Complete Bible Study Guide

What Does the Bible Say About Begging?

12 Scripture references with full text and commentary

Understanding Begging in the Bible

Discover 14 powerful Bible verses about begging. Study what Scripture teaches about this essential miscellaneous topic.

12
Total Verses
8
Old Testament
4
New Testament

Top 10 Verses About Begging

  1. 1
    Genesis 50:17
    So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
    KJV
  2. 2
    Deuteronomy 8:3
    And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
    KJV
  3. 3
    Psalms 23:1
    A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
    KJV
  4. 4
    Psalms 37:25
    I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
    KJV
  5. 5
    Proverbs 13:4
    The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
    KJV
  6. 6
    Proverbs 20:4
    The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing. cold: or, winter
    KJV
  7. 7
    Isaiah 8:21
    And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
    KJV
  8. 8
    Malachi 3:10
    Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. pour: Heb. empty out
    KJV
  9. 9
    Matthew 26:39
    And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
    KJV
  10. 10
    Luke 16:3
    Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
    KJV

Old Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Begging? (8 Verses)

So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing. cold: or, winter
And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. pour: Heb. empty out

New Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Begging? (4 Verses)

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. lusts: or, pleasures

How to Study What the Bible Says About Begging

  1. 1

    Begin by reading through every verse listed on this page, noting which ones speak most directly to your current season of life. Write them down and revisit them throughout the week.

  2. 2

    Use a concordance or the search tools on this site to find additional passages about begging. Look for patterns across both the Old and New Testaments to gain a complete picture of what God reveals on this subject.

  3. 3

    Study the context of each verse. Read the surrounding chapter to understand who was speaking, who the audience was, and what circumstances prompted the passage. Context prevents misapplication.

  4. 4

    Memorise at least one key verse about begging and meditate on it daily. Scripture memory transforms thinking and equips you to apply God's Word in real-time situations.

Practical Application

Studying what the Bible says about begging is only the beginning. Scripture is meant to be lived out in daily obedience and faith. Here are practical steps to apply these truths:

  • Identify one area of your life where the biblical teaching on begging needs to be applied more consistently. Write a specific, actionable step you can take this week.

  • Share what you have learned about begging with a fellow believer or in a small group setting. Teaching others solidifies your own understanding and encourages mutual growth.

  • Pray through the key verses about begging, asking God to reveal how His Word applies to your relationships, decisions, and daily habits.

How Well Do You Know What the Bible Says About Begging?

You have studied 12 verses about begging. Now test your knowledge with chapter-by-chapter quizzes covering the books where these verses appear.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Bible say about begging?
Discover 14 powerful Bible verses about begging. Study what Scripture teaches about this essential miscellaneous topic. The Bible contains 12 key verses about begging spanning both Old and New Testaments.
How many Bible verses about begging are there?
There are 12 key Bible verses about begging compiled in this study guide, drawn from books across both the Old and New Testaments.
What is the best verse about begging?
One of the most well-known and frequently cited verses about begging is Genesis 50:17 — "So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee..."
Where in the Bible does it talk about begging?
Begging is discussed throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. You can find 12 references to this topic across multiple books including the Psalms, Proverbs, the Gospels, and the Epistles.

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