Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just about giving money, but about actively using your resources to advance God's kingdom and care for others. It calls us to see our wealth and first earnings not just as personal gain, but as opportunities to express gratitude and faithfulness to God through tangible acts of generosity.
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of a larger section where Solomon is urging his son (and by extension, all of us) to live wisely. He's just spoken about trusting in the LORD wholeheartedly and not leaning on our own understanding, contrasting this with seeking wisdom from Him. This call to honor God with our wealth and firstfruits flows directly from that emphasis on a life fully surrendered to divine guidance and provision.
We often think of worship as singing songs or praying. But what if God also calls us to worship Him with our money and possessions?
Proverbs 3:9 isn't just a financial tip; it's a call to worship. The Hebrew word for 'honor' here suggests bringing something valuable to a place of respect. When we use our wealth – our 'substance' – and the 'firstfruits' (the very best of what we produce) to serve God's purposes, we're actively demonstrating our reverence and thankfulness. This means giving to support those who serve in ministry, helping those in need, and contributing to the spread of God's work. It's about recognizing that everything we have comes from God, and a portion of it is rightly returned to Him as an act of devotion.
Why does the Bible talk so much about the 'firstfruits'? It's more than just an ancient agricultural practice.
The 'firstfruits' concept, rooted in Israelite law, was a way to acknowledge God as the ultimate source of provision. It meant giving Him the very best, the earliest part of the harvest. This wasn't about Him needing our leftovers; it was about our hearts recognizing His sovereignty. It demonstrates humility, gratitude, and trust. By offering the firstfruits, Israelites declared that their entire harvest belonged to God and that He deserved the prime portion. This principle calls us today to dedicate the best of our time, energy, and resources to God's kingdom first, before we fully indulge in our own gains.
Does it matter we get our wealth when we decide to honor God with it?
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Some ancient translations of Proverbs 3:9, like the Septuagint (LXX), add the word 'righteous' to describe both wealth and produce. This isn't accidental! It emphasizes a crucial point: God desires offerings that come from honest, justly acquired means. Honoring God isn't about giving Him ill-gotten gains or wealth gained through exploitation. True honor involves living righteously in our finances. If we've acquired wealth unrighteously, the first step toward honoring God with it might be restitution. This principle reminds us that our integrity in earning is as important as our generosity in giving.
Understand the original words
kabad · Hebrew Verb
To show weight, glory, or esteem. In a theological sense, it involves giving God the prominence, value, and priority He deserves, particularly through tangible acts of worship or stewardship.
hon · Hebrew Noun
Material possessions or resources. Biblically, all wealth is understood to be entrusted by God, and its proper use is a reflection of one's stewardship and heart toward Him.
reshit · Hebrew Noun
The best or earliest portion of the harvest, offered to God as a sign of dedication and trust. It signifies that the entirety of one's resources belongs to the Lord.
This passage explicitly commands bringing the 'firstfruits of the land' to the house of the Lord, directly paralleling the instruction in Proverbs to honor God with the first of our produce.
2 Corinthians 9:7Paul encourages cheerful giving, stating that 'God loves a cheerful giver,' which aligns with the spirit of honoring God with our wealth, not out of obligation but out of a willing heart.
Luke 12:15Jesus warns against greed, highlighting that a person's life doesn't consist in the abundance of possessions, underscoring that true honor and value are not placed on wealth itself, but on how it's used to honor God.
1 Timothy 6:17-19This passage instructs the wealthy not to be haughty or to trust in riches, but to be rich in good deeds, generously sharing their wealth, which is the practical outworking of honoring God with their substance.
pulpitProverbs 3:9: "Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:"
Verse 9. - Honour the Lord with thy substance, etc. An exhortation to self-sacrificing devotion by the appropriation and use of wealth to the service of Jehovah. With thy substance (mehonehka); Vulgate, de tua substantia; LXX., ἀπὸ σῶν δικαίων πόνων. Hon, properly "lightness," is "opulence," "wealth," as in Proverbs 1:13. The min in composition with hon is not partitive, as Delitzsch and Berthean…
jfbProverbs 3:9: "Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:"
9, 10. (Compare Pr 11:25; Ex 23:19; De 18:4; Isa 32:8; 2Co 9:13).
This verse isn't just about giving money, but about actively using your resources to advance God's kingdom and care for others. It calls us to see our wealth and first earnings not just as personal gain, but as opportunities to express gratitude and faithfulness to God through tangible acts of generosity.
This verse is part of a larger section where Solomon is urging his son (and by extension, all of us) to live wisely. He's just spoken about trusting in the LORD wholeheartedly and not leaning on our own understanding, contrasting this with seeking wisdom from Him. This call to honor God with our wealth and firstfruits flows directly from that emphasis on a life fully surrendered to divine guidance and provision.
This verse is part of a larger section where Solomon is urging his son (and by extension, all of us) to live wisely. He's just spoken about trusting in the LORD wholeheartedly and not leaning on our own understanding, contrasting this with seeking wisdom from Him. This call to honor God with our wealth and firstfruits flows directly from that emphasis on a life fully surrendered to divine guidance and provision.
"Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;" — This verse isn't just about giving money, but about actively using your resources to advance God's kingdom and care for others. It calls us to see our wealth and first earnings not just as personal g…
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Last reviewed October 2026