Origin: Mid. deponent from PERperos, braggart.

Definition: To brag or boast.

Definition: Metaphorically, to lift up or exalt oneself.

Definition: Ostentation, boasting about what one is not or does not possess. Someone going about with empty and boastful professions of cures and other feats. An alaZON shows off that which he thinks or pretends he possesses. An ostentatious quack.

1. A boast or boasting.
2. Showing off to fellow mortals (alazoNEIa tou BIou); the pride, pomp, or manner of life; the ambitious, vainglorious pursuit of the honors, glories, and splendors of this life; the luxury of life for the purpose of showing off, whether in dress, house, furniture, servants, food.

References:

1. James 4:16;
2. 1 John 2:16.

Definitions:

1. An intensive meaning to make high above, raise high aloft, to highly exalt.
2. To highly exalt as in praise.

References:

1. Phil. 2:9; Septuagint Ps. 97:9 (cf. 37:35).
2. Septuagint Daniel 4:34.

Definition: To lift above, elevate, exalt, be conceited, arrogant, insolent. In the NT used only in the middle voice.

Definition:

1. Transitively, to hold over or extend over something. Intransitively, to be over, be prominent, extend over or beyond. In the NT figuratively meaning to hold one above, superior or better than another.
2. Participle with neutral article as a substantive meaning excellence, "super" eminence, prominence, excellency.
3. To be superior in rank, dignity.

References:

1. Phil. 2:3; Phil. 4:7; Septuagint Ex. 26:13; 1 Kings 8:8.
2. Phil. 3:8.
3. Rom. 13:1; 1 Pet. 2:13.

Definition: To act with insolence, wantonness, wicked violence, to treat injuriously. In the NT, with the accusative expressed or implied meaning to act insolently or spitefully toward someone, to treat shamefully, and therefore to injure or to abuse; to reproach.

Definition: To swell or inflate with pride. In the passive tyPHOomai, to be lifted up with pride.

Definition: To humble, bring low:

1. Particularly.
2. Figuratively as to condition, circumstances, to bring low, to humble, abase. With the accusative heauTON, to humble himself, to make himself of low condition, to be poor and needy.
3. In mind, to make humble through disappointment.
4. With the idea of contrition and penitence toward God.

References:

1. Luke 3:5, quoted from Is. 40:4.
2. Matt. 18:4; 2 Cor. 11:7; Phil. 4:12; Septuagint Prov. 13:7; Is. 2:9,12.
3. 2 Cor. 12:21; Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14.
4. James 4:10; 1 Pet. 5:6; Septuagint Is. 5:15; 10:33; Gen. 16:9; Is. 58:3,5.

BT Internet:  perpereuomai, be conceited, brag

St. John Chrysostom, Homily 33:  "Vaunteth not itself;" i.e., is not rash. For it renders him who loves both considerate, and grave, and steadfast. In truth, one mark of those who love unlawfully is a defect in this point. Whereas he to whom this love is known, is of all men the most entirely freed from these evils. For when there is no anger within, both rashness and insolence are clean taken away. Love, like some excellent husbandman, taking her seat inwardly in the soul and not suffering any of these thorns to spring up.

Adam Clarke:  Charity vaunteth not itself
ou perpereuetai
This word is variously translated; acteth not rashly, insolently; is not inconstant, &c. It is not agreed by learned men whether it be Greek, Latin, or Arabic. Bishop Pearce derived it from the latter language; and translates it, is not inconstant. There is a phrase in our own language that expresses what I think to be the meaning of the original, does not set itself forward -- does not desire to be noticed or applauded; but wishes that God may be all in all.

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible:  charity vaunteth not itself
is not ostentatious, a proud boaster; either of what he has, the things of nature, as wisdom, riches, honour, strength -- or spiritual gifts; or of what he does, since what such an one does, he does from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God, and not to be seen of men, or to gain their esteem and applause: or is not rash, and precipitant; does not run headlong into measures, to promote his own honour and interest, without considering what will be the consequence of things; nor is he rash with his mouth, or hasty with his lips, to utter anything unbecoming before God or men. The Arabic version renders it, "does not speak deceitfully"; or hypocritically, for nothing is more contrary to true genuine love than this; the Syriac version renders it, "is not tumultuous"; noisy and seditious: such an one is not troublesome in a commonwealth, nor does he go into parties and factions in churches, but is all the reverse.

John W. Gregson:  It boasts not nor does it talk of loving; it just loves and does not brag. It is never conceited.

Matthew Henry:  Charity subdues pride and vain-glory; It vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, is not bloated with self-conceit, does not swell upon its acquisitions, nor arrogate to itself that honour, or power, or respect, which does not belong to it. It is not insolent, apt to despise others, or trample on them, or treat them with contempt and scorn. Those who are animated with a principle of true brotherly love will in honour prefer one another, Romans 12:10. They will do nothing out of a spirit of contention or vain-glory, but in lowliness of mind will esteem others better than themselves, Philippians 2:3. True love will give us an esteem of our brethren, and raise our value for them; and this will limit our esteem of ourselves, and prevent the tumours of self-conceit and arrogance. These ill qualities can never grow out of tender affection for the brethren, nor a diffusive benevolence. The word rendered in our translation vaunteth itself bears other significations; nor is the proper meaning, as I can find, settled; but in every sense and meaning true charity stands in opposition to it. The Syriac renders it, non tumultuatur--does not raise tumults and disturbances. Charity calms the angry passions, instead of raising them. Others render it, Non perperàm et perversè agit--It does not act insidiously with any, seek to ensnare them, nor tease them with needless importunities and addresses. It is not froward, nor stubborn and untractable, nor apt to be cross and contradictory. Some understand it of dissembling and flattery, when a fair face is put on, and fine words are said, without any regard to truth, or intention of good. Charity abhors such falsehood and flattery. Nothing is commonly more pernicious, nor more apt to cross the purposes of true love and good will.

Jamieson, Fausset, & Brown:  vaunteth not--in words, even of gifts which it really possesses; an indirect rebuke of those at Corinth who used the gift of tongues for mere display.

B.W. Johnson:  Vaunteth not itself. Does not ostentatiously boast of superiority.

Mark Heber Miller:  (Love) does not brag.

The Greek is OU PERPEREUETAI and is variously translated: KJV: vaunteth not itself; PME: it is neither anxious to impress; MOF: love makes no parade; TCNT: never boastful. The word is unique to this verse. As with jealousy, there is a good form of bragging or boasting and a bad form. The difference is dependent on the object of this boasting or bragging.

Proverbs 27:1, "Do not make your boast about the next day, for you do not know what a day will give birth to." This is echoed by James 4:13-16, "Come, now, you who say: ‘Today or tomorrow we will journey to this city and will spend a year there, and we will engage in business and make profits,’ whereas you do not know what your life will be tomorrow. For you are a mist appearing for a little while and then disappearing. Instead, you ought to say: 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.' But now you take pride in your self-assuming brags. All such taking of pride is wicked." On this basis the bragging or boasting--which is not out of love--may be characterized by materialistic boasts which ignore God.

Twice Paul quotes Jeremiah 9:23, 24 to the Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 1:28-31 says, "God chose the ignoble things of the world and the things looked down upon, the things that are not, that he might bring to nothing the things that are, in order that no flesh might boast in the sight of God ... that it may be just as it is written: 'He that boasts, let him boast in the Lord [YHWH].' And, 2 Corinthians 10:17-18, "’But he that boasts, let him boast in the Lord [YHWH].’ For not the one who recommends himself is approved, but the man whom the Lord recommends."

Jeremiah 9:23-24 writes about a good and bad form of bragging or boasting, "This is what Jehovah has said: ‘Let not the wise man brag about himself because of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man brag about himself because of his mightiness. Let not the rich man brag about himself because of his riches. But let the one bragging about himself brag about himself because of this very thing, the having of insight and the having of knowledge of me." Jeremiah lists some of those areas in which even worshippers of God might find themselves bragging or boasting: wisdom or intelligence (or, educational background); personal strength, health or physical fitness; and, riches or material possessions. On the other hand if one is to boast or brag it ought to be in the realm of spiritual insight (characterized by humility) and knowing God in a personal relationship.

In the spirit of Paul’s description of love as not bragging, it is often the case that a mature and qualified Christian must remain silent and not give the impression of bragging. For example, a group might discuss how often some have read the Bible and one knows they have read the Bible more often--it is best to remain silent. Even if pressured for an answer, it may be best to decline to answer, perhaps with, "Not enough."

Robertson's Word Studies:  {Vaunteth not itself} (ou perpereuetai). From perperos, vainglorious, braggart (Polybius, Epictetus) like Latin perperus. Only here in N.T. and earliest known example. It means play the braggart. Marcus Anton. V. 5 uses it with areskeuomai, to play the toady.

The Theologian: The Internet Journal for Integrated Theology:  Love ou perpereuetai, does not cause envy in others by boasting about its own achievements.

Bill Turner:  Love does not vaunt itself, it does not brag, or display itself.

"Vaunteth not itself," is "ou perpereuetai," the present middle of "perpereuomai," to brag, to boast ostentatiously; from "perperos," braggart. Paul is speaking of a loud talking, presumptuous, ostentatious, arrogant braggart. Paul said, "What hast thou that thou hast not received." 1Cor.4v7. Every good gift, ability, achievement, spiritual blessing, and conquest; arises from God, and "agape" love humbly and contritely recognises this. The present tense shows that "agape" love always refuses to brag and boast. This vaunting pride destroyed Lucifer, the light bringer, and turned him into Satan, the prince of darkness; it will also destroy us if we allow it into our beings. Is.14v12-20. Ezek.28v12-20. This vaunting spirit is the spirit of the powers of darkness. Acts.8v9. It has no place among the children of God. If God gives us peacock's feathers, let us be humble and give God all the glory. Love is never anxious to impress others with its gifts and achievements.