2 Corinthians 9:10
Intermediate2 Corinthians 9:10 · World English Bible (WEB)
“Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;”
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Overview
God supplies both the resources for generosity and the spiritual fruit that grows from it.
Paul is praying that the God who faithfully provides seed and bread will also provide the Corinthians with what they need to keep giving, and will make their righteous generosity fruitful. Their giving is not self-generated heroism; it is God-supplied seed producing God-pleasing fruit.
What Makes This Verse Confusing?
Paul is drawing on the pattern of God’s provision in creation: seed is for future sowing, bread is for present eating. In the context of giving, this means God provides not only what His people need to live on, but also what they can release in generosity. The verse does not treat every provision as something to consume; some provision is “seed” entrusted for sowing.
The verse uses farming language without explicitly identifying which part corresponds to personal needs and which part corresponds to generosity. The immediate context of the collection for the saints supplies that connection.
This changes the verse from a general statement about blessing into a prayer about stewardship: God’s provision includes both daily sustenance and resources meant to become generosity.
Cultural & Historical Context
The verse was written to the Corinthian believers as Paul urged them to complete their contribution for suffering saints in Jerusalem.
Paul was organizing a collection among Gentile churches for needy Jewish believers, and he encouraged the Corinthians to give willingly, not reluctantly or under compulsion.
- ✦In an agricultural world, seed and bread represented two distinct uses of grain: some was eaten for present survival, and some was reserved for planting in hope of a future harvest. Paul applies that familiar reality to Christian generosity.
Theological Insights
Christian generosity depends on God’s prior provision and becomes a harvest of righteousness before Him.
Believers can give with confidence, not because resources are unlimited in themselves, but because God is the faithful Supplier who can provide both bread for need and seed for ministry.
Symbols & Metaphors
seed
Resources entrusted by God that are meant to be sown through generous obedience.
Scripture often uses sowing and harvest to describe actions that bear future fruit, whether in righteousness, wisdom, or generosity.
Paul’s image teaches that giving is not mere loss. In God’s hands, what is released in faith becomes seed for a harvest He Himself increases.
Original Language
to supply — ἐπι-χορηγέω , -ῶ [in LXX: Sir.25:22 , 2Ma.4:9 A * ;] to supply, provide : with accusative of thing(s), 2Pe.1:5; id. with dative of person(s), 2Co.9:10 , Gal.3:5 ; pass., Col.2:19 , 2Pe.1:11 (cf. χορηγέω, and see MM, Exp. , xiv).† (AS)
This word for God’s supplying has a sense of generous provision, not bare minimum survival. Paul presents God as the lavish Provider who equips His people for the generosity He calls forth.
produce — product, fruit, harvest Variant for γέννημα (G1081)
The word translated “fruits” points to produce or yield. Paul is picturing righteousness as something that bears visible, tangible results, especially in generous care for others.
righteousness — δικαιοσύνη , -ης, ἡ (δίκαιος), [in LXX chiefly for צֶדֶק, and cognates, Gen.15:6 , al., rarely for חֶסֶד, Gen.19:19 ;] the character of ὁ δίκαιος (which see) __1. in broad sense, righteousness , conformity to the Divine will in purpose, thought and action : Mat.5:6 , Jhn.16:8 , Act.13:10 , Rom.4:3 ; λόγος δικαιοσύνης, teaching of r., Heb.5:13; βασιλεὺς δ. (cf. FlJ, BJ, vi, 10, β. δίκαιος), Heb.7:2…
Here “righteousness” is not an abstract label only; it is righteousness expressed in covenant faithfulness and practical mercy. The verse connects right standing and right living without confusing the two.
Lexicon & word tagging: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0)
Related Passages
Isaiah 55:10
backgroundIsaiah speaks of rain and snow causing seed for the sower and bread for the eater, the same pattern Paul echoes here.
Hosea 10:12
Background2 Corinthians 9:6
parallelEarlier in the same passage, Paul says that whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully.
Ecclesiastes 11:6
BackgroundProverbs 11:18
Background1 Thessalonians 3:12
BackgroundPhilippians 4:17
parallelPaul tells the Philippians he seeks not the gift itself, but the fruit that increases to their account.
Philippians 1:11
parallelPaul speaks of believers being filled with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ.
Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · openbible.info (CC-BY)
How This Applies Today
This verse invites believers to view provision with discernment: some is bread to receive with gratitude, and some is seed to sow in generosity.
- →When God provides, prayerfully ask what portion is “bread” for faithful needs and what portion may be “seed” for giving.
- →Give with dependence on God, trusting Him not only to meet needs but to increase the righteous fruit of obedience.
- Am I treating all of God’s provision as bread to consume, or am I also recognizing seed He may be calling me to sow?
Analysis generated on September 25, 2026 · version 2.0
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