ἀλαζών
alazṓn
G213 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person who boasts, brags, or claims qualities or achievements that they do not possess, often with the intention to impress others or deceive regarding their abilities or status. In literary and moral contexts, denotes someone given to vainglorious talk or pretentiousness; in some contexts, carries the nuance of a charlatan or imposter.
Semantic Range
boaster, braggart, pretender, impostor, charlatan, one displaying vainglory or empty pretension, a person making empty claims for personal advancement or admiration
Root / Etymology
Root/Etymology: Possibly from ἀλα- (related to wandering, wandering about); the precise etymology is debated, but traditionally linked to the idea of wandering or roaming, metaphorically extended to boastful behavior as one who 'wanders' beyond the truth. See also Latin 'alazon' borrowed from Greek.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek literature (e.g., Aristotle, Theophrastus), ἀλαζών depicted a character type—a boastful person or quack, contrasted with the εἴρων (eirōn, 'self-deprecator'). In comedy and rhetoric, often a stock figure of empty pretension, lacking true substance behind their claims. In moral discourse (e.g., Philo, New Testament: Rom 1:30; 2 Tim 3:2; Jas 4:16), signals a vice: boastfulness or vainglory, often associated with hubris. The term's association with 'vagrancy' (as in Strong’s gloss) reflects the figurative link between literal wandering and straying into dishonesty. English translations ('boaster,' 'braggart') reflect the surface sense but may not fully convey the classical nuances of pretentious deceit and the performative nature of the ἀλαζών. The semantic opposition to εἴρων became foundational for later comedic and philosophical typologies. Not common in Septuagint but appears in Hellenistic Jewish and early Christian moral catalogues.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from (vagrancy); braggart:--boaster.
Root Family
ἀλαζών (alazōn) — to wander, to boast, to pretend
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G213-02 |
ἀλαζόνες | alazones | N NOM M PL |
boasters | boastful pretenders | 1 |
G213-01 |
ἀλαζόνας | alazonas | N ACC M PL |
boastful pretenders | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G213-01 |
Romans 1:30 | ἀλαζόνας | alazonas | N ACC M PL |
boastful pretenders | |
G213-02 |
2 Timothy 3:2 | ἀλαζόνες | alazones | N NOM M PL |
boasters | boastful pretenders |