ἀλαζ-ών G0213
braggart, boaster, one who makes empty or arrogant claims
This noun describes a person characterized by arrogant boasting or empty pretensions. The classical background includes wandering charlatans, sophistic quacks, and empty braggarts. Paul uses it in Romans 1:30 within a vice catalog describing fallen humanity: ἀλαζόνας (boasters) appears alongside God-haters and the insolent. In 2 Timothy 3:2, Paul warns that in the last days people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, ἀλαζόνες (boastful), and proud. Both contexts link boastfulness with other manifestations of self-centered pride that disregards God.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Cross-linguistic glosses emphasize the boasting character: Spanish 'jactanciosos,' French and German 'Prahler' (braggarts). Both Pauline vice lists place boasters among those characterized by self-exaltation. The term's classical association with fraudulent sophists and wandering quacks adds a dimension of empty pretension and unreliable claims. 2×
AR["مُتَباهينَ", "مُدَّعينَ"]·ben["অহংকারী,", "দাম্ভিক;"]·DE["Prahler"]·EN["boasters", "boastful"]·FR["Prahler", "ἀλαζόνας"]·heb["יָהִירִים", "מִתְפָּאֲרִים"]·HI["घमन्दि,", "डींगमार"]·ID["membual;", "pembual"]·IT["alazones", "vanaglorioso"]·jav["gumunggung,", "umuk;"]·KO["자랑하는-자들"]·PT["presunçosos"]·RU["хвастливы", "хвастунов"]·ES["jactanciosos"]·SW["wajisifu", "wenye-kujisifu;"]·TR["övüngenler", "övünçlü"]·urd["شیخی-باز"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀλαζ-ών [ᾰλ], όνος, ὁ, ἡ, (ἄλη) properly wanderer about country, vagrant, Refs 7th c.BC+ __II charlatan, quack, especially of Sophists, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II.2 braggart, boaster, Refs 5th c.BC+; title of play by Refs 4th c.BC+ __II.3 adjective, boastful, pretentious, Refs 5th c.BC+: comparative -έστεροςRefs most shameless, Refs 5th c.BC+. adverb superlative -έστατα, δρω-νRefs 2nd c.AD+