Luke 6:38 KJV: Give and It Shall Be Given - The Principle of Generosity
Luke 6:38 contains one of Jesus most quoted promises: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. This study examines the agricultural imagery, the context in Luke 6, the theological principle, and how to apply it faithfully.
The Context: Mercy Not Merely Money
Luke 6:38 is almost always quoted in financial contexts, but its immediate context is about mercy and non-judgment. Verses 36-37 command: Be ye therefore merciful...Judge not...forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Verse 38 applies the same principle: Give, and it shall be given unto you. The primary giving in context is giving mercy, forgiveness, and grace. The financial application is valid but secondary. Jesus is teaching a cosmic law of generosity that operates in every domain of life.
Good Measure Pressed Down Shaken Together Running Over
The agricultural imagery comes from the grain market. An honest merchant would press grain down to remove air pockets, shake the container to settle it, then give a heap that ran over the edges. Jesus uses this as the image of divine generosity: God does not give minimal measures. The phrase running over describes abundance beyond what the container can hold. The measure you give will be returned - but God's return is always maximum measure, not minimum.
The Same Measure You Use
The closing principle is a law of proportion: with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Stingy giving produces stingy return; generous giving produces generous return. Proverbs 11:24-25 teaches the same: There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. Generosity is not charity alone - it is wisdom about how God has designed the universe to work.
Application: The Proactive Generous Life
Luke 6:38 calls believers to initiative-taking generosity - not waiting to be asked but looking for opportunities to give mercy before judgment is rendered, forgiveness before reconciliation is requested, grace before it is earned. Paul applies the same principle in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7: He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. God loveth a cheerful giver.
Key Verses
- Luke 6:38 — Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.