A boast (properly, the object; by implication, the act) in a good or a bad sense
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G2745 is a noun for a boast, the matter boasted about, or a ground for confidence. The governed witness places one instance in each of eleven passages distributed among six books, from Romans through Hebrews.
Reader summary
Full entry for καύχημα (G2745) · Open the biblical lexicon
G2745 is a noun for a boast, the matter boasted about, or a ground for confidence. The governed witness places one instance in each of eleven passages distributed among six books, from Romans through Hebrews.
The BSB source-word alignment has 11 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include boasting (2), may boast (2), boast (1), exultation (1), reason to boast (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Romans 4:2. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Corinthians (3), 2 Corinthians (3), Philippians (2), Galatians (1).
G2745 is a noun for a boast, the matter boasted about, or a ground for confidence. The governed witness places one instance in each of eleven passages distributed among six books, from Romans through Hebrews. Romans 4 denies that Abraham has a works-based boast before God. First Corinthians can condemn communal boasting, distinguish Paul's obligation to preach from a personal ground for glory, and preserve a specific boast connected with his ministry practice. Other passages speak about mutual joy, tested work, holding hope, or faithful labor.
The noun must remain attached to the claim being made. It does not bless self-congratulation merely because ministry is involved, and it does not forbid every expression of gratitude or confidence. Hebrews 3:6 adds an important non-Pauline witness: the church holds firmly to confidence and the hope in which it boasts.
G2745 focuses attention on a boast or its ground. The corpus ranges from excluded works-based confidence and corrupt congregational pride to accountable ministry joy, tested work, steadfast hope, and labor oriented toward Christ.
If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God.
Romans 4 removes works as a ground of boasting before God, guarding justification by faith.
Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
First Corinthians 9 says Paul's preaching obligation gives him no ground for self-exalting boast. Necessity, not ego, governs the ministry.
Each one should test his own work. Then he will have reason to boast in himself alone, and not in someone else.
Galatians 6 calls each person to test his own work rather than live by comparison. The word can serve sober self-examination under God.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. The object of boasting—either what one glories in or the act of glorying itself.
The object of boasting—either what one glories in or the act of glorying itself.
(καυχάομαι), [in LXX chiefly for תְּהִלָּה, תִּפְאָרָה ;]
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
11 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
a boasting
Read versea boasting
Read versea boasting
Read versea boasting
Read versea boasting
Read versea boasting
Read versea boasting
Read versea boasting
Read versea boasting
Read versea boasting
Read versea boasting
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 3 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 11 lexical occurrence verses.
καύχημα is built from this root:
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
G2745 presses the question of ground. What can someone point to as a reason for confidence, honor, or glorying? Romans 4 dismantles works as a basis for standing before God. First Corinthians refuses to make gospel obligation an ego platform and also exposes congregational pride that tolerates serious sin. Galatians redirects self-examination away from comparison, while Philippians connects faithful labor with future joy in Christ.
Hebrews adds persevering hope to the word's range. A faithful boast is therefore neither automatic self-condemnation nor spiritualized self-promotion. It is a claim tested by its object, its truthfulness, its accountability, and its dependence on God's grace. Teachers should let each passage define what may be said and why.
Rom.4.2
G2745 is a neuter noun represented by nominative, accusative, and genitive singular forms. The governed current-edition witness has five nominative, five accusative, and one genitive form. Depending on syntax and context, the noun can identify boasting itself, a reason for boasting, or the matter in which confidence is expressed.
Romans 4 places Abraham within the scriptural argument about faith and credited righteousness, excluding a works-based boast before God. Hebrews 3 connects the noun with holding firmly to confidence and hope under Christ the faithful Son. These settings keep confidence dependent on God's promise and work rather than human superiority.