Generosity begins with God: He gives life, love, His Son. Those who experience this can become generous themselves—with money, time, and attention. Here you will find 20 Bible verses about generosity, sharing, and giving.
God is generous
God's generosity is the model.
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For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16GospelEternal life
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He that spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him give us all things?
Romans 8:32Provision
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If therefore any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth liberally unto all, and to every one it shall be given.
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Thou openest thy hand, and filleth with good every thing that liveth.
Psalm 145:16God's hand
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That ye may be children of your Father in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the wicked and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:45Summer
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For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet by poverty became poor for your sakes, that ye by his poverty might be rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9Poverty
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But unto him that is able to do abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
Ephesians 3:20
Living generously
Verses about giving and sharing.
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But this I say: He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly; and he that soweth liberally shall reap liberally. Every man according to his own will, not with unwillingness or compulsion: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7Giving
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He that giveth liberally shall abound; and he that withholdeth, though he do it willingly, shall be impoverished. The soul that giveth liberally shall be fed; and he that giveth liberally shall himself be fed.
Proverbs 11:24-25Love of money
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He that hath mercy on the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and he will repay him good.
Proverbs 19:17Poverty
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A generous eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
Proverbs 22:9Poverty
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Give, and it shall be given unto you. A full, pressed, shaken, and overflowing measure shall be put into your bosom; for so shall ye measure with the measure wherein ye measure.
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I have therefore shewed you all things, that ye should work, and receive into yourselves the weak, and remember the word of our Lord Jesus Christ, which saith, It is more blessed to give than to receive!
Acts 20:35GivingLove of money
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And he called his disciples to him, and said unto them, This poor widow hath put more into the treasury than all they which came to put in. For they all put in of their abundance; but she hath put in all she had, even all her living.
Mark 12:43-44
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That ye do good, and be rich in good works, and give willingly, and be ready to help.
1 Timothy 6:18Love of money
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Do not forget to be charitable and to share; for such sacrifices are acceptable to God.
Hebrews 13:16Sacrifice
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But thou shalt give, and not let thy heart be grieved in giving: for therefore shall the Lord bless thee in all thy labour and in all that thou settest thy hand unto.
Deuteronomy 15:10
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But all the believers were together, and had all things common. And they sold their possessions and goods, and had all things common, according to the need of each.
Acts 2:44-45
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But if any man have goods, and see his brother in need, and shut up his heart to him, how can the love of God abide in him?
1 John 3:17Poverty
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Behold ye to the necessities of the saints. Be ye swift to help.
Romans 12:13Hospitality
Bible texts: Luther Bible 1912 (public domain), carefully adapted to modern spelling.
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Generosity begins with God
The Bible describes God as the most generous giver of all. He lets "his sun rise on the wicked and on the good" (Matthew 5:45), gives wisdom "liberally"—without reproach (James 1:5)—and gives His own Son. Paul asks: "He that spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him give us all things?" (Romans 8:32). Human generosity is therefore a response, not a merit.
What generosity looks like
Jesus observes in the temple how the rich put in much money and a poor widow two small coins. His judgment: She has given more than all, for she gave "all her living" (Mark 12:44). Generosity is therefore not measured by the sum, but by the heart. Paul recommends giving voluntarily and cheerfully: "Every man according to his own will, not with unwillingness or compulsion: for God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). And Proverbs 11:24 says paradoxically: "He that giveth liberally shall abound." Find out more about Bible verses about giving, Bible verses about poverty, and Bible verses about good works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does it say, "God loveth a cheerful giver"?
In 2 Corinthians 9:7. Paul writes this in the context of a collection for the poor church in Jerusalem.
What does the Bible say about generosity?
The Bible describes God as a generous giver (Romans 8:32) and calls us to share voluntarily, cheerfully, and according to our means (2 Corinthians 9:6-7; Luke 6:38).
