, and everyday conversation?
- What is one practical way you can 'glory in the Lord' this week instead of seeking human approval?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 105:3 | Glory in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh rejoice. |
| Psalms 106:5 | that 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. |
| Isaiah 41:16 | You 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. |
| Isaiah 45:25 | All the offspring of Israel will be justified in Yahweh, and will rejoice! |
| Isaiah 65:16 | so 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. |
| Jeremiah 4:2 | and you will swear, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves in him, and they will glory in him.” |
| Jeremiah 9:23 | Yahweh says, “Don’t let the wise man glory in his wisdom. Don’t let the mighty man glory in his might. Don’t let the rich man glory in his riches. |
| Jeremiah 9:24 | But let him who glories glory in this, that he has understanding, and knows me, that I am Yahweh who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for I delight in these things,” says Yahweh. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke warns that even legitimate success in preaching the gospel is no grounds for personal boasting, since every blessing comes directly from God. True apostles give all glory to God, not themselves. He sharply contrasts this with those who have no divine commission and simply boast in work others have already prepared.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that Paul, who occasionally boasted himself, still insisted all glorying must be traced entirely to the Lord as the source of every blessing and success. He emphasizes the shift from irony to serious admonition, connecting Paul's warning to Jeremiah's call to glory only in knowing the Lord.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin draws a sharp distinction: here "glory in the Lord" does not mean praising God for his gifts, as in other passages, but placing all one's honor entirely at God's disposal. True glory, he insists, is being approved by God, not by human opinion or self-flattery. A good conscience helps, but only God's verdict finally counts.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
But let him that reioyceth, reioyce in the Lord.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill insists that all boasting belongs exclusively to Christ, not to any human quality or achievement. He rules out pride in natural gifts, acquired learning, personal righteousness, or even the approval of others. Only Christ deserves glory as the source of every gift.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB contrasts Paul's opponents, who boast in another person's work or territory, with the only legitimate boast: boasting in the Lord. Paul insists that true glory comes from what God has done, not from claiming credit for achievements that belong to someone else.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange observes that Paul's abrupt shift from gentle entreaty to stern command stems from his fear of having to visit Corinth in anger rather than in love. Paul's self-defense here centers on his apostolic authority and spiritual weapons, not personal courage, as he asserts his individuality with the emphatic "I Paul myself."
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that the false apostles' mistake was measuring themselves only by themselves, ignoring anyone who surpassed them. This self-focused comparison bred pride and folly. True humility comes from comparing ourselves with those who exceed us, which keeps us grateful rather than arrogant.