A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Parallel translations
- WEB The liberal soul shall be made fat. He who waters shall be watered also himself.
- KJV The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
- NKJV The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.
- NASB A generous person will be prosperous, And one who gives others plenty of water will himself be given plenty.
- NLT The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
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
A generous person will prosper, and whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Blessing others brings blessing back to ourselves.
Overview
Using the imagery of being 'made fat' and 'watered,' this proverb promises that liberality returns to the giver in God's good providence. It reinforces that selfless generosity is not loss but gain. This reflects the gospel pattern in which those who pour themselves out for others are filled by the God who supplies every need.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Matt 5:7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
- 2 Cor 9:6–9Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
- Isa 58:7–11Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
- Matt 25:34–35Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
- Isa 32:8But a noble man makes honorable plans; he stands up for worthy causes.
- Prov 28:27Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.
- Job 29:13–18The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
- Job 31:16–20If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 11:25 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.