The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

PROVERBS 11:25KJV
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Proverbs 11:25 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 11:25 mean?

Proverbs 11:25 says that a person who is generous and gives freely to others will themselves be blessed and enriched, and that those who help or refresh others will also receive help and refreshment in return. The verse highlights a principle of mutual benefit and blessing that comes from generosity.

This proverb is part of a collection of wise sayings traditionally attributed to Solomon, offering practical advice for daily life. The verse uses imagery of watering and being watered to describe how kindness and giving often come back to benefit the giver. The focus is on the natural rewards of living generously within a community.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 11:25

  • "liberal" (בְּרָכָה, berakhah): This word is often translated as "blessing" or "generous," suggesting a person who is open-handed and gives freely, not just in material things but in spirit.
  • "soul" (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh): This word means "life," "self," or "person," emphasizing that it is the whole person—their character and inner being—who is generous.
  • "fat" (דָּשֵׁן, dashen): This word means "to be made rich" or "prosperous," not just physically but in a fuller sense of well-being and satisfaction.
  • "watereth" (רָוָה, ravah): This word means "to water" or "to refresh," painting a picture of someone who actively helps or revives others.
  • "watered" (יוֹרֶה, yoreh): This word means "to be watered" or "to receive rain," showing that the one who refreshes others will themselves be refreshed, often unexpectedly.

Why Proverbs 11:25 matters

  • Proverbs 11:25 clarifies that generosity is not just a loss or sacrifice; it is often a source of personal blessing and enrichment, countering the fear that giving leaves a person with less.
  • The verse emphasizes that the benefits of kindness are not only spiritual but can be practical and relational, strengthening community bonds.
  • Proverbs 11:25 fits within a larger biblical theme that encourages wise, open-handed living, showing that such a lifestyle is both wise and rewarding.

Where else these words appear

“fat” Hebrew H1878 · used in 11 verses

  • Exodus 27:3 And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.
  • Psalms 20:3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
  • Proverbs 15:30 The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.

“watereth” Hebrew H7301 · used in 14 verses

  • Psalms 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
  • Isaiah 16:9 Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen.
  • Isaiah 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

“liberal” Hebrew H1293 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
  • Deuteronomy 28:8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
  • Psalms 84:6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

“watered” Hebrew H3384 · used in 75 verses

  • Genesis 31:51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;
  • 2 Samuel 11:24 And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
  • Psalms 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.