Jeremiah 9:23

KJV1611 – Modern English

Thus says the LORD, 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor let the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches:

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כִּ֣י אִם־בְּזֹ֞את יִתְהַלֵּ֣ל הַמִּתְהַלֵּ֗ל הַשְׂכֵּל֮ וְיָדֹ֣עַ אוֹתִי֒ כִּ֚י אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה עֹ֥שֶׂה חֶ֛סֶד מִשְׁפָּ֥ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה בָּאָ֑רֶץ כִּֽי־בְאֵ֥לֶּה חָפַ֖צְתִּי נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃

Transliteration

kî 'im-in-this yithallēl hammithallēl haśkēl wĕyādōa' 'ôtî kî 'ănî YHWH 'ōśeh ḥesed mišpāṭ ûṣĕdāqāh in-the-'āreṣ kî-in-these ḥāpaṣtî nĕ'um-YHWH

Grammar Details

• *kî*: conjunction - for
• *'im*: conditional particle - if
• *yithallēl*: imperfect verb, 3rd person masculine singular, hitpael, jussive - let him boast
• *hammithallēl*: participle, masculine singular, hitpael with definite article - the one boasting
• *haśkēl*: infinitive absolute, hiphil - understanding
• *wĕyādōa'*: conjunction + infinitive absolute - and knowing
• *'ôtî*: direct object marker with 1st person singular suffix - me
• *'ănî*: 1st person singular pronoun - I
• *YHWH*: divine name
• *'ōśeh*: participle, masculine singular - doing/practicing
• *ḥesed*: masculine noun - lovingkindness
• *mišpāṭ*: masculine noun - justice
• *ûṣĕdāqāh*: conjunction + feminine noun - and righteousness
• *'āreṣ*: feminine noun with prefixed preposition - in the earth
• *ḥāpaṣtî*: perfect verb, 1st person singular - I delight
• *nĕ'um-YHWH*: construct phrase - declaration of YHWH

Word Meanings

• *kî 'im*: but rather/except in/only in
• *yithallēl*: let him boast/glory/praise himself
• *hammithallēl*: the one boasting/glorying/priding himself
• *haśkēl wĕyādōa'*: understanding and knowing (emphatic construction)
• *'ôtî*: me/myself
• *'ōśeh*: doing/practicing/performing
• *ḥesed*: lovingkindness/steadfast love/mercy
• *mišpāṭ*: justice/judgment/right
• *ûṣĕdāqāh*: and righteousness/equity/virtue
• *'āreṣ*: earth/land/world
• *ḥāpaṣtî*: I delight/take pleasure/desire
• *nĕ'um-YHWH*: declaration of YHWH/utterance of YHWH

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  But let the one who boasts boast in this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight, declares the Lord.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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:

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Thus saith{H559} Jehovah,{H3068} Let not the wise{H2450} man glory{H1984} in his wisdom,{H2451} neither let the mighty{H1368} man glory{H1984} in his might,{H1369} let not the rich{H6223} man glory{H1984} in his riches;{H6239}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Thus saith{H559}{(H8804)} the LORD{H3068}, Let not the wise{H2450} man glory{H1984}{(H8691)} in his wisdom{H2451}, neither let the mighty{H1368} man glory{H1984}{(H8691)} in his might{H1369}, let not the rich{H6223} man glory{H1984}{(H8691)} in his riches{H6239}:

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Morouer, thus saieth the LORDE: Let not the wise man reioyse in his wisdome, ner the stronge man in his strength, nether the rich man in his riches:

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  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.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Thus saith the Lorde: Let not the wise man reioyce in his wisdome, nor the strong man in his strength, neither the riche man in his riches:

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ¶ 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:

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Thus says Yahweh, Don't let the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, don't let the rich man glory in his riches;

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  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,

• 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;

• 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;

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  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:

• World English Bible (2000)

  Thus says Yahweh, Don't let the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, don't let the rich man glory in his riches;

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  The LORD says,“Wise people should not boast that they are wise. Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. Rich people should not boast that they are rich.

Referenced Verses

• Eccl 9:11 : 11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.
• Job 31:24-25 : 24 If I have made gold my hope, or said to the fine gold, 'You are my confidence;' 25 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
• 1 Cor 1:27-29 : 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, God has chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
• 1 Cor 3:18-20 : 18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He catches the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
• 1 Kgs 20:10-11 : 10 And Benhadad sent to him, and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. 11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not the one who girds on his armor boast himself like the one who takes it off.
• Mark 10:24 : 24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!
• Rom 1:22 : 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
• Isa 5:21 : 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
• Isa 10:8 : 8 For he says, Are not my princes altogether kings?
• Isa 10:12-13 : 12 Therefore, it shall come to pass, that when the Lord has performed all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. 13 For he says, By the strength of my hand, I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the boundaries of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have brought down the inhabitants like a valiant man;
• Isa 36:8-9 : 8 Now therefore, I urge you, give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to put riders on them. 9 How then will you turn away one captain of the least of my master's servants and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
• Ezek 7:19 : 19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD; they shall not satisfy their souls, nor fill their stomachs, because it is the stumbling block of their iniquity.
• Ezek 28:2-9 : 2 Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord GOD; Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet you are a man and not God, though you set your heart as the heart of God: 3 Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from you: 4 With your wisdom and with your understanding you have gained riches for yourself, and gathered gold and silver into your treasures: 5 By your great wisdom and by your trading you have increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches: 6 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD; Because you have set your heart as the heart of God; 7 Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon you, the most terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, and they shall defile your brightness. 8 They shall bring you down to the pit, and you shall die the deaths of those who are slain in the midst of the seas. 9 Will you still say before him who slays you, I am God? but you shall be a man, and no God, in the hand of him who slays you.
• Ezek 29:9 : 9 And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the LORD: because he has said, The river is mine, and I have made it.
• Dan 3:15 : 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, well; but if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God who shall deliver you out of my hands?
• Dan 4:30-31 : 30 The king spoke, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal residence, by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty? 31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken; The kingdom has departed from you.
• Dan 4:37 : 37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways just; and those that walk in pride He is able to abase.
• Dan 5:18-23 : 18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom, majesty, glory, and honor. 19 And because of the majesty that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him; whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down. 20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. 21 Then he was driven from the sons of men; his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that He appoints over it whomever He chooses. 22 And you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this. 23 But you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them, and you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, brass, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.
• Ps 33:16-17 : 16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
• Ps 49:6-9 : 6 Those who trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; 7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: 8 For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceases forever: 9 That he should still live forever, and not see corruption. 10 For he sees that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. 11 Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue forever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. 12 Nevertheless, man being in honor abides not: he is like the beasts that perish. 13 This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.
• Ps 49:16-18 : 16 Be not afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; 17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. 18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise you, when you do well to yourself.
• Ps 52:6-7 : 6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: 7 Look, this is the man that did not make God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.
• Ps 62:10 : 10 Trust not in oppression, and do not become vain in robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.
• Prov 11:4 : 4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
• Eccl 2:13-16 : 13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly just as light excels darkness. 14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived that the same event happens to them all. 15 So I said in my heart, "As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me. And why was I then more wise?" Then I said in my heart, "This also is vanity." 16 For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, since what now is will all be forgotten in the days to come. And how does the wise man die? Just like the fool.
• Eccl 2:19 : 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I have labored and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
• 1 Cor 1:19-21 : 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe.
• Luke 12:19-20 : 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years; take your rest, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said to him, You fool, this night your soul shall be required of you; then whose shall those things be, which you have provided?
• Acts 12:22-23 : 22 And the people shouted, 'It is the voice of a god, and not of a man!' 23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died.
• Job 5:12-14 : 12 He frustrates the plans of the crafty, so that their hands cannot accomplish their schemes. 13 He catches the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the perverse is brought to a rapid end. 14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope at midday as if it were night.
• Deut 8:17 : 17 And you say in your heart, My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth.
• 1 Sam 17:4-9 : 4 A champion came out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and was armed with a coat of mail, and the coat weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 He wore bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. 7 The staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and the spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron, and a shield-bearer went before him. 8 He stood and cried to the armies of Israel and said to them, Why have you come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us. 10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
• 1 Sam 17:42 : 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was just a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance.
• 1 Tim 6:10 : 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil: which while some coveted after, they have strayed from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
• Jas 3:14-16 : 14 But if you have bitter envy and strife in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envy and strife are, there is confusion and every evil work.
• Zeph 1:18 : 18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy: for He will make a speedy end of all those that dwell in the land.
• Amos 2:14-16 : 14 Therefore flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not reinforce his strength, neither shall the mighty save himself: 15 Neither shall he stand that handles the bow; and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself: neither shall he who rides the horse save himself. 16 And he who is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, says the LORD.