The generous person is refreshed by God, and those who bless others are blessed in return.
In Proverbs 11:25, Solomon writes, The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered (v. 25). Here generosity is linked not merely with duty, but with flourishing. The person who refreshes others participates in a pattern that God loves to bless.
To water others means to strengthen, encourage, supply, and nourish them. The image suggests life-giving care. The generous do not live as closed systems. They become channels through which God’s goodness moves outward.
And so he who waters will himself be watered. This is not a manipulative formula but a principle of God’s design. Those who live openhandedly often experience the refreshment of God in return (to learn more about how generous living reflects God’s design of sowing and reaping, resulting in both spiritual and lasting blessing from Him, please read our commentary on 2 Corinthians 9:6-15).
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Proverbs 11:25 meaning
In Proverbs 11:25, Solomon writes, The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered (v. 25). Here generosity is linked not merely with duty, but with flourishing. The person who refreshes others participates in a pattern that God loves to bless.
To water others means to strengthen, encourage, supply, and nourish them. The image suggests life-giving care. The generous do not live as closed systems. They become channels through which God’s goodness moves outward.
And so he who waters will himself be watered. This is not a manipulative formula but a principle of God’s design. Those who live openhandedly often experience the refreshment of God in return (to learn more about how generous living reflects God’s design of sowing and reaping, resulting in both spiritual and lasting blessing from Him, please read our commentary on 2 Corinthians 9:6-15).