James 4:16 Meaning and Explanation
“But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Boasting in one's own plans and self-confidence is evil.
What Does James 4:16 Mean?
James names the fault plainly. But as it is, you boast in your arrogance, and all such boasting is evil. The confident self-reliance that leaves God out is not a harmless quirk but a form of pride that Scripture calls wrong.
The boasting is in one's own plans and powers, the assumption that the future bends to human will. Such glorying exalts the self where God should be acknowledged. James does not soften the verdict: this kind of rejoicing is evil because it usurps the place of God in the heart. The reader is called to trade the boast of self-sufficiency for the humble confidence that rests in the Lord. To glory in oneself is to forget the One in whom we live and move and have our being.
James 4:16 in the Original Language
alazoneia (ἀλαζονεία), 'boastings' -- arrogant pretension, the boastful presumption of self-reliance.
Frequently Asked Questions About James 4:16
What does James 4:16 mean?
Boasting in one's own plans and self-confidence is evil.