Jeremiah 9:23 · Bible study
Jeremiah 9:23 Commentary: The Folly of Boasting in Self
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jeremiah 9:23 warns against boasting in wisdom, might, or riches. True glory belongs to knowing God. A study on human pride and divine rescue.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God commands the wise, the mighty, and the rich not to boast in their advantages, because these cannot save from judgment; the only true boast is in knowing the Lord.
- Key words: glory (boast), wisdom, might, riches, understanding, knowing.
- Main debate: Whether v23, 24 are a detached oracle or integrally connected to the preceding judgment context (Calvin argued strongly for connection; Cambridge Bible considers them a detached utterance).
- Theological theme: God alone is the proper object of human glory; human resources are fleeting and insufficient for salvation.
- Best use: Teaching on humility, the idolatry of self-reliance, and the centrality of knowing God in times of crisis.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.
WEB World English Bible 2000
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.
KJV King James Version 1769
Thus 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:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Thus saith Jehovah, 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;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Thus said Jehovah: Let not the wise boast himself in his wisdom, Nor let the mighty boast himself in his might, Let not the rich boast himself in his riches,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Thus saith Jehovah: Let not the wise glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty glory in his might; let not the rich glory in his riches:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Thus saith the Lord: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the strong man glory in his strength, and let not the rich man glory in his riches:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Así dijo Jehová: No se alabe el sabio en su sabiduría, ni en su valentía se alabe el valiente, ni el rico se alabe en sus riquezas.
Assim diz o SENHOR: Não se orgulhe o sábio em sua sabedoria, nem o valente se orgulhe em sua valentia, nem o rico se orgulhe em suas riquezas.
Ainsi parle l’ Éternel:
So spricht der HERR: Ein Weiser rühme sich nicht seiner Weisheit, ein Starker rühme sich nicht seiner Stärke, ein Reicher rühme sich nicht seines Reichtums;
Zo zegt de HEERE: Een wijze beroeme zich niet in zijn wijsheid, en de sterke beroeme zich niet in zijn sterkheid; een rijke beroeme zich niet in zijn rijkdom;
Così parla l’Eterno: Il savio non si glori della sua saviezza, il forte non si glori della sua forza, il ricco non si glori della sua ricchezza;
Tak mówi Pan: Niech się nie chlubi mądry z mądrości swojej, i niech się nie chlubi mocarz z mocy swojej, i niech się nie chlubi bogaty z bogactw swoich;
Так говорит Господь: да не хвалится мудрый мудростью своею, да не хвалится сильный силою своею, да не хвалится богатый богатством своим.
耶和華 如此 說：「智慧人 不要 因他的智慧 誇口，勇士 不要 因他的勇力 誇口，財主 不要 因他的財物 誇口。
This is the word of the Lord: Let not the wise man take pride in his wisdom, or the strong man in his strength, or the man of wealth in his wealth:
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse issues a threefold prohibition against boasting in the very things humans most rely on: wisdom, strength, and wealth. As Gill explains, none of these advantages originate from ourselves, they are gifts from God, and they cannot deliver us from judgment. Matthew Henry notes that the people of Judah leaned on their politics and powers to feel secure, but the prophet exposes the folly of such trust. Calvin insists the verse is not an isolated proverb; it is directly connected to the preceding judgment, the Jews were swollen with false confidence and thought their wisdom, might, or riches could shield them from God’s wrath. Keil and Delitzsch add that the only safety lies in turning from these false objects and knowing the Lord, who delights in grace, justice, and righteousness. The clear call across all these sources is to shift our boast from ourselves to the God who alone is worthy, and to find our security not in what we have or can do, but in whom we know.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The explicit command is clear: God forbids boasting in human wisdom, might, and riches, and directs all glory to the knowledge of Himself as the only secure foundation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Context of v23, 24 | Both verses belong to Jeremiah’s call to abandon false security and turn to God. | Some scholars (e.g., Cambridge Bible) view these verses as a detached utterance, while Calvin and Keil & Delitzsch argue they are directly connected to the preceding judgment against Judah. |
| Meaning of ‘glory/boast’ | It refers to putting confidence in something and taking pride in it as a source of security. | Whether the emphasis is primarily on improper pride (a heart issue) or on misplaced trust for deliverance (a practical issue). |
| The ‘understanding’ and ‘knowing’ of v24 | True glory is found in knowing God as He who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness. | Whether ‘understanding’ (infinitive absolute) emphasizes intellectual knowledge or a relational, covenant knowledge that transforms life. |
| Relationship to the circumcision passage (v25, 26) | The passage transitions from the critique of false boasting to the insufficiency of external religious identity. | How directly v23, 24 relate to the following verses; some see a new oracle beginning at v25, while others read it as a continuous argument that outward religion means nothing without heart change. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah prophesied in the final decades of Judah’s independence, a time of political turmoil and impending invasion from Babylon. The people had grown proud of their national identity, trusting in the wisdom of their advisors, the strength of their army, and the wealth generated by trade and alliance. Yet Jeremiah 9 opens mournfully, a voice of wailing, death entering the windows, bodies falling like dung in the fields. The nation was crumbling, yet many still believed they could outthink, outfight, or outbuy the coming disaster.
Into this setting comes the command of verse 23: do not boast in wisdom, might, or riches. Matthew Henry describes these as the “refuges of lies” the people hid behind. Calvin portrays a people “so swollen with false confidence” that they thought themselves invulnerable. Keil and Delitzsch frame the passage as the way of safety, the only path through judgment is the knowledge of God. The surrounding verses (v24, 26) make this explicit: true glory belongs to understanding and knowing the Lord, who practices lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness. Even the mark of circumcision, the proud sign of covenant identity, is shown to be insufficient if the heart remains uncircumcised.
For the original audience, this was a radical reorientation. Their entire society was structured around honouring the wise, the mighty, and the rich. Jeremiah declares that these categories lose their power in the face of divine judgment. Knowing God, not possessing human advantages, is what makes a person truly secure. This passage invites readers in any age to examine where they instinctively place their confidence and to let the coming judgment reshape their hierarchy of values.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts and editions.
Reception History
Jeremiah 9:23 has been widely cited across Christian traditions to call believers away from pride in human achievements and toward humble reliance on God. It is often paired with verse 24 as a summary of true glory. The apostle Paul echoes the theme in 1 Corinthians 1:31 (“Let him who boasts boast in the Lord”), and passages such as 2 Corinthians 10:17 similarly redirect human glory to God. The verse has appeared in liturgical calls to humility and confession, reminding worshippers that wisdom, strength, and wealth are gifts, not grounds for self-congratulation. Its message resonates wherever communities are tempted to trust in human resources over divine faithfulness.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The three false boasts, Wisdom, might, and riches are the categories humanity most trusts in, but God forbids glorying in them. They come from Him and cannot save.
- Why they fail, As Gill notes, wisdom is made foolish by God, strength is taken away by disease and death, and riches cannot profit on the day of wrath. All three vanish “like smoke” (Calvin).
- The true boast, The only lasting glory is in understanding and knowing God, who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth. This knowledge reorients all of life.
Five-point outline
- Wisdom cannot outthink God, Human cleverness, political sagacity (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown), and even spiritual knowledge are insufficient; the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom.
- Might cannot overpower God, Military prowess and physical strength are gifts from the Lord and can be removed in a moment; Goliath’s story (1 Samuel 17) shows that strength has no ultimate claim.
- Riches cannot bribe God, Wealth is uncertain, cannot deliver from death, and often leads to pride; Deuteronomy 8:17 warns against crediting “my power and the might of my hand” for prosperity.
- All three are temporary, In the coming judgment, the wise, the strong, and the rich will be as helpless as the poor. God alone stands firm.
- The one secure foundation, Knowing Yahweh, His character and His ways, is the only safe boast. This knowledge changes how we live and what we value.
Illustration hooks
- A student who prides himself on his intelligence fails a crucial exam he didn’t study for, his wisdom couldn’t replace preparation.
- A physically fit person is diagnosed with an unexpected illness that leaves them weak, strength fades in a moment.
- A wealthy investor loses everything in a market crash, riches offer no ultimate security.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it wrong to be wise, strong, or rich? Where is the line between enjoying God’s gifts and boasting in them?
- What does it look like, practically, to boast in the Lord instead of in ourselves? How do we shift our confidence day by day?
- This verse was spoken to a people facing judgment, does it apply the same way to us today, or is the context different?
Leading a Discussion
This verse confronts the human tendency to rely on and boast in our own resources. As a group, explore what this means for daily life and faith. The surrounding context shows that God’s people were in danger but refused to admit it, trusting instead in what they thought they had going for them. Where might we be doing the same?
Discussion questions
- What three categories does God forbid boasting in? Why these three specifically?
- In what ways were the people of Judah putting their confidence in wisdom, strength, and wealth? (See the broader context of Jeremiah 9:1, 22.)
- How does verse 24 define the proper object of boasting? What does it mean to “understand and know” God?
- What are some modern equivalents of “wisdom, might, and riches” that people today are tempted to boast in? (Examples: education, career, social status, physical appearance, talents.)
- Why is knowing God a more secure foundation than any of these? In what sense does that knowledge “save” us (see Keil and Delitzsch)?
- How does the next section (v25, 26) connect to this command? What does circumcision of the heart have to do with true or false glory?
- What is one practical step you can take this week to “boast in the Lord” rather than in something you possess or have achieved?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 8:17 | and lest you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth.” |
| I Samuel 17:4 | A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out. |
| I Samuel 17:10 | The Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel today! Give me a man, that we may fight together!” |
| I Samuel 17:42 | When the Philistine looked around and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and had a good looking face. |
| I Kings 20:10 | Ben Hadad sent to him, and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me.” |
| I Kings 20:11 | The king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Don’t let him who puts on his armor brag like he who takes it off.’” |
| Job 5:12 | He frustrates the plans of the crafty, so that their hands can’t perform their enterprise. |
| Job 5:14 | They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope at noonday as in the night. |
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.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the prophet here draws a practical conclusion from God's righteous dealings. The verse shows that the three things people most pride themselves on have all proven empty and useless.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that this well-known saying is not an isolated proverb but directly tied to the preceding warning. The Jews, filled with false confidence in their riches, strength, or wisdom, refused to hear the prophet. He forbids glorying in anything but God because all such human resources will vanish like smoke.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that these verses appear detached from their context and may not originally belong here. Scholars disagree on whether they are authentic, but their message — that true glory comes from piety, not from outward covenant marks like circumcision — matches Jeremiah's other sayings.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome, nor the strong man glorie in his strength, neyther the riche man glorie in his riches.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that every form of human excellence — wisdom, strength, or riches — comes from God and cannot save anyone from judgment. He warns that even spiritual knowledge and moral strength are gifts, not personal merits, so boasting in them is empty.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB specifies that the wisdom in view is political cunning and the might is military strength. Their point is that neither shrewd statecraft nor armed power can deliver anyone from the coming calamities.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that safety comes not from human wisdom, strength, or riches but from true knowledge of the Lord. This knowledge means knowing Him as the God who shows grace, right, and justice on earth. Because God delights in these things, He will punish those who fail to practice them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry shows that the people were relying on wisdom, power, and riches as defenses against judgment, but these all fail when trouble arrives. The only safe ground for boasting is knowing the Lord personally and understanding that He delights in kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth.