Lexical Summary pheidomenós: Sparing, refraining, withholding Original Word: φειδόμενος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sparingly. Adverb from participle of pheidomai; abstemiously, i.e. Stingily -- sparingly. see GREEK pheidomai NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originadverb from a part. of pheidomai Definition sparingly NASB Translation sparingly (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5340: φειδομένωςφειδομένως (from the participle φειδόμενος), adverb, sparingly: 2 Corinthians 9:6 (mildly, Plutarch, Alex. 25). Topical Lexicon Essential Sense Strong’s 5340 portrays an action done “sparingly,” with measured restraint that withholds what might otherwise be given. The term in 2 Corinthians 9:6 functions adverbially to qualify both the sowing and the reaping of material and spiritual seed. Old Testament Foundations Though the specific Greek word is absent from the Septuagint, its concept permeates the Hebrew Scriptures. Proverbs 11:24 observes, “One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.” Malachi 3:10 urges Israel not to “withhold” tithes, promising overflowing blessing for liberal obedience. These texts provide the covenant backdrop for Paul’s teaching, anchoring it in the long-standing biblical principle that God rewards generous stewardship and censures stingy withholding. New Testament Usage Paul alone employs the adverb, and only in one sentence, yet he repeats it for rhetorical force: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” (2 Corinthians 9:6) The double use creates a literary balance that drives home the inescapable law of proportional return. It also echoes the chiastic pattern common in wisdom literature, linking action and consequence in mirror image. Exegetical Insights 1. Context: The Corinthian collection for the Jerusalem saints (2 Corinthians 8–9) frames the statement. Paul motivates voluntary, joyful giving rather than coerced duty. Theological Significance • Stewardship: Everything belongs to God (Psalm 24:1). Believers act as managers, not owners; withholding from God misaligns one’s role. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Financial Giving: Local churches encourage proportionate, cheerful contributions, teaching that a miserly spirit hinders gospel advance and personal growth. Historical and Patristic Witness • Chrysostom, Homilies on 2 Corinthians, highlights the inevitability of divine recompense: “Whatsoever ye sow, that ye shall also reap, not only in kind but in measure.” Conclusion Strong’s 5340 summarizes a caution: reluctant sowing limits divine blessing. Paul’s doubled adverb amplifies a timeless principle rooted in Scripture’s unified witness—generosity begets generosity, in this age and the age to come. Forms and Transliterations φειδομενως φειδομένως φερνή φέρνην φερνιεί pheidomenos pheidomenōs pheidoménos pheidoménōsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Corinthians 9:6 AdvGRK: ὁ σπείρων φειδομένως φειδομένως καὶ NAS: [I say], he who sows sparingly will also KJV: [I say], He which soweth sparingly shall reap INT: he that sows sparingly sparingly also 2 Corinthians 9:6 Adv |
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