Proverbs 11:25
“The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Set among chapter 11's reflections on how character shapes outcomes, this verse highlights the flourishing that comes to those who live generously toward others.
What Does Proverbs 11:25 Mean?
Generosity has a way of returning to the giver -- those who refresh others are themselves refreshed. This proverb celebrates the surprising arithmetic of open-handed living. The "liberal soul" -- the generous, blessing-bestowing person -- "shall be made fat," an image of flourishing and abundance. The one who pours out refreshment onto others finds himself watered in turn.
The two images work together. To be "made fat" in the ancient world signaled prosperity and well-being, not excess. The generous person, far from depleting himself by giving, actually thrives. The second image is even more beautiful: "he that watereth shall be watered also himself." Like one who pours water on dry ground to make it bloom, the generous person nourishes others -- and discovers that streams of refreshment flow back toward him. This is not a transaction in which giving is merely a strategy for getting. Rather, it describes a principle woven into the moral order: a generous life opens channels through which blessing flows in both directions. Withholding shrivels the soul, while giving enlarges it. The proverb encourages a posture of openhandedness, assuring the reader that generosity is never finally a loss. Those who devote themselves to the good of others find their own lives unexpectedly enriched, sustained, and made glad.
In the Original Language
"Liberal" renders berakah, blessing -- literally a 'soul of blessing.' "Made fat" is dashen, to be enriched or made prosperous; "watereth" is yarah/ravah, to saturate.
Cross References
“There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.”
- Proverbs 11:24
“He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:6
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.”
- Luke 6:38
Application
Live with an open hand, refreshing and blessing others freely, trusting that a generous life is never finally a loss but enriches the giver too.