Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of 2 Corinthians
Chapter 9: God Loveth a Cheerful Giver
2 Corinthians 9 continues Paul's teaching on giving with the promises and joy of generosity. He wants the Corinthians' gift ready in advance, 'as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.' Then he lays down the principle of the harvest: 'he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.' Giving is to be from the heart: 'not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.' And God more than provides for the generous: 'God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.' Such giving supplies the needs of the saints and overflows in 'many thanksgivings unto God.' Paul ends in worship: 'Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.' The chapter shows us the joy of cheerful giving, the God who supplies the giver, and the unspeakable gift of Christ that is the fountain of all generosity.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of 2 Corinthians chapter 9. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here Paul urges the church to prepare their gift as a willing bounty, teaches the joy and harvest of cheerful giving, and ends in thanks for God's unspeakable gift. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
A Matter of Bounty
The gift is prepared willingly beforehand, not grudgingly.
Sow Bountifully, Reap Bountifully
Generous sowing brings a generous harvest.
A Cheerful Giver
God loves the one who gives cheerfully from the heart.
His Unspeakable Gift
All giving flows from the indescribable gift of Christ.
Make Up Beforehand Your Bounty (2 Corinthians 9:1-5)
Paul wants the gift prepared in advance as a willing bounty, so it is given gladly and not squeezed out grudgingly.
As a Matter of Bounty, and Not of Covetousness
"For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready: Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting. Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness."
Word Study
"bounty," Greek eulogia (εὐλογία). The word means a blessing, a good word, and so a generous gift that blesses; it is the same word from which we get "eulogy." Paul wants the Corinthians' offering to be "a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness", a eulogia, a blessing freely and gladly given, not a grudging sum extracted under pressure. There is a world of difference between a gift that blesses and a payment that is squeezed out. That is why Paul wants it prepared "beforehand": a gift planned in advance, out of a willing heart, is a blessing; a gift demanded on the spot, when the collectors arrive, feels like covetousness overcome by embarrassment. The word teaches the spirit of true giving: it is meant to be a blessing, generous, glad, and free, a good gift that blesses both the giver and the receiver, not a reluctant concession. So prepare to give, and give as a blessing, a eulogia from a willing heart.
Explanation
Paul has boasted to the Macedonians of the Corinthians' eagerness, and now he wants that boast vindicated. He sends the brothers ahead so their gift will be "ready," lest, if Macedonians arrive and find them unprepared, both they and Paul be ashamed. The point is not pressure but grace: he wants the collection prepared beforehand "as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness" — a generous blessing freely given, not a grudging sum squeezed out at the last moment. Giving, done well, is planned, glad, and open-handed, never extracted.
Gospel Focus
Paul writes tactfully about the collection. He knows the Corinthians are willing, "the forwardness of your mind", and he has even boasted of them to the Macedonians, saying "Achaia was ready a year ago," and their zeal had stirred up many others. But willingness a year ago must become a completed gift now. So he is sending the brethren ahead to make sure they are truly "ready," lest his boasting of them prove empty and both he and they be "ashamed" when the Macedonians arrive and find the gift unprepared. Paul's concern is not merely that they give, but how: he wants the offering "made up beforehand," prepared in advance, "that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness." A gift planned ahead from a willing heart is a "bounty," a blessing; a gift squeezed out at the last moment under social pressure smacks of "covetousness," reluctance overcome only by shame. Paul wants their generosity to be genuine and glad, not extracted. There is wisdom here for all giving: plan it, purpose it in the heart, prepare it in advance, so that when the moment comes it flows as a willing blessing and not a grudging payment. God's people are to give thoughtfully and gladly, as those who bless, not as those who are cornered. So Paul lovingly presses them to be ready, that their gift may be the true bounty of a willing heart.
God Loveth a Cheerful Giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-15)
Generous, cheerful giving reaps a bountiful harvest, for God supplies the giver and is glorified through the thanksgiving it produces.
Thanks Be Unto God for His Unspeakable Gift
"But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."
Word Study
"cheerful," Greek hilaros (ἱλαρός). The word means cheerful, glad, joyous; from it comes our word "hilarious." "God loveth a cheerful giver." God's delight is not merely in the gift but in the glad heart behind it. He does not want a grudging gift, given reluctantly ("grudgingly"), nor a forced one, given because one feels obligated ("of necessity"), but a joyful one, given gladly from a heart that has "purposed" it. The hilaros giver gives with a smile, delighting to give as God delights to give. This flows from grasping that all we have is God's grace, and that in giving we imitate the God who gave His own Son. Duty-bound or arm-twisted giving pleases no one and blesses little; but cheerful giving, glad and free, is what God loves, for it reflects His own generous, joyful heart. So the question is not only how much we give, but with what spirit: God loves the cheerful giver, the one who gives gladly as unto the Lord.
Explanation
Paul lays down the harvest law of giving: "he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." The manner matters most — "not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." And the fear that generosity will leave one lacking is answered by God's abundant supply: "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." Such giving overflows in thanksgiving to God from those relieved. Paul ends where all giving begins — in worship: "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift," Christ Himself.
Gospel Focus
Paul now unfolds the principles and promises of generous giving. First, the law of the harvest: "he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." Giving is like sowing seed; a stingy sowing yields a small harvest, a generous sowing a great one. This is not a promise of getting rich, but the certainty that God rewards generosity. Second, the manner: "every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." The amount is between each person and God, purposed thoughtfully in the heart; but the spirit must be glad, for "God loveth a cheerful giver." Third, the supply: "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." God is no man's debtor; He supplies the generous so they can keep giving. Paul pictures God as the one who "ministereth seed to the sower," providing both bread to eat and seed to sow, and who will "multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness." Give, and God will provide more to give, enriching you "to all bountifulness." And the end of it all is not the giver's comfort but God's glory: such giving "supplieth the want of the saints," and overflows in "many thanksgivings unto God," as those helped "glorify God" and pray for their benefactors. Generosity meets needs, produces worship, and knits the saints together in love and prayer. Finally, Paul lifts his eyes to the source and summit of all giving: "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." Behind every gift we give stands God's own gift beyond words, Jesus Christ Himself, His Son given for our salvation. That "unspeakable gift" is the fountain from which all Christian generosity flows and the reason our giving ends, as it began, in thanks to God. We give cheerfully because God first gave, unspeakably, in Christ.
Chapter 9 in Review
2 Corinthians 9 crowns Paul's teaching on giving with its joys and promises. He wants the Corinthians' gift ready in advance, "as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness." He lays down the law of the harvest, "he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully," and the spirit of giving, "not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." God more than supplies the generous: "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye... may abound to every good work." Such giving "supplieth the want of the saints" and overflows in "many thanksgivings unto God." And Paul ends in worship: "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."
For the Apostolic reader this chapter frees and gladdens the heart of the giver. Giving is a sowing that reaps a harvest of God's blessing, so we need not fear that generosity impoverishes us; God supplies the sower with more seed to sow. The spirit matters as much as the sum: God loves not the grudging or the pressured gift but the cheerful one, given gladly from a purposed heart, reflecting His own joyful generosity. And the fruit of such giving is far greater than the money itself, needs are met, God is glorified, thanksgivings rise, and the saints are bound together in love and prayer. Behind it all stands "his unspeakable gift," Jesus Christ, God's own Son given for us; because God gave so immeasurably, we give cheerfully, and all our giving returns to Him in thanks. Sow bountifully, give cheerfully, trust the God who supplies, and thank Him for the gift beyond all words.
- Prepare the gift beforehand, "as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness" (9:5).
- "He which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully" (9:6).
- Give as purposed in the heart; "God loveth a cheerful giver" (9:7).
- "God is able to make all grace abound toward you" to abound to every good work (9:8).
- Giving meets needs and overflows in "many thanksgivings unto God" (9:12).
- All giving flows from God's "unspeakable gift," Jesus Christ (9:15).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you plan and purpose your giving, or give only under pressure?
- Are you a "cheerful giver," or do you give grudgingly or of necessity?
- Do you trust God to supply you as you give generously to others?
- How does "his unspeakable gift" of Christ move your heart to give?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. Preparing a willing bounty: 2 Corinthians 9:1-5; 2 Corinthians 8:10-12; 1 Corinthians 16:2. Sowing and reaping; the cheerful giver: 2 Corinthians 9:6-7; Proverbs 11:24-25; 22:9; Galatians 6:7-9; Luke 6:38. God supplies the generous: 2 Corinthians 9:8-11; Psalm 112:9; Philippians 4:19; Malachi 3:10. Giving that produces thanksgiving and glorifies God; the unspeakable gift: 2 Corinthians 9:12-15; John 3:16; Romans 8:32; James 1:17. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Preparing a willing bounty, not covetousness: 2 Corinthians 9:1-5; 1 Corinthians 16:2.
- Sow bountifully; God loves a cheerful giver; God supplies: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11; Proverbs 11:24-25; Philippians 4:19.
- Giving that glorifies God; His unspeakable gift: 2 Corinthians 9:12-15; John 3:16; Romans 8:32.