Proverbs 11:24-25
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The verse contrasts two approaches to resources, highlighting that withholding is not a path to security but to lack. It suggests that true abundance comes from generosity, implying that what we give is what truly increases, while what we hoard ultimately diminishes.
One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This proverb sits within a chapter contrasting the ways of the righteous and the wicked, and here it focuses on generosity versus stinginess. It's part of a series of observations about how different attitudes toward wealth and giving impact one's life, suggesting that true prosperity, according to God's wisdom, comes from a generous spirit, not hoarding.
It sounds counterintuitive, doesn't it? Giving things away often leads to having more?
Proverbs 11:24 presents a powerful paradox: the generous person increases, while the stingy person suffers want. This isn't just a nice idea; it's a divine principle.
A Divine Exchange
God's economy works differently from ours. When we "scatter" our resources – whether money, time, or kindness – with a willing heart, we don't end up empty. Instead, we find ourselves "all the richer." This isn't magic, but a reflection of God's abundant provision and blessing on a heart that reflects His own generous nature.
The Cost of Withholding
Conversely, the person who "withholds what he should give" doesn't secure their own wealth. Their hoarding leads to "want." This isn't necessarily about sudden destitution, but a gradual spiritual and material impoverishment that comes from a closed-off, self-centered heart. It's a life that misses out on the richness of God's blessing and the joy of true generosity.
What does it truly mean to withhold 'what he should give'?
The verse points to withholding "what he should give." This isn't about giving away everything, but specifically about holding back what is rightfully or morally due.
Beyond Obligation
This "should give" implies a sense of responsibility – to God, to the poor, to community needs, and even to family. It’s about recognizing that some of our resources are not solely for our own comfort but are intended to flow through us to meet legitimate needs.
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The Principle of Justice and Mercy
The commentators highlight that this refers to what is "right" or "just." It encompasses both our legal obligations and, perhaps more importantly in the context of Proverbs, our obligations of mercy and compassion. To withhold these is to act unjustly and to court poverty, not just financially, but in a broader sense of lacking true abundance.
Understand the original words
nathan · Hebrew Verb
To bestow favor, material support, or spiritual goodwill upon others, often implying a sacrificial or generous act.
berakah · Hebrew Noun
The act of invoking God’s favor upon another or bestowing tangible benefits; it is the opposite of a curse and implies spiritual or material prosperity.
ravah · Hebrew Verb
To cause to grow, flourish, or thrive; often used to describe how one who provides for others is spiritually or materially sustained by God in return.
This passage directly parallels the principle in Proverbs, stating 'Give, and it will be given to you.' It echoes the idea that generosity, even of material things, is met with abundance, a divine principle at play.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7Paul teaches that 'whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously,' reinforcing the proportional relationship between giving and receiving that Proverbs highlights.
Psalm 112:5This Psalm describes the righteous person as one who 'conducts his affairs with justice' and 'will never be moved,' but it's verse 9 that directly connects to Proverbs 11:24: 'He has scattered abroad; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted in honor.'
Matthew 19:29Jesus promises that those who have left everything to follow Him will receive 'a hundred times more' and inherit eternal life, showcasing a spiritual 'increase' that far surpasses earthly withholding.
1 Timothy 6:17-19This passage warns against the love of money and instead encourages believers to 'be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,' indicating that true richness comes from giving, not hoarding.
ellicottProverbs 11:24: "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty."
(24) There is that scattereth— i.e. , with bounteous hand (comp. Psalm 112:9 ), “and yet increaseth” in wealth and blessings (comp. Proverbs 19:17 , and the old epitaph, “What we spent, we had; what we saved, we lost; what we gave, we have.”)
jfbProverbs 11:24: "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty."
24-31. The scope of the whole is a comment on Pr 11:23. Thus liberality, by God's blessing, secures increase, while penuriousness, instead of expected gain, procures poverty.
The verse contrasts two approaches to resources, highlighting that withholding is not a path to security but to lack. It suggests that true abundance comes from generosity, implying that what we give is what truly increases, while what we hoard ultimately diminishes.
This proverb sits within a chapter contrasting the ways of the righteous and the wicked, and here it focuses on generosity versus stinginess. It's part of a series of observations about how different attitudes toward wealth and giving impact one's life, suggesting that true prosperity, according to God's wisdom, comes from a generous spirit, not hoarding.
This proverb sits within a chapter contrasting the ways of the righteous and the wicked, and here it focuses on generosity versus stinginess. It's part of a series of observations about how different attitudes toward wealth and giving impact one's life, suggesting that true prosperity, according to God's wisdom, comes from a generous spirit, not hoarding.
"One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered." — The verse contrasts two approaches to resources, highlighting that withholding is not a path to security but to lack. It suggests that true abundance comes from generosity, implying that what we *giv…
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Last reviewed October 2026
