But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You.
Parallel translations
- WEB But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.
- KJV But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
- ESV “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.
- NKJV But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And of Your own we have given You.
- NASB “But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given to You.
- NLT But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David humbly asks who he and his people are to give so freely, confessing that everything they offered came from God's own hand.
Overview
At the heart of David's prayer is genuine humility: even their generous giving is only returning what God first supplied. This verse expresses a foundational principle of biblical stewardship—we are recipients before we are givers. It guards generosity from pride and grounds it in grace, anticipating the gospel logic that we love and give because he first gave to us (1 John 4:19).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Jas 1:17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
- 2 Cor 3:5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- Rom 11:36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
- 2 Cor 12:9–11But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.
- Ps 115:1Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your loving devotion, because of Your faithfulness.
- Ps 50:10–12for every beast of the forest is Mine—the cattle on a thousand hills.
- 1 Cor 15:9–10For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- 1 Chr 29:9And the people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given to the LORD freely and wholeheartedly. And King David also rejoiced greatly.
- Gen 32:10I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, with only my staff I came across the Jordan, but now I have become two camps.
- Phil 2:13For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
- 2 Sam 7:18Then King David went in, sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?
- Gen 28:22And this stone I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give You a tenth.”
- Rev 4:10the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, and they worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
- Dan 4:30the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”
- 1 Cor 16:2On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a portion of his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will be needed.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.
How 1 Chronicles 29:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.