"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
— Luke 6:38 (NIV)
Luke 6:38 is often quoted about money, but in Luke it comes right after Jesus says "do not judge" and "forgive." It is about the measure you use with people, in every sense. This page gives the verse, what the key Greek words mean, where it sits in Luke 6, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about giving and Bible verses about generosity.
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The verse
The King James reads: "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."
"Give" is didōmi (G1325). "Good" is kalos (G2570), fine or generous. "Pressed down" is piezō (G4085), "shaken together" is saleuō (G4531), and "running over" is hyperekchynnō (G5240), to pour out until it overflows. "Lap" or "bosom" is kolpos (G2859), the fold of a robe that could be pulled up to carry grain. "Measure" is metron (G3358).
The picture behind the words
Jesus is describing grain being measured out at a market. A stingy seller fills the measure loosely. A generous one presses the grain down, shakes it so it settles, and keeps pouring until it spills over into the buyer's robe. The return Jesus promises is the generous kind.
Where it sits in Luke 6
Luke 6:27-38 is Jesus's teaching on loving enemies. He says to do good to those who hate you, to lend without expecting anything back, and to "be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36). Then he says, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven" (Luke 6:37). Verse 38 completes the pattern with giving.
The last line, "with the measure you use, it will be measured to you," is the same saying Jesus uses about judging in Matthew 7:1-2. In both places the measure you use with others is the measure you are choosing for yourself.
What the verse is saying
Luke 6:38 is not a formula for getting rich. In context it covers mercy, forgiveness, and not condemning people, as well as giving things away. The promise is that God is not stingy with those who are not stingy with others. Paul makes a similar point: "Whoever sows generously will also reap generously," and "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).
Questions people ask
What does Luke 6:38 say?
In the NIV: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." The KJV begins, "Give, and it shall be given unto you."
What does "good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over" mean?
It describes grain measured out generously at a market: pressed down and shaken so the container holds as much as possible, then poured until it overflows into the fold of the buyer's robe. It is a picture of a full, generous return.
Is Luke 6:38 about money?
Money is included, but the context is broader. The verse comes right after Jesus says not to judge or condemn and to forgive (Luke 6:37). The "measure" you use with people, in mercy and generosity of every kind, is the measure used with you.
What verse comes before Luke 6:38?
Luke 6:37: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."
What verses go with Luke 6:38?
Luke 6:37 (do not judge, forgive), Luke 6:36 (be merciful), Matthew 7:1 (with the measure you use), and 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (God loves a cheerful giver) are close companions.
