Deuteronomy 16:17

Everyone must appear with a gift as he is able, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Moses instructs the men of Israel to appear before the LORD at three annual feasts, ensuring no one comes empty-handed.

The words — The Hebrew term אִישׁ (ish) translates to "anyone," while כְּבִרְכַּת (kevirkat) means "according to the blessing." These lexical choices tie the requirement directly to individual capacity and divine provision.

The thread — The proportional gift principle appears in Deuteronomy 16:10 and recurs in 2 Corinthians 8:12 and 2 Corinthians 9:6.

Why it lands — The text commands each person to bring a gift proportional to their means and God's blessing rather than a fixed amount. This establishes a standard of contribution based on personal capacity and divine provision.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אִ֖ישׁ'ishanyone כְּמַתְּנַ֣תke./ma.te.Nataccording to/ [the] gift of יָד֑וֹya.D/ohand/ his כְּבִרְכַּ֛תke./vir.Kataccording to/ [the] blessing of יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhich נָֽתַן־na.tan-he has givenלָֽךְ׃ סLa/khto/ you

King James Version

Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.

Cross-references

2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
2 Corinthians 8:12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
Deuteronomy 16:10 And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with a freewill offering that you give in proportion to how the LORD your God has blessed you,
Mark 12:41 As Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, He watched the crowd putting money into it. And many rich people put in large amounts.
Leviticus 27:8 But if the one making the vow is too poor to pay the valuation, he is to present the person before the priest, who shall set the value according to what the one making the vow can afford.
Ezra 2:63 The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.