2 Corinthians 9:7

2Co_9:7-8

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give;… for God loveth a cheerful giver.

A cheerful giver beloved of God

I. What is meant by a cheerful giver? To be this one must--

1. Give proportionately, for cheerful givers reckon how much as good stewards is expected from them. If giving the tenth of ones income to the Lord were a duty under the Jewish, much more is it so now under the Christian dispensation. But the Jew, with his free-will offerings, etc., perhaps gave as much as a third altogether. And at this present day the Hindoos give very nearly that proportion, and thus shame the illiberality of many Christians. I do not, however, like to lay down rules. Give as the Lord hath prospered you, and do not make your estimate what will appear respectable, or what is expected by others, but as in the sight of God.

2. Give willingly, and do not be bled or squeezed like the young grape to get the wine out because it is not ripe We ought to be like the honeycomb, dropping spontaneously.

3. Get beyond the serf-like, slavish spirit. The slave brings his pittance, which he is obliged to pay, and goes his way in misery. But the child, pleased to give its Father what it can, beholds the Father smile, and goes its way rejoicing.

4. Give very earnestly. Some give God their time, but they are half asleep. Some give Him their efforts, but their heart never seems in them.

5. Wish that we could give ten times as much. Oh that we could learn the secret of entire consecration!

II. Why does God love a cheerful giver? Because--

1. He made the world on the plan of cheerful giving, and the great Artist loves all that is consistent with His plan. Why is the sun bright? Because it is giving away its light. Why is it glorious? Because it is scattering its beams on all sides. The moon--wherefore do we rejoice in her? Because what light she receives from the sun she gives again to us. Even yon twinkling stars--their brightness and radiance consist in their giving. Take the earth; what is its excellence but what it gives? Thousands of years ago there were vast forests waving in the sunbeams, and giving themselves to die to form vast stores of coal for future use. There is not a tree but is giving perpetually. There is not a flower but its very sweetness lies in its shedding its fragrance. All the rivers run into the sea, the sea feeds the clouds, the clouds empty out their treasures, the earth gives back the rain in fertility, and so it is an endless chain of giving generosity. There is nothing in this world but lives by giving, except a covetous man, and such a man is a piece of grit in the machinery. He is out of date; out of Gods order altogether. But the cheerful giver is marching to the music of the spheres.

2. Grace has placed such a man in order with the laws of redemption as well as the laws of nature. Salvation is not a thing to be earned and won, but is the result of the free grace of God. Now the professed Christian, who is no giver, or being a giver is not a cheerful giver, is out of order with the system which revolves around the Cross of Christ.

3. He loves anything that makes His people happy; and the spirit of love to others is the surest source of happiness. He who lives for himself must be wretched.

4. In such He sees the work of His Spirit. It takes a great deal of grace to make some men cheerful givers. With some the last part of their nature that ever gets sanctified is their pockets.

II. Why we who love the Lord should seek to be cheerful givers whom God loves. Because--

1. All we have we owe to Him.

2. Recollect that the time for giving will soon be over.

3. We have need of a giving God. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Cheerful giving

When St. Paul tells us that God loveth a cheerful giver he must surely mean that in cheerful giving there is something which God approves. Had any one suggested to him that Christian men, at any rate in this world, must always need Gods pity and forbearance, and can never in anything they are or do deserve His approbation, he would have answered that they are Gods workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, and that He is able out of very poor materials to create what He Himself can regard with delight. I am thankful to believe that in those who do not bear Christs name there are many virtues which God honours, and that in Christian people He recognises a goodness which is hidden not only from themselves, but from other men. It was not by an accident that the apostle spoke of a cheerful giving, and not merely of conscientious giving, or liberal giving, or unostentatious giving. There are only two passages in which the word, which is very properly translated cheerful in this place, and the cognate word cheerfulness, occur in the New Testament; both are in the writings of St. Paul, and both texts refer to the duty of giving. The writer tells the Corinthians that God loveth the cheerful giver, and in writing to the Romans he says that he who showeth mercy is to do it with cheerfulness. There are many duties which have to be discharged with solemnity, and some which it is not a sin to discharge reluctantly; there are some duties the discharge of which makes us very sad, but the duties of giving and of showing mercy are to be discharged cheerfully. There are some people who give, but who are certainly not cheerful givers. It is impossible, I suppose, that the man who gives ostentatiously should be a cheerful giver. He has no delight in parting with his money. The satisfaction is not in the giving, but in the honour which comes to him as the result of it, and he is vexed with manifold anxieties as to whether his wishes will be fulfilled or not. The man who gives because it is the custom of people about him to give is not a cheerful giver. He would not be sorry if there were no such thing as a hospital, just as he would not be sorry if there were no such thing as an income tax. No doubt most duties become pleasanter the more faithfully they are discharged, and if any one is conscious that he has no inclination to give, and no delight in doing it, he ought still to give because his conscience commends him. It would be well for such a man to remember that there is a very intimate relation between the concience and the heart. If the heart does not long to give, the conscience is very likely to be satisfied with gifts which would seem quite inadequate if he had the spirit of generosity. I am inclined to think that by following this course, and by praying to God very earnestly for the grace of generosity, the general spirit of charity will gradually be developed. But, I believe, there are many of you whom St. Paul himself would describe as cheerful givers. I think I know people who feel grateful to every one who makes known to them some new channel for their benevolence, who tells them of want which they can relieve, and sorrow which they can comfort.

1. For cheerful giving it is necessary, first of all, that the heart should be free from the spirit of covetousness. There is no harm that I can see in a man liking the things which only money can purchase; and there is no harm in desiring to make money in order to be able to purchase them. I cannot think that God is displeased if we like the pleasant things which He has made, for He meant us to like them, or He never would have made them. And if it is no sin to like them it is no sin to desire to have them; but we cannot have them without money. But it is possible to like these pleasant things too well, to have the heart absorbed by them; it is possible to care too much for them, and to be indifferent to the great end of life, and to those supreme duties which should have our first thought and our most earnest care. Perhaps it is not so much the love of the pleasant things which money brings which is the worst enemy of large-hearted liberality, as the desire to live in style, and the wish to accumulate money for its own sake. God loves a cheerful giver, because cheerful giving proves that the spirit of covetousness is blotted out.

2. For cheerful giving there must be a hearty sympathy with the particular objects for which we are asked to give. No doubt many accidental circumstances determine the direction in which our sympathies are directed. Many of us have a deep interest in missions to the heathen, whilst some of us care most about missions to the heathen at home. Some men are specially impressed with the importance of the duty of chapel building, and some--though not many--are particularly interested in our colleges. Many of us have known people who have gone to the hospital during the year, and have come out in health and strength, and it is hardly possible for any man with a human heart beating in his breast not to be touched by the appeal which comes to you to-day. God loves a man who gives cheerfully for an object of this sort because the gift is induced by the very spirit of compassion by which the hand of Christ was moved to confer miraculous relief. When we ask to be filled with the mind that was in Christ Jesus, we desire to be filled with the compassion for human misery that possessed Him.

3. In cheerful giving our gifts must bear a fair proportion to our resources. I believe that any man who gave a shilling at the collection last year, and was unconscious of any thrill of pleasure, would find that by giving ten shillings the pleasure would come. God Himself doubtless rejoices in all the joy with which His bountiful hand enriches His creatures. He loves a cheerful giver, because when a man gives cheerfully he gives not only at the impulse of a generous love, but he gives largely enough to make his gift a real sacrifice, and by every sacrifice for others we are brought into closer sympathy with God Himself.

4. Giving becomes most cheerful when it is exalted into an act of thanksgiving and an expression of love for God as well as for man. The collection is a part of the service; and it is something for us to have one portion of the service in which we may all take a part with cheerfulness. In very much of the service, I fear, there is very little joy for many of you. When we are showing forth Gods praise some of your hearts are filled with self-reproach, because there is not more fervour and gladness in thanksgiving. But those of you who are most depressed may rejoice that to one appeal which God makes you can respond with cheerfulness. To-day He asks us what we will do to lessen their suffering and restore them to health. He will rejoice if with any thoughts of them our hearts are moved with compassion, and if we give cheerfully out of love to them. But if we remember how dear they are to Him, and give the more largely because of that, He will rejoice the more. And we too shall give the more cheerfully if we remember that by our giving we not only alleviate human suffering, but made glad the heart of God. Here is something we can do for God Himself. You serve Me if you serve My children. God loveth a cheerful giver, for he who gives most cheerfully, gives out of love for God, as well as out of love for man. (R. W. Dale, D. D.)

God is able to make all grace abound towards you.--

The all-ability of God

These words stand in the heart of a chapter which is almost entirely occupied with instructions about giving. It is a habit of our apostle, in the discussion of a particular subject, to lift himself up suddenly to a higher level, where he can grasp some more general principle and command a wider outlook. The language of the verse is like that of Eph_3:20.

I. God is able--a very simple proposition. A self-evident one to those who really believe in God. Is not the opinion of many something like this?--God is not able to do much specifically. Granting His personal existence, He can only act along the line of the laws, and in conformity with the great forces of the universe. God is able is our answer to this. Whatever He has done, He can do again. Is He not the Creator still, every day? Every morning He says, Let there be light. Every year He says, Let the earth bring forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind.

II. Then surely He is able to rule the world He has created, and still creates. He is the Lord of Creation, and not its servant. The laws of the world are but the methods of God. Nature is Gods way of acting to-day. If He acts differently to-morrow, that will be nature too. It will be another nature, another method of God made known. He can act behind all the points that are visible to us, and without altering the order of nature He can produce what change He desires.

III. We may therefore ask Him to give us what we think would be good for us. There are limits to prayer as to everything else. Every one is bound to say with the Master Himself--Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt. Still there is room for prayer.

1. Take, e.g., Give us this day our daily bread. That scarcely any would object to. Even sceptical people wish to be fed. Even the richest of men need bread. But that simple prayer is an appeal to the all-ability of God; and if answered, as it is continually, involves supernatural considerations.

2. We pray to God also about the weather. But there are some who are almost afraid to pray about it. The feeling is: We had better to leave it; God knows best what to do. We are under physical laws. If we pray at all, let it be for the spirit of submission to them. This shadowy phantom that men call law, which is nothing but the present amount of their own knowledge of Gods methods of action, disappears for a while when the great Presence is realised, and then it comes stalking in again and makes for the throne, and its worshippers stand around with formula and definition, with records of discoveries, with catalogues of sciences and arts, and say, Law is king.

3. Thus we reach the solemn dread issue--God or no God! For if I may not ask my daily bread from God, if I may not tell Him what I wish about the weather, then what may I speak to Him about? About spiritual blessings; but are they not also given according to law? If God is bound to act invariably in the material sphere, He is equally bound to act invariably in the spiritual sphere; and if we may not pray to Him in the one, we may not pray to Him in the other. It is God or no God.

IV. Prayer springs from this faith that God is able. For what is prayer? Our Father which art in heaven is the answer. Prayer is the child speaking to the Father--asking anything that seems good and needful.

1. Prayer is asking. It is not dictation. If it were, it would be liable to the objections urged against it.

2. Answers come in many ways. They sometimes come by denial of the particular request, in order that a greater blessing may be given.

3. Do you say, I am not so much concerned about the outward things of this life, but I am borne down by a sense of guilt: I see no way of escape, for it is written, As a man soweth, so shall he also reap? I answer, God is able to forgive.

4. Do you say, My nature seems strengthless. I can wish, but I can do nothing? I answer, God is able to make you all that He designs man to be.

5. Or do you say, I hope I am forgiven, and yet I am in fear. The heart is deceitful, temptation is strong. What if after all I should make shipwreck of faith? My answer is, God is able to guide you safely through. (A. Raleigh, D. D.)

Abounding grace

I. The exhaustless treasure--All grace. You know if a man has got a little money, and he lives upon the principal, he may get rid of it all and be reduced to want; but here is a treasure that you may live upon--the interest and principal too--as long as life lasts.

1. This is treasured up by God the Father in His infinite, paternal love; and it can no more be plundered than it can fail or be exhausted.

2. It is held officially and responsibly by our covenant Head. He is the Treasure, and He is the Treasurer.

3. It is imparted by the Holy Ghost. It is His province first to implant all His own graces, and then to impart supplies to those graces to call them into lively exercise.

II. The aboundings of the supply. God is able to make all grace abound towards you. It is of no use for a man to tell me that he has abundance of gold locked up in an iron chest, and he has lost the key; but let it be brought out, and it may be of some importance. So also with the statement of my text. God does not deal as parsimoniously with us as as we with Him. It is abounding grace that He bestows.

1. He does not always meet the caprice, the carnal desire of His people, but He always makes His grace abound in everything they really need.

2. God makes all grace to abound for the replenishing of the exhausted child of God. Those of you who have been at all accustomed to sharp exercises will be prepared at once to recognise the seasons in which you have felt exhausted, just like the man that is running a race, and bids fair to win the prize, but his strength is exhausted, just like the man that has been hungering and thirsting a long while, and is almost wishing to die. Now, in such cases as these, what is the abounding of grace for but to replenish? He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. (J. Irons.)

Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness.--

Reasons for penuriousness self-refuting

There are some words used by people in utter ignorance of their true meaning. When appealed to on behalf of some charity the stock excuses are I must be economical--frugal--thrifty; by which they mean that they must be narrow-hearted, niggardly, although they do not intend you to take that as their meaning. But never were words more misused. Let us see what they really mean.

I. Economical comes from the Greek root which means home feeding. Now, fathers and mothers, what does home-feeding mean? Just to measure out so many ounces to your little child, and a little more to your eldest one? Is that the way we feed our children? No! We set them down at the table and let them eat as much as they like, until they have had enough--that is economy. The Mosaic economy is the dispensation of Gods abundant graces through the teaching, etc., of Moses to the family of Israel. The economy of Christ is taken, I suppose, from the miracle of the loaves, where Christ stands as the Father, breaks the bread, blesses it, and gives it out, and there is enough and to spare. The economy of grace is God giving enough for each and all--bestowing His Holy Spirit, enough for each and for all. Economy is one of the noblest and most bountiful words in the language.

II. Thrifty. You say, I must be thrifty, and I hope you will; for it is an adjective derived from the words to thrive. And thrive as fast as you can, and Gods blessing be with you. But do not attach a meaning that is mean to it. A thrifty table is a thriving table, and a bountiful one too.

III. Frugal. This comes from the Latin Frugis, fruitful. A frugal table is a fruitful table, groaning beneath the weight of Gods temporal gifts. (R. Maguire, D. D.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9:7 It is the spirit of giving that counts, “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” Cheerfulness in giving is contrasted with giving reluctantly (literally out of sorrow) or in response to pressure.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

2Co 9:7. Καθὼς προαιρεῖται) according as he purposeth [is disposed] in his heart, Gen 34:8, חָשְׁקָה נַפְשׁוֹ, LXX.—προεῖλετο ψυχῇ. He purposeth beforehand: grudgingly: from necessity: cheerful; Four expressions, of which the first and third, the second and fourth are opposed to each other.—ἐξ ἀνάγκης, from necessity) on this account only, that he cannot refuse.—ἱλαρὸν, cheerful) like God, Pro 22:9, LXX., ἄνδρα ἱλαρὸν καὶ δότην ἀγαπᾷ (Alex. εὐλογεῖ) ὁ Θεὸς, God loves a cheerful man and a cheerful giver (Alex. blesses, instead of loves).

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Co_9:7. But Paul does not desire them to give richly against their will; hence the new exhortation: Let every one give freely and willingly!

ἕκαστος καθὼς κ.τ.λ.] as each one purposes it to himself in his heart, namely, let him give,a supplement, which readily flows from the previous ὁ σπείρων; comp. the subsequent δότην. Let him give according to cordial, free, self-determination. On τῇ καρδ., comp. τῇ ψυχῇ, Gen_34:8. The present is used, because the προαιρεῖσθαι is conceived as only now emerging after the foregoing teaching.[288] In προαιρέομαι (only here in the N. T., but often in the sense of resolving in Greek writers; comp. 2Ma_6:9; 3Ma_2:30; 3Ma_6:10; 4Ma_9:1), προ has the notion of the preference, which we give to that on which we resolve, because the simple αἰρεῖσθαι has the sense of sibi eligere, where it likewise expresses a resolve or purpose (Xen. vii. 6. 37; Ages. iii. 4; Soph. Ajax, 443; Isocrates, Panath. 185). Hence μᾶλλον also, though in itself superfluous, may be added to προαιρεῖσθαι (Xen. Mem. ii. 1. 2, iii. 5. 16, iv. 2. 9).

ἐκ λύπης ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης] The opposite of καθὼς προαιρ. τ. καρδ.: out of sadness, namely, at having to lose something by the giving, or out of necessity, because one thinks himself forced by circumstances and cannot do otherwise (comp. Phm_1:14). Ἐκ denotes the subjective state, out of which the action proceeds. To the ἐκ λύπης stands contrasted ἐξ εὐμενῶν στέρνων, Soph. Oed. C. 488; and to the ἐξ ἀνάγκης, the ἐκ θυμοῦ φιλέων, Hom. Il. ix. 486.

ἱλαρὸν γὰρ κ.τ.λ.] Motive for complying with this precept. The emphasis is on ἱλαρόν, whereby the opposite, as the giving ἐκ λύπης and ἐξ ἀνάγκης, is excluded from the love of God. Comp. Rom_12:8. The saying is from LXX. Pro_22:8, according to the reading: ἀγαπᾶ instead of εὐλογεῖ. It is wanting in our present Hebrew text. Comp. also Sir_14:16, and the Rabbinical passages in Wetstein; Senec. de benef. ii. 1. 2 : in beneficio jucundissimo est tribuentis voluntas. Instead of δότης, δοτήρ or δωτήρ only is found in classical authors; in Hes. Op. 353, δώτης also. See in general, Lobeck, Paralip. p. 428.

[288] The θέλειν, not yet taking definite shape, already existed ἀπὸ πέρυσι; but the definite determination how much each desires to give, is conceived by Paul as occurring now, after the readers have read ver. 6.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Co 9:7 . ἕκαστος καθὼς κ . τ . λ .: let each man give (understanding διδότω ) according as he hath purposed (note the perf.; he implies that they had already made up their minds to give. προαίρεσις is Aristotle’s formal word in Nic. Eth. , iii. 3.19, for a free act of moral choice) in his heart ( cf. Exo 25:2 , “of every man whose heart maketh him willing, ye shall take my offering”); not grudgingly or of necessity, for “ God loveth a cheerful giver ”. In this quotation from Pro 22:8 , St. Paul substitutes (perhaps to avoid the cognate of εὐλογία ) ἀγαπᾷ for εὐλογεῖ , the LXX reading as it has come down to us, but the sense is not altered. The duty of almsgiving played a large part in Hebrew ethics, and that it should be carried out ungrudgingly is often insisted on in the O.T. and Apocrypha, a point specially to be emphasised in the case of a people who have always had the repute of being over-fond of money e.g. , “Thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him” (Deu 15:10 ); “Let not thine eye be envious” ( Tob 4:7 ); “In every gift show a cheerful countenance” ( Sir 35:9 ). These precepts St. Paul commends to the Corinthians ( cf. Rom 12:8 ). (Note that the practice of having “all things common,” which was initiated by the enthusiasm of the first converts (Act 4:32 ff.), did not last long; it was a noble attempt to express in outward deed the brotherhood of men as revealed in the Incarnation, but was, in fact, impracticable).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

With a sparing and niggardly heart.

Against his will, as loath to be evil reported of.

Determineth and appointeth freely with himself.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

according as he purposeth in his heart--Let the full consent of the free will go with the gift [ALFORD]. Opposed to "of necessity," as "grudgingly" is opposed to "a cheerful giver" (Pro 22:9; Pro 11:25; Isa 32:8).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 7. Not grudgingly, or of necessity] The Jews had in the temple two chests for alms; the one was של תובה of what was necessary, i.e. what the law required, the other was של נרבה of the free-will offerings. To escape perdition some would grudgingly give what necessity obliged them; others would give cheerfully, for the love of God, and through pity to the poor. Of the first, nothing is said; they simply did what the law required. Of the second, much is said; God loves them. The benefit of almsgiving is lost to the giver when he does it with a grumbling heart. And, as he does not do the duty in the spirit of the duty, even the performance of the letter of the law is an abomination in the sight of God.

To these two sorts of alms in the temple the apostle most evidently alludes. See Schoettgen.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7 Every one according to the purpose of his heart. As he had enjoined it upon them to give liberally, this, also, required to be added — that liberality is estimated by God, not so much from the sum, as from the disposition. He was desirous, it is true, to induce them to give largely, in order that the brethren might be the more abundantly aided; but he had no wish to extort any thing from them against their will. Hence he exhorts them to give willingly, whatever they might be prepared to give. He places purpose of heart in contrast with regret and constraint. For what we do, when compelled by necessity, is not done by us with purpose of heart, but with reluctance. Now the necessity meant you must understand to be what is extrinsic, as it is called — that is, what springs from the influence of others. For we obey God, because it is necessary, and yet we do it willingly. We ourselves, accordingly, in that case impose a necessity of our own accord, and because the flesh is reluctant, we often even constrain ourselves to perform a duty that is necessary for us. But, when we are constrained from the influence of others, having in the mean time an inclination to avoid it, if by any means we could, we do nothing in that case with alacrity — nothing with cheerfulness, but every thing with reluctance or constraint of mind.

For God loveth a cheerful giver He calls us back to God, as I said in the outset, for alms are a sacrifice. Now no sacrifice is pleasing to God, if it is not voluntary. For when he teaches us, that God loveth a cheerful giver, he intimates that, on the other hand, the niggardly and reluctant are loathed by Him. For He does not wish to lord it over us, in the manner of a tyrant, but, as He acts towards us as a Father, so he requires from us the cheerful obedience of children.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(7) Every man according as he purposeth.—The verb, which does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament, is used in its full ethical significance as indicating, not a passing impulse nor a vague wish, but a deliberate resolve, deciding both on the end and on the means for its attainment (Aristotle, Eth. Nicom. iii., c. 2). Such, St. Paul teaches, should be the purpose of the giver—not the outcome of a spent emotion, or a promise half-regretted, but formed with a clear well-defined perception of all attendant circumstances, and therefore neither “grudgingly,” as regards amount, nor with reluctance, as giving under pressure.

God loveth a cheerful giver.—As in 2Co_8:21, so here, we have a distinct echo from the Book of Proverbs (Pro_22:8) as it stands in the Greek version. In that version we find the following: “He that soweth wicked things shall reap evils, and shall complete the penalty of his deed. God blesseth a cheerful man and a giver, and shall complete” (in a good sense) “the incompleteness of his works.” It is obvious that this differs much from the Hebrew, which is represented in the English version, and it is interesting as showing that St. Paul used the LXX., and habitually quoted from it, and not from the Hebrew. As coming so soon after the quotation from Pro_3:4 in 2Co_8:21, it seems to suggest that the Apostle had recently been studying that book, and that his mind was full of its teaching. As a law of action, it may be noted that the principle has a far wider range of application than that of simple alms-giving. Cheerfulness in visits of sympathy, in the daily offices of kindness, in the life of home, in giving instruction or advice—all come under the head of that which God approves and loves. So the greatest of Greek ethical teachers had refused the title of “liberal” to the man who gave without pleasure in the act of giving. The pain he feels proves that if he could he would rather have the money than do the noble action (Aristotle, Eth. Nicom. iv., c. 1).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. purposeth] The word, as used in Aristotle, denotes deliberate choice, without any constraint of any kind, as well as free from the impulse of the passions.

grudgingly] Literally, from sorrow, i.e. out of a sorrowful or unwilling heart. Cf. Exo_25:2; Deu_15:10.

cheerful giver] Cf. Rom_12:8; Tob_4:7; Sir_35:9; and the LXX. of Pro_22:8.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart,.... Which is not to be understood of the quantity, or any set sum he has fixed upon in his mind to give; but of the quality or nature of giving; or of the manner in which he is to give:

so let him give; of his own will and free choice, from his very heart; not as directed and forced by others, but according to his own counsel and determination:

not grudgingly; or not of grief; with pain and uneasiness of mind, grieving at parting with what is given, reflecting on the persons that move him to it, or on the objects moved for. The Jews (g) reckon this the lowest degree of all in giving alms; "when a man gives to anyone" "with grief", to which the apostle seems to refer: who adds,

or of necessity; of force, by coaction, being obliged to it by the influence, example, or commands of superiors; or through the powerful motives, or prevailing entreaties of others; for without these, men, according to their abilities, should give of themselves freely and liberally:

for God loveth a cheerful giver; or one that gives , "with a cheerful countenance", as the Jews (h) say; or as elsewhere (i), "with a cheerful heart": their rule is this,

"he that doth the commandment, i.e. alms, let him do it , "with a cheerful heart".''

Who looks pleasantly on the person or persons that move him to it, or on the object to whom he gives; who parts with his money willingly, and takes delight in doing good to others; such givers God loves: not that their cheerful beneficence is the cause of his special peculiar love to them in his own heart, which arises from nothing in man, or done by him; but the meaning is, that God does well to such persons; shows his love to them; he lets them know how kindly he takes such acts of theirs, by prospering and succeeding them in their worldly affairs. In the Septuagint in Pro 22:8 are these words, "God blesses a cheerful man, and a giver", which the apostle refers to.

(g) Maimon. Mattanot Anayim, c. 10. sect. 14. (h) Maimon. Mattanot Anayim, c. 10. sect. 13. (i) Vajikra Rabba, fol. 174. 1. Parash. 34.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Ver. 7. According as he purposeth] God straineth upon none. See Lev 5:6; Lev 5:12; Lev 14:10; Lev 14:21; Lev 14:30. Liberality implieth liberty.

God loveth a cheerful giver] Dat bene, dat multum, qui dat cum munere vultum. One may give with his hand, and pull it back with his looks.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart ... - The main idea in this verse is, that the act of giving should be voluntary and cheerful. It should not seem to be extorted by the importunity of others 2Co 9:6; nor should it be given from urgent necessity, but it should be given as an offering of the heart. On this part of the verse we may remark:

(1) That the heart is usually more concerned in the business of giving than the head. If liberality is evinced, it will be the heart which prompts to it; if it is not evinced, it will be because the heart has some bad passions to gratify, and is under the influence of avarice, or selfishness, or some other improper attachment. Very often a man is convinced he ought to give liberally, but a narrow heart and a parsimonious spirit prevents it.

(2) We should follow the dictates of the heart in giving. I mean that a man will usually give more correctly who follows the first promptings of his heart when an object of charity is presented, than he will if he takes much time to deliberate. The instinctive prompting of a benevolent heart is to give liberally. And the amount which should be given will usually be suggested to a man by the better feelings of his heart. But if he resolves to deliberate much, and if he suffers the heart to grow cold, and if he defers it, the pleadings of avarice will como in, or some object of attachment or plan of life will rise to view, or he will begin to compare himself with others. and he will give much less than he would have done if he had followed the first impulse of feeling. God implanted the benevolent feelings in the bosom that they should prompt us to do good; and he who acts most in accordance with them is most likely to do what he ought to do; and in general it is the safest and best rule for a man to give just what his heart prompts him to give when an object of charity is presented. Man at best is too selfish to be likely to give too much or to go beyond his means; and if in a few instances it should be done, more would be gained in value in the cultivation of benevolent feeling than would be lost in money. I know of no better rule on the subject, than to cultivate as much as possible the benevolent feelings, and then to throw open the soul to every proper appeal to our charity, and to give just according to the instinctive prompting of the heart.

(3) Giving should be voluntary and cheerful. It should be from the heart. Yet there is much, very much that is not so, and there is, therefore, much benevolence that is spasmodic and spurious; that cannot be depended on, and that will not endure. No dependence can be placed on a man in regard to giving who does not do it from the steady influences of a benevolent heart. But there is much obtained in the cause of benevolence that is produced by a kind of extortion It is given because others give, and the man would be ashamed to give less than they do. Or, it is given because he thinks his rank in life demands it, and he is prompted to do it by pride and vanity. Or, he gives from respect to a pastor or a friend, or because he is warmly importuned to give; or because he is shut up to a kind of necessity to give, and must give or he would lose his character and become an object of scorn and detestation. In all this there is nothing cheerful and voluntary; and there can be nothing in it acceptable to God. Nor can it be depended on permanently. The heart is not in it, and the man will evade the duty as soon as he can, and will soon find excuses for not giving at all.

Not grudgingly - Greek, “Not of grief” (μὴ ἐκ λύπης mē ek lupēs). Not as if be were sorry to part with his money. Not as if he were constrained to do a thing that was extremely painful to him. “Or of necessity.” As if he were compelled to do it. Let him do it cheerfully.

For God loveth a cheerful giver - And who does not? Valuable as any gift may be in itself, yet if it is forced and constrained; if it can be procured only after great importunity and persevering effort, who can esteem it as desirable? God desires the heart in every service. No service that is not cheerful and voluntary; none that does not arise from true love to him can be acceptable in his sight. God loves it because it shows a heart like his own - a heart disposed to give cheerfully and do good on the largest scale possible; and because it shows a heart attached from principle to his service and cause. The expression here has all the appearance of a proverb, and expressions similar to this occur often in the Scriptures. In an uninspired writer, also, this idea has been beautifully expanded. “In all thy gifts show a cheerful countenance, and dedicate thy tithes with gladness. Give unto the Most High according as he hath enriched thee: and as thou hast gotten give with a cheerful eye. For the Lord recompenseth, and will give thee seven times as much” - Wisdom of the Son of Sirach 35:9-11. In nothing, therefore, is it more important than to examine the motives by which we give to the objects of benevolence. However liberal may be our benefactions, yet God may see that there is no sincerity, and may hate the spirit with which it is done.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Let not any give out of any awe of us, nor as it were forced by our authority, but as God shall put it into his heart, and as he hath purposed in himself, and is inclined from himself, without any grudging or unwillingness; not because he thinks he must give, but out of choice: for God loveth one that giveth with freedom and cheerfulness, not him that giveth as it were by constraint, or upon force; it is the will and affection of the giver, not the quantity of the gift, that God looks at. The apostle, by naming God and his acceptance in the case, lets the Corinthians know, that God was concerned in what they thus gave, it was not given to men only; according to that: He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again, Pro 19:17.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. His heart—The gift from the churlish hand may benefit the receiver, but reacts not in blessing on the giver.

Grudgingly—Literally, not from grief, as if half crying over the loss of the money given.

Necessity—From the wringing out by some urgent pleader, or under compulsion of some unavoidable obligation.

Cheerful—Whose face is bright and heart is warm as he rejoices in the good that may be done even though at his own expense.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In his heart. The heart must not only go with but anticipate the hand. Grudgingly; literally, from grief (Exo_25:2; Rom_12:8) A cheerful giver. The phrase is from the addition to Pro_22:8, which is found in the LXX; except that "loveth" is substituted for "blesseth." Compare "He that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness". (Rom_12:8) The rabbis said that cheerful kindness, even if nothing was given, was better than a morose gift.

A cheerful giver.

Paul here supports his appeal for liberality by a quotation from Old Testament Scripture. The words are almost literally those of the Septuagint Version of the Book of Proverbs. If the most powerful and practical motive to benevolence and especially to almsgiving is that which comes from the incarnation and from the cross of Christ, still all revelation enjoins and commends a virtue which is always beneficial to the giver, even when the advantage to the recipient is questionable.

I GOD HIMSELF IS A CHEERFUL GIVER. There is no grudging in his benevolence. If he shows mercy, he delights in mercy. If he gives, he gives with open hand and smiling face.

II CHEERFULNESS IN THE GIVER ENHANCES TO THE RECIPIENT THE VALUE OF THE GIFT. "One may give with his hand and pull it back with his looks." Some benevolent characters give with such a grace that those who receive at their hands think more of the giver than of the gift. Even a trifle in such case is more welcome than a handsome donation from an unsympathizing and uninterested donor. A foreign scholar waited upon a theological professor in London, who was a man well known for his exquisite grace and suavity of manner, to lay before him his position as one of peculiar destitution. That he was assisted, and assisted generously, is certain; but as he left the house he was heard to break forth into the exclamation, "Oh, the modus, the modus, the modus!" i.e. the manner of the giver in the bestowal of his liberality.

III CHEERFULNESS IN THE GIVER REACTS UPON HIS OWN SPIRITUAL NATURE. He who gives coldly, ungraciously, and grudgingly, is none the better for the act. But the ready, liberal, and cheerful giver is a happier and a more truly Christian man, because of the spirit in which he has discharged a duty and rendered a service.

IV THERE IS A SPECIAL RECOMPENSE ASSURED TO THE CHEERFUL GIVER. "The Lord loveth him." The Lord sees his own character reflected in that of his servant; he witnesses in the generous and unselfish spirit the fruit of the redemption wrought by his Son, and of the fertilizing operation of his own gracious, free, and beneficent Spirit. T.

The cheerful giver.

I How THE CHEERFUL GIVER GIVES.

1. Bountifully. His cheerfulness ensures liberality. It is the grudging giver who gives but little. But he who gives with gladness will desire much of that gladness. And he who sows bountifully reaps bountifully, and that without waiting, for he has at once a great harvest of joy.

2. Willingly. No compulsion is needed. He runs eagerly in the flowery and fruitful path of charity. He is not driven by the stings of conscience or by a desire to stand well with his fellows. His heart is enlisted, and the service he renders is hearty.

3. Joyfully. It is not a pain to him to give, but a pleasure. Some give their money to the needy as they give their teeth to the dentist; and often the disposition to give totally disappears on the threshold! But the cheerful giver enjoys giving. It is a delight to him. How giving is transformed in character when this is so! The same thing, how different to different natures! When we have learnt to love giving, what a pure joy we experience! Before, it was but the carcase of Samson"s dead lion, but now we gather most luscious honey by handfuls. We miss a most heavenly joy if we miss the gladness of giving.

II GOD"S REGARD FOR THE CHEERFUL GIVER. What God thinks of us is the all-important question. Now, the cheerful giver approves himself to the Most High. And not with cold approbation does God behold him. "God loveth a cheerful giver." God loves this kind of giving, and he loves the one who thus gives. A grudging giver is peculiarly offensive to God. It is so monstrous that, when God has lent us so many things, we should hesitate to return to him the few for which he asks. But when we have as much joy in returning as we had in receiving, he is well pleased. And when we rise still higher and believe truly that "it is more blessed to give than to receive," we please him the more. The cheerful giver resembles God, for God is a cheerful Giver; how bountifully and how willingly he has endowed us! Here are incentives to cheerful giving that we please God, secure the love of God, and become like God.

III GOD"S PROMISE TO THE CHEERFUL GIVER. A promise of great prosperity (vers. 6, 8-10). The short-sighted always judge that giving means losing, and that saving means gaining; but "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty". (Pro_11:24) And our Master said, "Give, and it shall be given unto you". (Luk_6:38; see also Mar_10:29, 30) If we want to get little we must give little. The niggardly farmer gets a scanty crop. In God"s providence those who are benevolent are commonly largely blessed in earthly things. Approving themselves to God, they are the subjects of his special care; "And God is able to make all grace abound" unto them (ver. 8). If those who give money do not always get more money, they always get much of what is far better than money. The distinct promise of God is that they shall be blessed and prospered. What form the blessing and prosperity shall take will be gladly left to God by the devout spirit. Often an increase of the means of charity results. God gives us more that we may give more. Having wisely used our talent, he entrusts us with further riches (see vers. 8, 10, 11).

IV THE INFLUENCE OF THE CHEERFUL GIVER.

1. He convinces men of the reality of religion. (Ver. 13.) Men appreciate such a test of piety as this. Words they are apt to reckon at a cheap rate, but spontaneous and joyful liberality staggers them. Cheerful giving is to be ranked amongst the evidences of Christianity.

2. He causes men to thank and to glorify God. (Vers. 11-13.) What is the origin of Christian benevolence? is a question suggested to the minds of those blessed by it. And this inquiry terminates in God. As he has implanted charity in his people"s hearts, he is clearly entitled to the praise: Aided believers naturally bless God that he has inclined his stewards to minister to their needs, and magnify his grace which has produced such fruitfulness in human hearts. The cheerful giver has a wider and more powerful influence than sometimes he suspects.

V THE GIFTS OF MEN TO THE CHEERFUL GIVER.

1. Their prayers. (Ver. 14.) What is the price of prayer! What a valuable return for the expenditure of mere gold! If we secure the earnest, loving, believing prayers of those to whom we minister, we shall be greatly enriched. The "prayer of a righteous man availeth much". (Jam_5:16) Men are willing to give much if their friend will but speak for them to the sovereign; but the cheerful giver is often spoken for to the King of kings.

2. Their love. (Ver. 14.) Love is not to be lightly estimated; it is spiritual gold, milch more precious than material. A man is rich if his treasury is well stored with the love of his fellows. The love of good men especially is a large recompense. Here we have the love of man and the love of God promised to those who delight in mercy and in helpfulness to the children of want. H.

Cheerful givers.

Those to whom giving is no forced service, no painful duty, no grudgingly yielding to command, but the joy of their life, the thing which brings them their keenest and purest pleasure. We need only suggest the sources whence such cheerfulness will come. Dean Plumptre points out that in this sentence we have a distinct echo of Pro_22:8, as it stands in the Greek Version: "He that soweth wicked things shall reap evils, and shall complete the penalty of his deed. God blesseth a cheerful man and a giver, and shall complete in a good sense) the incompleteness of his works." "Cheerfulness in visits of sympathy, in the daily offices of kindness, in the life of home, in giving instruction or advice, all come under the head of that which God approves and loves. So the greatest of Greek ethical teachers (Aristotle) had refused the title of "liberal" to the man who gave without pleasure in the act of giving. The pain he feels proves that, if he could, he would rather have the money than do the noble action.

I CHEERFULNESS THROUGH THE MOTIVE OF GIVING. Which is that thankfulness and love to him who was God"s great saving Gift to us, which kindles in our hearts the joy unspeakable.

II CHEERFULNESS THROUGH THE PLEASURE OF GIVING. For our Lord read human hearts aright when he said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive.

III CHEERFULNESS THROUGH THE HOPE OF BLESSING BY GIVING. Our giving meets and supplies needs; it tends to lift off burdens and to soothe sorrows. It is glad work to find ourselves, in a sinful and a sorrow-stricken world, healers, comforters, and saviours. No joy is like the joy of wakening joy in others.

IV CHEERFULNESS THROUGH THE SENSE OF DIVINE APPROVAL ON GIVING. "God loveth the cheerful giver," and when he loves, there is for us his uplifted countenance, his acceptance, and his smile. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Of necessity - Because he cannot tell how to refuse.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

cheerful

(Greek - ναός).

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly [literally, of sorrow], or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver . [Let each man give as his own heart prompts him and not as improperly influenced by others. Let no one give as if half crying to part with his money, and let no one feel constrained to give from any motives of necessity, such as popular applause, or to keep up with his neighbors, or to be rid of the solicitations of some urgent collector. Such giving is valueless in the sight of God, who values gifts only as they are really and truly such, and in no way extortions. The spirit of extortion is sorrow, but that of giving is cheerfulness.]

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. Every man according as he purposeth. The giving must be cheerful. It is the cheerful giver whom the Lord loves. Where one gives by compulsion, or to secure popular applause, or grudgingly, he is not approved.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

7. προῄρηται (אBCP) rather than προαιρεῖται (DKL).

7. ἕκαστος καθὼς προῄρηται. Here again the verbless sentence is as intelligible in English as in Greek (comp. Rom 5:18): Each man just as he has determined in his heart; not out of grief, or out of necessity. Comp. οὐ λυπηθήσῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ σου διδόντος σου αὐτῷ (Deu 15:10). For προαιρεῖσθαι comp. Pro 21:25; Isa 7:15.

ἱλαρὸν γὰρ δότην ἀγαπᾶ̣ ὁ θεός. It is a joyful giver that God loveth: ἱλαρόν is emphatic by position, and it means something more than ‘cheerful.’ The word is late Greek, not rare in the LXX. (Job 33:26; Pro 19:12; Sir 13:26; Sir 26:4; &c.), but nowhere else in the N.T. In Rom 12:8 we have ὁ ἐλεῶν ἐν ἱλαρότητι: comp. Pro 18:22; Ps. Sol. 4:6, 16:12. The words here are an echo of the addition in the LXX. to Pro 22:8, ἄνδρα ἱλαρὸν καὶ δότην εὐλογεῖ ὁ θεός. The substitution of ἀγαπᾶ̣ for εὐλογεῖ is the more remarkable, because εὐλογει would harmonize with ἐπʼ εὐλογίαις in 2Co 9:6. The Rabbis said that he who gave nothing, but received his friend with a cheerful countenance, was better than he who gave all with a gloomy countenance. Si panem dederis tristis, et panem et meritum perdidisti (Augustine).

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7.] He enforces the last words by an assurance grounded in Scripture and partly cited from it, that as we sow, so shall we reap.

τοῦτο] Some supply φημί, as in ref.: others, as Meyer, would take it as an accus. absol., ‘as regards this,’ viz. what has gone before. But I would rather take it as an imperfect construction, in which τοῦτο is used merely to point at the sentiment which is about to follow:—But this—(is true), or But (notice) this …

ἐπʼ εὐλογίαις] with blessings: ἐπί denoting the accompanying state or circumstances, as in ref.: not, ‘with a view to blessings,’ which will not suit the second ἐπʼ εὐλ.: nor as Theophyl., Œ, and E. V. μετὰ δαψιλείας, bountifully: which gives indeed the sense, but misses the meaning of the expression: see above. It refers to the spirit of the giver, who must be ἱλαρὸς δότης, not giving murmuringly, but with blessings, with a beneficent charitable spirit: such an one shall reap also with blessings, abundant and unspeakable. The only change of meaning in the second use of the expression is that the εὐλογίαι are poured on him, whereas in the first they proceeded from him: in both cases they are the element in which he works. So, we bestow the seed, but receive the harvest. The spirit with which we sow, is of ourselves: that with which we reap, depends on the harvest. So that the change of meaning is not arbitrary, but dependent on the nature of things.

7.] Not, as Meyer and De W., a limitation of the foregoing, or else it would be expressed by some connecting particle,—but a continuation of the thought:—φειδομένως and ἐπʼ εὐλογίαις referred to the spirit of the giver; so does this verse,—ἐκ λύπης ἢ ἐξ ἀν. corresponding to φειδομένως,—ἱλαρός, to ἐπʼ εὐλογίαις.

καθὼς προῄρηται] as he hath determined in his heart; supply, ‘so let him give:’ i.e. let the προαίρεσις, the full consent of the free will, go with the gift; let it not be reluctant offering, given ἐκ λύπης, out of an annoyed and troubled mind at having the gift extorted, nor ἐξ ἀνάγκης, out of necessity,—because compelled. Such givers,—that is implied,—God does not love.

δότης is not a classical word. δότηρ, δωτήρ and (Hes. Op. 353) δώτης, are used (Meyer).

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. ἕκαστος καθὼς προῄρηται τῇ καρδίᾳ. ‘Each man just as he has determined in his heart.’ As in Rom 5:18, the ellipse of the verb makes the sentence more forcible. Each must make up his mind seriously as to what he ought to give, and then give joyously. There must be neither thoughtless nor unwilling giving. Students of Aristotle’s Ethics are familiar with προαιρεῖσθαι of deliberate choosing, as also with αὐτάρκεια (v. 8); both words are freq. there, but occur nowhere else in N.T. Even if ἐπιχορηγῶν (v. 10) be allowed some weight, the use of such words is not very strong evidence that St Paul had acquaintance with Aristotelian philosophy. From philosophic schools these expressions had passed into the common language of the day, as Darwin’s language has done among ourselves. Cf. The sluggard’s hands ‘deliberately refuse to do anything,’ οὐ γὰρ προαιροῦνται αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ποιεῖν τι (Pro 21:25); also πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι αὐτὸν ἢ προελέσθαι πονηπά (Isa 7:15); and with τῇ καρδίᾳ cf. ὁ υἱός μου προείλατο τῇ ψυχῇ τὴν θυγατέρα ὑμῶν (Gen 34:8).

ἐκ λύπης ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης. These are not alternatives, but different ways of stating the same fact. The man who gives ἐξἀνάγκης gives ἐκ λύπης. By public opinion or other influences he is forced to give, and therefore he gives with pain and regret. He cannot give willingly, and therefore cannot give joyfully. Cf. ‘Thy heart shall not be sad (οὐ λυπηθήσῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ σου) when thou givest’ (Deu 15:10, where see Driver).

ἱλαρὸν γὰρ δότην ἀγαπᾷ ὁ Θεός. The first word is emphatic; hilarem, Dei similem (Beng.). ‘For it is a joyful giver that God loveth.’ The quotation is from the LXX addition to Pro 22:8, ἄνδρα ἱλαρὸν καὶ δότην εὐλογεῖ ὁ Θεός. St Paul is quoting from memory. He would not deliberately have changed εὐλογεῖ to ἀγαπᾷ. Nowhere else in N.T. does ἱλαρός occur, but it is fairly freq. in LXX in the Sapiential books. Wetstein quotes a Rabbinical saying, to the effect that receiving a friend with a cheerful countenance and giving him nothing is better than giving him everything with a gloomy countenance. Seneca remarks that to give with doubt and delay is almost as thankless as to refuse. Nam quum in beneficio jucundissima sit tribuentis voluntas, qui nolentem se tribuisse ipsa cunctatione testatus est, non dedit sed adversus ducenterm male retinuit. Multi autem sunt quos liberales facit frontis infirmitas. Optimum est, antecedere desiderum cujusque, proximum sequi (De Benef. ii. 1). The classical form is δοτήρ or δωτήρ.

προῄρηται (א B C P 67 **) rather than προαιρεῖται (D E K L).

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Purposeth [προαιρειται] . Read prohrhtai, perfect tense, hath purposed.

Grudgingly [εκ λυπης] . Lit., out of sorrow.

Cheerful [ιλαρον] . Only here in the New Testament. See on the kindred iJlarothv cheerfulness, note on Rom 12:8.

God loveth, etc. From Pro 22:9, where the Hebrew is, a kind man shall be blessed. Sept., God blesseth a man who is cheerful and a giver.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.