Greek word · G2620

κατακαυχάομαι

katakauchaomai

to boast

To boast with the added force of κατά ('down upon, against'): to boast over someone, exult over, triumph at another's expense. It can also mean simply 'to boast, brag' with intensity.

Appears 4 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament.

What it means

κατα-καυχάομαι, -ῶμαι

[in LXX: Zechariah 10:12 (הָלַךְ hith.), Jeremiah 50:11 (עָלַז), Jeremiah 50:38 (הָלַל)* ;]

1. to boast against, exult over: with genitive, Romans 11:18, James 2:13; before κατά, with genitive, James 3:14 (T, om. κατά).

2. before ἐν, to glory in (Za., l.with, Jer.27:38).†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of James 3:14

Range of meaning

To boast with the added force of κατά ('down upon, against'): to boast over someone, exult over, triumph at another's expense. It can also mean simply 'to boast, brag' with intensity.

Against the English

KJV 'glory not', BSB 'do not boast in it', ESV 'do not boast', NASB 'do not be arrogant'. Most lose the 'over or against someone' edge that the prefix adds. BSB's 'in it' is an interpretive supply: the Greek has no object.

Used elsewhere in the period

James 2:13: 'mercy triumphs over (κατακαυχᾶται) judgment'. Rom 11:18: 'do not boast over the branches'. LXX Zech 10:12 and Jer 27:11 (LXX numbering) use it of exulting.

From the study of James 2:13

Range of meaning

"To boast against, exult over, look down on with pride." It is the verb "boast" (kauchaomai) strengthened by kata, "down, against". It describes one party standing proudly over another, whether rightly (exulting over a defeated threat) or wrongly (gloating over others).

Against the English

"Triumphs over" (BSB, NIV, ESV, NASB, WEB) captures the victory but loses the picture of boasting, a public claim of honor. KJV "rejoiceth against" and YLT "exult doth… over" are closer to the verb but sound archaic.

How it drifted

Not drift so much as smoothing. "Triumphs" is a fair summary, but it drops the honor-and-shame picture of someone who can stand up and speak confidently in court.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the New Testament it appears only in Romans 11:18 ("do not boast over the branches"), where it is arrogance, and James 3:14 ("do not boast against the truth"). James 2:13 is the one place where the boasting is approved.

Similar words

Where it appears

Romans · 2

  1. Romans 11:18 κατακαυχῶ κατακαυχᾶσαι, do boast, you boast against [them],

    do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.

James · 2

  1. James 2:13 κατακαυχᾶται it triumphs over

    For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

    Here: "Boasts down over" or "exults over". It pictures one party standing triumphant over another. The present tense states a general truth. Placing the verb first, with no connecting word, makes the line hit like a proverb.

  2. James 3:14 κατακαυχᾶσθε do boast [of it]

    But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.

    Here: A strengthened form of 'boast': to pride yourself at someone else's expense, to triumph over. Here it means passing off a rivalrous spirit as wisdom, or using it to lord it over others.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.