40 Bible Verses About Boasting

Boasting is a common human tendency, but Scripture provides a strong and consistent message about the dangers and consequences of prideful talk. Whether it’s boasting about wealth, achievements, wisdom, or strength, the Bible repeatedly points us back to humility. In this post, we will look at 40 Bible verses about boasting and what they teach us about the heart of God regarding self-glorification.

What Does God Say About Boasting and Bragging?

The Bible is very clear: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Boasting, especially when it glorifies self rather than God, is condemned throughout Scripture. Here’s what we learn from the Bible about boasting and bragging

Boasting is a sign of pride. Proverbs 27:2 says, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth.” Self-praise is a reflection of arrogance, and God desires humility.
Boasting ignores God’s sovereignty. When we boast about our plans without acknowledging God, we act as though we are in control. James 4:13–16 warns against this kind of arrogance, calling it evil.
Boasting in God is different. The only kind of boasting that is approved in Scripture is boasting in the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23–24 reminds us not to boast in wisdom, might, or riches, but to boast in knowing God.
God hates a proud heart. Proverbs 16:5 says, “The Lord detests all the proud of heart.” Boasting comes from a heart filled with pride, and such pride leads to downfall.
Christ calls us to humility. Jesus taught that the greatest in the kingdom is the one who serves. Boasting elevates self, while Christ teaches us to serve others and put them first.

With these truths in mind, let’s now turn to 40 Bible verses about boasting to understand the full weight of Scripture on this matter.

40 Powerful Bible Verses About Boasting

Here are 40 Bible verses about boasting that speak to the heart of the issue and remind us to boast only in the Lord.

Old Testament Verses About Boasting

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NIV) “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches…”
Psalm 34:2 “My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.”
Proverbs 27:1 “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”
Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
1 Samuel 2:3 “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.”
Proverbs 25:14 “Like clouds and wind without rain is one who boasts of gifts never given.”
Isaiah 10:15 “Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it…?”
Psalm 75:4 “To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.”
Isaiah 13:11 “I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.”
Obadiah 1:3 “The pride of your heart has deceived you… You who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’”

New Testament Verses About Boasting

1 Corinthians 1:31 “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Galatians 6:14 “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
Ephesians 2:8-9 “It is by grace you have been saved… not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Romans 3:27 “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded.”
2 Corinthians 10:17-18 “But, ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.’ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved…”
Romans 5:2 “…we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”
James 4:16 “As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.”
Romans 2:23 “You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?”
1 Corinthians 4:7 “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”
2 Timothy 3:2 “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud…”

Verses About Boasting in the Lord

Psalm 44:6-8 “I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory… In God we make our boast all day long.”
Isaiah 45:25 “In the Lord all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Jeremiah 17:5 “Cursed is the one who trusts in man… whose heart turns away from the Lord.”
Romans 15:17 “Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.”
Psalm 105:3 “Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.”
Psalm 34:1-2 “I will extol the Lord at all times… My soul will boast in the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 12:5 “I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.”
1 Peter 5:5 “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
Romans 3:23-24 “For all have sinned… and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Additional Bible Verses About Boasting

Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Psalm 44:8 “In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.”
Romans 11:18 “Do not consider yourself to be superior… If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.”
1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast…”
Matthew 6:1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.”
Luke 18:11-14 “The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people…’”
Romans 5:3 “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.”
Job 8:2 “How long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind.”
2 Corinthians 11:30 “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.”
Romans 4:2 “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.”

Conclusion

From Genesis to Revelation, Bible verses about boasting point to the need for humility, gratitude, and a heart fixed on God, not self. The Bible does not condemn confidence or boldness in the Lord, but it clearly rebukes prideful bragging that tries to elevate man above God.

When we remind ourselves that everything we have is a gift from God, boasting becomes unnecessary. Our calling is to glorify Him and boast in His power, not our own.

As you reflect on your own words and actions, ask yourself:
Am I pointing others to Christ or to myself?
Am I exalting God’s grace or my achievements?
Am I using my voice to glorify Him or glorify me?

True boasting is found not in our success, but in God’s mercy and power working through our weakness. Let your life be a testimony that boasts only in the Lord.