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2 Corinthians 8:15

in 2 Corinthians 8

As it is written: “He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

as it is written, He that gathered much had nothing over; and he that gathered little had no lack.

KJV

As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

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This verse in 2 Corinthians 8

Commentary

11 notes on this verse

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on 2 Corinthians · Written before 1107.

How will there be equality? If both you and they mutually share your surpluses with one another and fill each other's deficiencies. But what kind of equality is it to give spiritual things in return for material things? Here, of course, the equality is not …

This site's exposition

that there may be equality

on 2 Corinthians 8:13-15

Paul names the aim as isotes, equality: your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. The citation is Exodus 16:18, the manna, where every gathering ended in enough.

This site's exposition

He who gathered much had no excess

Albert Barnes traces the words to Exodus 16:18, where each person ended with an omer of manna. Chrysostom reads the manna as God checking greed, and he adds that rich and poor alike fill one stomach and clothe one body. John Wesley calls this a second fulfilment of that scripture.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily 17 on 2 Corinthians · Written before 407.

proposed

Now this happened in the case of the manna. For both they that gathered more, and they that gathered less, were found to have the same quantity, God in this way punishing insatiableness. And this he said at once both to alarm them by what then happened, and to persuade them never to desire to have more nor to grieve at having less. And this one may see happening now in things of this life not in the manna only. For if we all fill but one belly, and live the same length of time, and clothe one body; neither will the rich gain aught by his abundance nor the poor lose aught by his poverty.

A commentator

Ambrosiaster

COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES · Written before 384.

proposed

The saints, with their hope in the world to come, have more than those who appear to be rich in this world. But both will be made equal, because those who give of their wealth to help the saints now will be helped by them …

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on 2 Corinthians · Written before 1274.

proposed

Then he confirms this with an authority; hence he says, "As it is written," namely in Ex. (16:18): "He who gathered much," i.e., had collected more manna than an omer, "had nothing over," i.e., did not have more than his sufficiency; "and he who gathered …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

As it is written, He that had gathered the most had nothing over; and he that had gathered the least did not lack - That is, in which that scripture is in another sense fulfilled.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

22 And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you. 23 Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture

3 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

As it is written,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

As it is written - see Exo 16:18. He that had gathered much ... - This passage was originally applied to the gathering of manna by the children of Israel. The manna which fell around the camp of Israel was gathered every morning. All that were able were employed in gathering it; and when it was collected it was distributed in the proportion of an omer, or about five pints to each man. Some would be more active and more successful than others.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

He that had gathered much, had nothing over - On the passage to which the apostle alludes, Exo 16:18, I have stated that, probably, every man gathered as much manna as he could, and when he brought it home and measured it by the omer, (for this was the measure for each man’s eating), if he had a surplus it went to the supply of some other family that had not been able to collect enough; the family being large, and the time in which the manna might be gathered, before the heat of the day, not being sufficient to collect a supply for so numerous a household; several of whom might be so confined as not to be able to collect for themselves. Thus there was an equality among the Israelites in reference to this thing; and in this light these words of St. Paul lead us to view the passage. To apply this to the present case: the Corinthians, in the course of God’s providence, had gathered more than was absolutely necessary for their own support; by giving the surplus to the persecuted and impoverished Christian Jews these would be an equality; both would then possess the necessaries of life, though still the one might have more property than the other.

The words behind it

13 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

2 in all, six open

The walk

6 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Exodus 16:18

    When they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall. Each one gathered as much as he needed to eat.

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 8:14–15

      At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. Then there will be equality.

  • Through

    Luke 22:35

    Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered.

    it leads to

    • Matthew 10:9–10

      Do not carry any gold or silver or copper in your belts.

    • Luke 10:4

      Carry no purse or bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the road.

    • Psalms 23:1

      The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

    • Psalms 34:9–10

      Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.

    • Luke 9:3

      “Take nothing for the journey,” He told them, “no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no second tunic.

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Corinthians

The Apostle Paul in Prison, Rembrandt, 1627. Public domain.
The Apostle Paul in Prison, Rembrandt, 1627. Public domain.
2 Corinthians: the study guide →Read 2 Corinthians 8 →
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians; John Chrysostom, Homilies on Second Corinthians; John Chrysostom, Homily 17 on 2 Corinthians; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Corinthians.

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