As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”
Parallel translations
- WEB As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”
- KJV As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.
- BSB As it is written: “He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall.”
- NASB as it is written: “The one who had gathered much did not have too much, and the one who had gathered little did not have too little.”
- NLT As the Scriptures say, “Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough.”
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
Paul cites the manna account, where everyone had enough regardless of how much they gathered. God's provision aims at sufficiency for all, not surplus hoarded by some.
Overview
Quoting Exodus 16, Paul illustrates the principle of equality from Israel's wilderness experience. The manna could not be hoarded; each household ended with what it needed. Likewise, generous sharing among Christians ensures that abundance meets lack, reflecting God's design that His people care for one another.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Exod 16:18When they measured it with an omer, he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. They gathered every man according to his eating.
- Luke 22:35He said to them, “When I sent you out without purse, and wallet, and shoes, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
In Christ all God's promises are 'Yes and Amen'; though rich, he became poor to make us rich, and in him God reconciles the world, making us new creations.
How 2 Corinthians 8:15 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 Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.