bible verses about giving

Bible Verses About Giving: 12 Scriptures on Giving to Others

Bible verses about giving: 12 scriptures on giving to others, cheerful giving, giving money, and the gift of giving, with plain notes.

Illustrated portrait of Christopher McAllister

By Christopher McAllister

Founder of theBibleand.Love

Published September 30, 2026Updated October 20, 20266 min readMatthew 10:8 (NIV)

A person at a doorway gives bread and a folded cloak to a traveler.

"Freely you have received; freely give."

— Matthew 10:8 (NIV)

People who search bible verses or scriptures about giving want Scripture for the act of giving — open hands, offerings, share-what-you-have — not only the character focus of generosity, the management focus of stewardship, or the wealth-warning focus of money. This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses about generosity, Bible verses about stewardship, Bible verses about money, Bible verses about serving others, Bible verses about love, Bible verses about blessings, and Bible verse of the day. Giving here means didōmi — the act of giving — distinct from generosity-as-trait alone, stewardship-as-oversight alone, and money-as-mastery alone.

Word study (lead theme). In Greek, "give" is often δίδωμι didōmi (Strong's G1325; Bible Hub G1325) — to give, bestow, or grant. Scripture treats giving as a concrete transfer from what you have — not only a warm personality type.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Corinthians 9 presses cheerful giving: God loves a cheerful giver — willingness, not compulsion (Bible Hub commentaries on 2 Corinthians 9:7; Bible Hub MHC 2 Corinthians 9; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 9). On Malachi 3 he marks bringing the whole tithe into the storehouse — trust that opening the hand will not leave you empty (Bible Hub commentaries on Malachi 3:10; Bible Hub MHC Malachi 3; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Malachi 3). (Those classics live on the generosity page; this list centers other give / share / offer passages.)

What does the Bible say about giving?

Scripture treats giving as a response to what God has already given. Jesus sums it up: "Freely you have received; freely give" (Matthew 10:8), and Paul quotes him saying, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

The Bible's main teaching on giving comes down to a few points:

  • Give willingly. "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).
  • Give from what you have. "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have" (2 Corinthians 8:12). Jesus honored the widow who gave two small coins (Mark 12:41-44).
  • Give to people in need. "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" (1 John 3:17).
  • Give quietly. "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" (Matthew 6:3).
  • Trust God with the result. "Give, and it will be given to you" (Luke 6:38).

Giving in the Bible includes money, food, clothing, time, and hospitality. For the heart behind it, see Bible verses about generosity; for managing what God entrusts, see Bible verses about stewardship.

12 Bible verses about giving

  1. Proverbs 3:27. "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act." Giving starts when good is due and power is present — withhold is the sin. See Bible verses about serving others.

  2. Proverbs 22:9. "The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor." Blessing attaches to shared food — the act of sharing, not a speech. See Bible verses about blessings.

  3. Proverbs 28:27. "Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses." Open hands vs closed eyes — giving is a choice of sight. See Bible verses about love.

  4. Ecclesiastes 11:1. "Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return." Giving can look like risked grain — trust over clenched storehouses. See Bible verses about stewardship.

  5. Matthew 10:8. "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." Received grace becomes given grace — freely on both sides. See Bible verses about love.

  6. Luke 3:11. "John answered, 'Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.'" Two shirts, one shared — giving is concrete surplus moved. See Bible verses about serving others.

  7. Luke 12:33. "Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." Sell-and-give builds a different purse — heaven's, not moth-food. See Bible verses about money.

  8. Acts 2:45. "They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need." Early church giving met need — sale to supply. See Bible verses about generosity.

  9. Acts 4:34-35. "…there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need." Distribution to need — giving with accountability. See Bible verses about stewardship.

  10. 2 Corinthians 8:12. "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have." Willingness + what you have — God does not grade empty pockets as failure. See Bible verses about faith.

  11. 2 Corinthians 8:14. "At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality…" Plenty supplies need — mutual giving across seasons. See Bible verses about blessings.

  12. Galatians 6:6. "Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor." Share good things with the one who teaches — giving toward the word's work. See Bible verses about serving others.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse for a clenched wallet, a need you can meet, or a habit of withholding — not twelve as a fundraising script. If you need freely-give language, start with Matthew 10:8. If you need willingness-and-what-you-have language, start with 2 Corinthians 8:12. If you need cheerful-giver / character-of-generosity language, open Bible verses about generosity. If you need faithful-manager language, open Bible verses about stewardship. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

What is a good Bible verse about giving?

Matthew 10:8 (freely give), Proverbs 3:27 (do not withhold good), and 2 Corinthians 8:12 (willingness according to what one has) are clear starting places.

What is the gift of giving in the Bible?

Paul lists giving among the gifts God gives the church in Romans 12:6-8: "if it is giving, then give generously." Some believers are especially wired to meet needs with their resources, but every Christian is called to give (2 Corinthians 8:7).

What does the KJV say about giving?

2 Corinthians 9:7 (KJV): "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." Acts 20:35 (KJV): "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Luke 6:38 (KJV): "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over."

How do Bible verses about giving differ from generosity, stewardship, or money verses?

Generosity pages center open-hearted character; stewardship pages center faithful management; money pages center mastery and treasure. A giving page centers the act — share, offer, supply need. Cross-link Bible verses about generosity, Bible verses about stewardship, and Bible verses about money.

What does didōmi mean?

Strong's G1325 didōmi is to give, bestow, or grant — put something into another's hands.

Is giving only about money?

Scripture includes money, food, shirts, and "all good things" shared with instructors — the act spans more than a check.

Where can I read more about generosity, stewardship, and serving others?

Start with Bible verses about generosity, then Bible verses about stewardship, Bible verses about money, and Bible verses about serving others.

Sources

A woman gives bread and a cloak to a traveler at a doorway.

Keep reading