The concept of "give" in the Bible encompasses a wide range of meanings and applications, reflecting the character of God, the responsibilities of His people, and the principles of Christian living. The act of giving is deeply rooted in the nature of God Himself, who is portrayed as the ultimate giver.

Divine Giving

God's giving is foundational to the biblical narrative. The most profound expression of divine giving is found in John 3:16 : "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." This verse highlights the sacrificial nature of God's giving, offering His Son for the salvation of humanity.

In the Old Testament, God's provision is evident in His care for Israel. He gave them the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 26:9), the Law (Exodus 20), and sustenance in the wilderness (Exodus 16:15). God's giving is not limited to material blessings but extends to wisdom and understanding, as seen in James 1:5 : "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him."

Human Giving

Human giving is a response to God's generosity and a reflection of His character. The Bible encourages believers to give freely and joyfully. In 2 Corinthians 9:7 , Paul writes, "Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver." This verse underscores the importance of the heart's attitude in giving.

The Old Testament law included various forms of giving, such as tithes and offerings, which were acts of worship and obedience (Leviticus 27:30). The principle of giving is also evident in the care for the poor and needy, as instructed in Deuteronomy 15:11 : "For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you to open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and poor in your land."

Jesus' Teachings on Giving

Jesus emphasized the spirit of giving over the act itself. In the Sermon on the Mount, He taught about giving in secret, highlighting the importance of sincerity and humility (Matthew 6:3-4): "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Jesus also praised sacrificial giving, as seen in the account of the widow's offering in Mark 12:43-44 : "Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, 'Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more than all the others into the treasury. For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.'"

Spiritual Gifts

The New Testament speaks of spiritual gifts, which are given by the Holy Spirit for the edification of the church. These gifts are diverse, including teaching, prophecy, and service, among others (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Believers are encouraged to use their gifts for the common good, reflecting the principle of giving within the body of Christ.

Conclusion

The biblical concept of giving is multifaceted, encompassing God's generosity, human responsibility, and the teachings of Jesus. It calls believers to reflect God's character through acts of generosity, service, and love, both within the community of faith and beyond.1. (n.) To bestow without receiving a return; to confer without compensation; to impart, as a possession; to grant, as authority or permission; to yield up or allow.

2. (n.) To yield possession of; to deliver over, as property, in exchange for something; to pay; as, we give the value of what we buy.

3. (n.) To yield; to furnish; to produce; to emit; as, flint and steel give sparks.

4. (n.) To communicate or announce, as advice, tidings, etc.; to pronounce; to render or utter, as an opinion, a judgment, a sentence, a shout, etc.

5. (n.) To grant power or license to; to permit; to allow; to license; to commission.

6. (n.) To exhibit as a product or result; to produce; to show; as, the number of men, divided by the number of ships, gives four hundred to each ship.

7. (n.) To devote; to apply; used reflexively, to devote or apply one's self; as, the soldiers give themselves to plunder; also in this sense used very frequently in the past participle; as, the people are given to luxury and pleasure; the youth is given to study.

8. (n.) To set forth as a known quantity or a known relation, or as a premise from which to reason; -- used principally in the passive form given.

9. (n.) To allow or admit by way of supposition.

10. (n.) To attribute; to assign; to adjudge.

11. (n.) To excite or cause to exist, as a sensation; as, to give offense; to give pleasure or pain.

12. (n.) To pledge; as, to give one's word.

13. (n.) To cause; to make; -- with the infinitive; as, to give one to understand, to know, etc.

14. (v. i.) To give a gift or gifts.

15. (v. i.) To yield to force or pressure; to relax; to become less rigid; as, the earth gives under the feet.

16. (v. i.) To become soft or moist.

17. (v. i.) To move; to recede.

18. (v. i.) To shed tears; to weep.

19. (v. i.) To have a misgiving.

20. (v. i.) To open; to lead.

GIVE

(nathan, yahabh, sum; didomi): "Give" is a very common word in the Old Testament. It is most frequently the translation of nathan, "to give" (Genesis 1:29; Genesis 3:6 Exodus 2:9 Deuteronomy 18, 20, etc., over 800 instances); nathan is also translated "to give up" (Deuteronomy 23:14 Isaiah 43:6 Hosea 11:8); of yahabh, "to give" (Genesis 30:1 1 Chronicles 16:28 the King James Version). In Psalm 55:22 we have the perfect with suffix, "Cast thy burden upon Yahweh," margin "what he hath given thee"; elsewhere it is the imperative "Give!" (the King James Version in Genesis, "Go to"); sum, "to put," "place" (Numbers 6:26 Proverbs 8:29); rum, "to lift up," "exalt" (2 Chronicles 30:24; 2 Chronicles 35:7, 8, 9, "to give to"); shubh, "to cause to turn back" (Leviticus 25:51, 52 2 Kings 17:3, "to give again"); various other words are in single instances translated "give."

In the New Testament, the common word is didomi, "to give" (Matthew 4:9 John 1:12 Revelation 1:1; Revelation 21:6, etc.); we have also apodidomi, "to give away (from one's self)" (Matthew 12:36 Luke 16:2 Acts 4:33; Acts 19:40 Revelation 22:12); diadidomi, "to give throughout" (Revelation 17:13); epididomi, "to give upon or besides" (Matthew 7:9, 10 John 13:26); metadidomi, "to give a share" (Romans 12:8); paradidomi, "to give over to" (Romans 1:28 1 Corinthians 13:3 Galatians 2:20, etc.); prodidomi, "to give forth or foremost" (Romans 11:35); aponemo, "to apportion" (1 Peter 3:7); doreomai, "to give as a gift" (Mark 15:45, the Revised Version (British and American) "granted"; 2 Peter 1:3, 4 the King James Version); martureo, "to give testimony or witness" (1 John 5:10); pareisphero, "to bring forward therewith" (2 Peter 1:5); parecho, "to hold near by" (Colossians 4:1 1 Timothy 6:17); kataphero, "to bear against or down" (Acts 26:10); charizomai, "to grant as a favor" (Luke 7:21 Acts 27:24 Romans 8:32 Galatians 3:18 Philippians 2:9 Philemon 1:22 the King James Version). A few other words mostly occurring singly are translated "give."

Of the many changes in the Revised Version (British and American), the following are among the most important: for "Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies," "Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me" (2 Samuel 22:41 Psalm 18:40); for "He that made him can make his sword to approach unto him" (Job 40:19), the American Standard Revised Version has "He only that made him giveth him his sword," the English Revised Version, margin "furnished"; for "hasten after another god" (Psalm 16:4), the American Standard Revised Version has "give gifts for" (ERVm); for "give" (Psalm 29:1, 2, etc.), the American Standard Revised Version has "ascribe"; for "give myself unto wine" (Ecclesiastes 2:3), "cheer my flesh with wine"; for "giveth his life" (John 10:11), "layeth down"; "given" is supplied (Acts 19:2), where we read instead of "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost," "We did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given," margin "there is a Holy Spirit"; for Christ shall give thee light" (Ephesians 5:14), "Christ shall shine upon thee"; for "give in charge" (1 Timothy 5:7), "command"; for "not given to wine" (1 Timothy 3:3 Titus 1:7), "no brawler," margin "not quarrelsome over wine"; for "she that liveth in pleasure" (1 Timothy 5:6), "giveth herself to"; for "All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16), "Every scripture inspired of God," margin "Every scripture is inspired of God"; for "given to filthy lucre" (Titus 1:7), "greedy of"; in Hebrews 2:16, the American Standard Revised Version has "For verily not of angels doth he give help," margin "For verily not of angels doth he take hold, but he taketh hold," etc. (compare Isaiah 41:9; Ecclesiasticus 4:11; 8:9 (in the Greek) the English Revised Version, "not of angels doth he take hold") (the idea is that of taking hold of to lift up or help); in Ecclesiasticus 13:15 for "giving thanks to his name," the Revised Version (British and American) reads "make confession to his name"; for "giving all diligent" (2 Peter 1:5), "adding."

The prominence of "give" in the Bible reminds us that God is the great Giver (James 1:5), and of the words of the Lord Jesus, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35), "Freely ye received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8).

W. L. Walker

1929. epididomi -- to give over, give way
... to give over, give way. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epididomi Phonetic
Spelling: (ep-ee-did'-o-mee) Short Definition: I hand in, give up, give way ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1929.htm - 6k

591. apodidomi -- to give up, give back, return, restore
... to give up, give back, return, restore. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: apodidomi
Phonetic Spelling: (ap-od-eed'-o-mee) Short Definition: I give back ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/591.htm - 9k

4272. prodidomi -- to give before, give first
... to give before, give first. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: prodidomi Phonetic
Spelling: (prod-id'-o-mee) Short Definition: I give before, betray ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4272.htm - 6k

373. anapauo -- to give rest, give intermission from labor, by ...
... 372, 373. anapauo. 374 . to give rest, give intermission from labor, by
impl. refresh. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: anapauo ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/373.htm - 8k

1433. doreomai -- to give, present, bestow
... to give, present, bestow. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: doreomai Phonetic
Spelling: (do-reh'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I give, grant, donate Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1433.htm - 7k

1554. ekdidomi -- to give up, give out, let out for hire
... to give up, give out, let out for hire. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: ekdidomi
Phonetic Spelling: (ek-did-o'-mee) Short Definition: I give out, let, let ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1554.htm - 6k

1325. didomi -- to give (in various senses lit. or fig.)
... 1324, 1325. didomi. 1326 . to give (in various senses lit. ... Word Origin redupl.
from the root do- Definition to give (in various senses lit. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1325.htm - 12k

4222. potizo -- to give to drink
... to give to drink. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: potizo Phonetic Spelling:
(pot-id'-zo) Short Definition: I cause to drink, give to drink Definition: I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4222.htm - 7k

1948. epikrino -- to decree, give sentence
... to decree, give sentence. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epikrino Phonetic
Spelling: (ep-ee-kree'-no) Short Definition: I decree, give sentence Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1948.htm - 6k

467. antapodidomi -- to give back as an equivalent, recompense
... to give back as an equivalent, recompense. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration:
antapodidomi Phonetic Spelling: (an-tap-od-ee'-do-mee) Short Definition: I give ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/467.htm - 7k

6680. tsavah -- to lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command ...
... tsavah. 6681 . to lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order.
Transliteration: tsavah Phonetic Spelling: (tsaw-vaw') Short Definition: commanded. ...
/hebrew/6680.htm - 6k

8248. shaqah -- cause to drink water, give to drink
... shaqah. 8249 . cause to drink water, give to drink. Transliteration: shaqah Phonetic
Spelling: (shaw-kaw') Short Definition: drink. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/8248.htm - 6k

5414. nathan -- to give, put, set
... 5413, 5414. nathan. 5415 . to give, put, set. Transliteration: nathan Phonetic
Spelling: (naw-than') Short Definition: give. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/5414.htm - 9k

3051. yahab -- to give
... 3050, 3051. yahab. 3052 . to give. Transliteration: yahab Phonetic Spelling:
(yaw-hab') Short Definition: give. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/3051.htm - 6k

238. azan -- to give ear, listen
... 237, 238. azan. 239 . to give ear, listen. Transliteration: azan Phonetic
Spelling: (aw-zan') Short Definition: ear. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/238.htm - 6k

5415. nethan -- to give
... 5414, 5415. nethan. 5416 . to give. Transliteration: nethan Phonetic Spelling:
(neth-an') Short Definition: bestows. ... bestow, give pay. ...
/hebrew/5415.htm - 6k

3052. yehab -- to give
... 3051, 3052. yehab. 3053 . to give. Transliteration: yehab Phonetic Spelling:
(yeh-hab') Short Definition: given. ... deliver, give, pay, yield. ...
/hebrew/3052.htm - 6k

6148. arab -- to take on pledge, give in pledge, exchange
... arab. 6149 . to take on pledge, give in pledge, exchange. Transliteration: arab
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-rab') Short Definition: associate. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/6148.htm - 6k

3655. kanah -- to title, give an epithet
... kanah. 3656 . to title, give an epithet. Transliteration: kanah Phonetic Spelling:
(kaw-naw') Short Definition: flatter. ... give flattering titles, surname himself ...
/hebrew/3655.htm - 6k

7809. shachad -- to give a present, bribe
... 7808, 7809. shachad. 7810 . to give a present, bribe. Transliteration: shachad
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-khad') Short Definition: bribe. ... hire, give a reward. ...
/hebrew/7809.htm - 6k

"I Will Give You Rest. "
... "I WILL GIVE YOU REST.". A COMMUNION ADDRESS AT MENTONE. "I will give you
rest.""Matthew 11:28. "I WILL GIVE YOU REST.". WE have ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/till he come/i will give you rest.htm

Give to the Father Praise,
... Divine Songs Give to the Father praise,. Give to the Father praise, 6,6,8,6. Give
glory to the Son,. And to the Spirit of his Grace. Be equal honour done. ...
/.../watts/divine and moral songs/give to the father praise.htm

'Give Me to Drink'
... 'GIVE ME TO DRINK'. '... Jesus saith unto her, Give Me to drink.... Jesus
saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He.'"John 4:7, 26. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/give me to drink.htm

March 7. "It is More Blessed to Give than to Receive" (Acts xx. 35 ...
... MARCH 7. "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts xx. 35).
"It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /march 7 it is more.htm

Whether it is Lawful to Give and Receive Money for Spiritual ...
... ON SIMONY (SIX ARTICLES) Whether it is lawful to give and receive money
for spiritual actions? Objection 1: It seems that it is ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether it is lawful to 23.htm

Give us this Day Our Daily Bread.
... Give us this day our daily bread. Here, now, we consider the poor breadbasket,
the necessaries of our body and of the temporal life. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/the large catechism/give us this day our.htm

Whether a Man is Bound to Give Evidence?
... OF INJUSTICE WITH REGARD TO THE PERSON OF THE WITNESS (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether a
man is bound to give evidence? ... Therefore a man is not bound to give evidence. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether a man is bound 4.htm

Wishing to Give a Reason for the Lord's Answer to the Apostles...
... Wishing to give a reason for the Lord's answer to the apostles? ... If He has granted
Him less, He either wished to give less, or could only give less. ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xviii wishing to give.htm

Archelaus Said to Manes: Give us a Statement Now of the Doctrines ...
... A Fragment of the Same Disputation. 1 Archelaus said to Manes: Give us a
statement now of the doctrines you promulgate.? Archelaus ...
/.../1 archelaus said to manes .htm

The Mandrakes Give a Smell, and at Our Gates are all Manner of ...
... CHAPTER VII. 13. The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of
pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my Beloved. ...
/.../guyon/song of songs of solomon/13 the mandrakes give a.htm

Give (13501 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) To yield possession of; to deliver over, as property, in exchange
for something; to pay; as, we give the value of what we buy. ...
/g/give.htm - 16k

Asks (41 Occurrences)
... Asks (41 Occurrences). Matthew 5:42 Give to him who asks you, and don't turn
away him who desires to borrow from you. (WEB WEY DBY NAS NIV). ...
/a/asks.htm - 18k

Sea-lands (24 Occurrences)
... lands. (BBE). Isaiah 24:15 Give praise to the Lord in the east, to the name
of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the sea-lands. (BBE). ...
/s/sea-lands.htm - 13k

Stories (30 Occurrences)
... Matthew 13:13 For this reason I put things into the form of stories; because they
see without seeing, and give ear without hearing, and the sense is not clear ...
/s/stories.htm - 16k

Arguments (29 Occurrences)
... Acts 9:22 But Saul went on increasing in power, and the Jews in Damascus were not
able to give answers to the arguments by which he made it clear that Jesus ...
/a/arguments.htm - 14k

Vine-garden (43 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Matthew 20:4 And he said to them, Go into the vine-garden with the others,
and whatever is right I will give you. And they went to work. (BBE). ...
/v/vine-garden.htm - 19k

Surrender (18 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To yield to the power of another; to give or deliver up possession of (anything)
upon compulsion or demand; as, to surrender one's person to an enemy ...
/s/surrender.htm - 13k

Vines (39 Occurrences)
... The first of your sons you are to give to me. (BBE). ... 1 Samuel 8:15 He will take a
tenth of your seed and of the fruit of your vines and give it to his servants. ...
/v/vines.htm - 18k

Satisfy (32 Occurrences)
... of a want of (a person or a thing); hence, to gratify fully the desire of; to make
content; to supply to the full, or so far as to give contentment with what ...
/s/satisfy.htm - 16k

Servant's (29 Occurrences)
... and said, O Lord of armies, if you will truly take note of the sorrow of your servant,
not turning away from me but keeping me in mind, and will give me a man ...
/s/servant's.htm - 15k

Why will God not give His glory to another (Isaiah 42:8)? | GotQuestions.org

What should be done if a husband and wife disagree on tithing / how much to give? | GotQuestions.org

Should Christians give away all they possess except for basic necessities? | GotQuestions.org

Give: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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