The Meaning of 2 Corinthians 9:9 Explained

2 Corinthians 9:9

KJV: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

YLT: (according as it hath been written, 'He dispersed abroad, he gave to the poor, his righteousness doth remain to the age,')

Darby: according as it is written, He has scattered abroad, he has given to the poor, his righteousness remains for ever.

ASV: as it is written, He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the poor; His righteousness abideth for ever.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

(As  it is written,  He hath dispersed abroad;  he hath given  to the poor:  his  righteousness  remaineth  for  ever. 

What does 2 Corinthians 9:9 Mean?

Study Notes

righteousness
2 Corinthians 9:9 ; 2 Corinthians 9:10 .
"Righteousness" here, and in the passages having marginal references to this, means the righteous life which is the result of salvation through Christ. The righteous man under law became righteous by doing righteously; under grace he does righteously because he has been made righteous Romans 3:22 .
(See Scofield " Romans 10:3 ")

Verse Meaning

Psalm 112:9 supports Paul"s point that God will provide grace (divine enablement) to givers. In this psalm the psalmist described the God-fearing man distributing material goods to the poor. The words read like the epitaph of a philanthropist. Consequently God will remember his benevolent Acts , Paul said. "Righteousness" ( 2 Corinthians 9:9) probably refers to benevolent acts here too (cf. Matthew 6:1). These are acts of giving for which God will reward the sacrificial donor with permanent benefits in this life plus an eternal reward. God will multiply His grace to those who bestow grace on others.

Context Summary

2 Corinthians 9:8-15 - Enriched Unto Liberality
We are not really poorer by what we give away; and God will never starve His own almoners. Note the comprehensiveness of 2 Corinthians 9:8. God's grace is like an ocean at full tide. Count the alls: all grace, always, all sufficiency, every good work, and twice the verb abound. When you are going forth to sow, ask God to give you the seed. When after sowing you are hungry, ask God to supply you with bread. When you are discouraged at the results, ask God to increase the fruit. We sow the seed, whether of the gospel, or of money to aid its circulation, and lo! we reap a harvest of thanksgiving to God and of love to those who have given. But who can ever measure the thanks and love which are due to God for having given the Gift that includes all gifts! But have we accepted it? Do we use it?
Remember to look to God for your own supplies of spiritual nourishment, and specially for your seed of thought or money, of word or act. Leave the increase with Him. Hold all that God has given you as a trustee holds property for others. Administer God's good gifts, giving people continual cause to glorify and praise Him for your exhibition of the essential nature of His holy gospel. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Corinthians 9

1  He yields the reason why he sent Titus and his brothers beforehand
6  And he proceeds in stirring them up to a bountiful alms, as being but a kind of sowing of seed,
10  which shall return a great increase to them,
13  and occasion a great sacrifice of thanksgivings unto God

Greek Commentary for 2 Corinthians 9:9

As it is written [κατως γεγραπται]
Psalm 92:3, Psalm 92:9. Picture of the beneficent man. [source]
He hath scattered abroad [εσκορπισεν]
First aorist active indicative of σκορπιζω — skorpizō to scatter, Koiné{[28928]}š verb for σκεδαννυμι — skedannumi of the Attic. Probably akin to σκορπιος — skorpios (scorpion) from root σκαρπ — skarp to cut asunder. See note on Matthew 12:30. It is like sowing seed. To the poor (tois penēsin). Old word from penamai to work for one‘s living. Latin penuria and Greek τοις πενησιν — peinaō to be hungry, are kin to it. Only N.T. instance and to be distinguished from πεναμαι — ptōchos beggar, abjectly poor. [source]
To the poor [tois penēsin)]
Old word from penamai to work for one‘s living. Latin penuria and Greek τοις πενησιν — peinaō to be hungry, are kin to it. Only N.T. instance and to be distinguished from πεναμαι — ptōchos beggar, abjectly poor. [source]
He hath dispersed abroad [ἐσκόρπισεν]
As in sowing, 2 Corinthians 9:6. Psalm 112:9. Almost literally after the Hebrew and Septuagint. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 2 Corinthians 9:9

Matthew 5:3 The poor [οἱ πρωχιὸ]
Three words expressing poverty are found in the New Testament. Two of them, πὲνης and πενιχρός , are kindred terms, the latter being merely a poetic form of the other, and neither of these occurs more than once (Luke 21:2; 2 Corinthians 9:9). The word used in this verse is therefore the current word for poor, occurring thirty-four times, and covering every gradation of want; so that it is evident that the New Testament writers did not recognize any nice distinctions of meaning which called for the use of other terms. Luke, for instance (Luke 21:2, Luke 21:3), calls the widow who bestowed her two mites both πενιχρὰν and πρωχὴ . Nevertheless, there is a distinction, recognized by both classical and ecclesiastical writers. While ὁ πένης is of narrow means, one who “earns a scanty pittance,” πρωχός is allied to the verb πτώσσειν , to crouch or cringe, and therefore conveys the idea of utter destitution, which abjectly solicits and lives by alms. Hence it is applied to Lazarus (Luke 16:20, Luke 16:22), and rendered beggar. Thus distinguished, it is very graphic and appropriate here, as denoting the utter spiritual destitution, the consciousness of which precedes the entrance into the kingdom of God, and which cannot be relieved by one's own efforts, but only by the free mercy of God. (See on 2 Corinthians 6:10; and see 2 Corinthians 8:9.) [source]

What do the individual words in 2 Corinthians 9:9 mean?

As it has been written He has scattered abroad He has given to the poor the righteousness of Him abides to the age
καθὼς γέγραπται Ἐσκόρπισεν ἔδωκεν τοῖς πένησιν δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα

γέγραπται  it  has  been  written 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γράφω 
Sense: to write, with reference to the form of the letters.
Ἐσκόρπισεν  He  has  scattered  abroad 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: σκορπίζω  
Sense: to scatter.
ἔδωκεν  He  has  given 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
τοῖς  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
πένησιν  poor 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: πένης  
Sense: poor.
δικαιοσύνη  righteousness 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: δικαιοσύνη  
Sense: in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
μένει  abides 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: μένω  
Sense: to remain, abide.
αἰῶνα  age 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: αἰών  
Sense: for ever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity.