2 Corinthians 9:6

2 Corinthians 9:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
• New International Version (NIV)Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Context of 2 Corinthians 9:6

4Perhaps some believers from Macedonia might come with me. If you are not ready when we come, we would be ashamed. We would be ashamed because we trusted you. And I think that you would be ashamed as well! 5So I decided to tell these men to visit you before I come myself. They will help you to prepare the gift that you promised. Then it will be ready when I arrive. Everyone will know that you really wanted to give this gift. Nobody has made you give it. Remember this: If a farmer plants only a few seeds, he will not get much as a result. But if he plants plenty of seeds, he will get a big harvest. 7Each of you should think carefully and then decide how much you can give. Then you will not be sad to give that money. Nobody has made you give it. God loves someone who is happy to give help to other people. 8Since God loves you, he is able to give you more than you need. You will always have every good thing that you need for yourselves. And you will have enough to do many good things to help other people.

2 Corinthians 9:6 word by word

τοῦτο δέ, ὁ σπείρων φειδομένως φειδομένως καὶ θερίσει, καὶ ὁ σπείρων ἐπ᾽ εὐλογίαις ἐπ᾽ εὐλογίαις καὶ θερίσει.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• Heὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• which sowethσπείρωspeirō · to sowG4687
• sparinglyφειδομένωςpheidomenōs · sparinglyG5340
• shall reapθερίζωtheridō · to reapG2325
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• ·ἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• bountifullyεὐλογίαeulogia · praiseG2129

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 9:6

• 1 Corinthians 1:12It happens like this: One of you says, ‘I belong to Paul's group.’ Another person says, ‘I belong to Apollos's group.’ Another person says, ‘I belong to Peter's group.’ And another person says, ‘I belong to Christ's group.’
• 1 Corinthians 7:29My Christian friends, this is what I mean: The time that remains is very short. So men who have wives should live as if they had no wife.
• 1 Corinthians 15:20But it is really true that God raised Christ up after his death. He rose up to go to God in heaven. He was the first, so we know that believers who die will also rise up.
• Galatians 3:17What I mean is this: God made an agreement with Abraham. He promised to bless him. Then, 430 years later, God gave his Law to Moses for the Jewish people. But that Law could not take away the authority of God's agreement with Abraham. It could not stop what God had already promised.
• Galatians 5:16So this is what I say: Let God's Spirit show you how to live in a good way. Then you will not do the wrong things that you may want to do, as people who are weak and human.
• Ephesians 4:17So I say this to you. I am sure that I have the Lord's authority to say it. You must not live any longer like the Gentile people who do not know God. They do whatever their silly ideas teach them to do.
• Colossians 2:4I am telling you these things so that false teachers will not deceive you. They may teach ideas that seem good, but do not listen to them.
• 2 Corinthians 9:10It is God who supplies seeds for the farmer to plant. It is God who supplies bread for food. God will help you in the same way. He will give you plenty of things so that you can help other people. You will be like a farmer who plants many seeds. And God will cause those seeds to grow. There will be many good results from the help that you give to other people. That will be like a great harvest.
• Psalms 41:1If someone is kind to poor people, God blesses him. When he is in trouble, the Lord rescues him.
• Proverbs 11:18A wicked person gets riches that soon disappear. But someone who lives in a good way will surely receive good things.
• Proverbs 19:17If you are kind to poor people, you are lending money to the Lord. He will pay back the debt to you.
• Proverbs 22:9If you are kind to poor people and you share your food with them, God will bless you.
• Ecclesiastes 11:1Freely give your things to other people. If you do that, one day you will receive your things back again.
• Luke 6:38Give to other people and God will give to you. He will give to you even more than you gave. He will fill your pocket until no more will go in. It will be so full that it will come out over the top. Think about how you give to other people. God will give in the same way to you.’
• Luke 19:16The first servant came to him and said, “Master, your money has made ten more pounds for you.”
• Galatians 6:7Nobody can hide the things that he does from God. Do not think a false thought like that! It is like a farmer who plants seeds in his field. The same kind of crops will grow as the seeds which he plants. That will be his harvest.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 9:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6He which soweth sparingly - This is a plain maxim: no man can expect to reap but in proportion as he has sowed. And here almsgiving is represented as a seed sown, which shall bring forth a crop. If the sowing be liberal, and the seed good, the crop shall be so too. Sowing is used among the Jews to express almsgiving: so they understand Isaiah 32:20; : Blessed are ye who sow beside all waters; i.e. who are ready to help every one that is in need. And Hosea…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6But this I say - This I say in order to induce you to give liberally. This I say to prevent your supposing that because it is to be a voluntary offering you may give only from your superfluity, and may give sparingly. He which soweth sparingly - This expression has all the appearance of a proverb, and doubtless is such. It does not occur indeed elsewhere in the Scriptures, though substantially the same sentiment exciting to liberality often occurs; see…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-15Verses 6-15 Money bestowed in charity, may to the carnal mind seem thrown away, but when given from proper principles, it is seed sown, from which a valuable increase may be expected. It should be given carefully. Works of charity, like other good works, should be done with thought and design. Due thought, as to our circumstances, and those we are about to relieve, will direct our gifts for charitable uses. Help should be given freely, be it more or less…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Paul uses farming to show how generosity pays off. A farmer who wants a big harvest must plant many seeds.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. I say--Ellicott and others supply the ellipsis thus: "But remember this." bountifully--literally, "with," or "in blessings." The word itself implies a beneficent spirit in the giver (compare 2Co 9:7, end), and the plural implies the abundance and liberality of the gifts. "The reaping shall correspond to the proportions and spirit of the sowing" [Bengel]. Compare Eze 34:26, "Showers of blessing."Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 9:6

• Agriculture
• Alms
• Beneficence
• Botany
• Giving
• Liberality
• Poor
• Seed

In the dictionaries

• Administration
• Boast
• Philippians, Epistle to
• Thanks
• Bountifulness; Bounty
• Church
• Church Government
• Collection
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Grace

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings