What the Bible Says About Thanksgiving

"Gratitude" and "grateful" aren't in the King James Bible. "Thanks," "thank," "thanksgiving" and the other words built on thank come 141 times, in 136 verses. Thanks is 73 of them, thanksgiving 28 and thank 27. 68 of the 141 are in the Old Testament and 73 in the New. The first is Leviticus 7:12, "If he offer it for a thanksgiving". The last is Revelation 11:17, "We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty".

40 of the Old Testament's stand for yadah. Strong's Concordance says it comes from yad, "a hand," and defines it "literally, to use (i.e. hold out) the hand." 24 stand for todah, which Strong's derives from yadah and defines as "properly, an extension of the hand, i.e. (by implication) avowal, or (usually) adoration." 39 of the New Testament's stand for eucharisteō, "to be grateful, i.e. (actively) to express gratitude (towards)," 15 for eucharistia and 12 for charis. Below are passages on giving thanks, each quoted word for word with its reference. Short notes give the Hebrew and Greek words behind the English. A table near the end counts the words behind thanks, and a list gives every verse where the King James text says thanks.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4 and 5)

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. (Psalm 100:4-5)

"Thanksgiving" is todah and "be thankful" is yadah, the two words behind 64 of the Old Testament's 68. "Praise" is tehillah, which Strong's defines as "laudation; specifically (concretely) a hymn." "Bless" is barak, "to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration)," and it's the word behind "thanked" in 2 Samuel 14:22, the one thank word it stands for. "Mercy" in 100:5 is chesed, "kindness; by implication (towards God) piety," which the KJV prints mercy in 136 verses.

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good (Psalm 118:1 and 136:26)

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 118:1)

O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 136:26)

"Give thanks" in both verses is yadah, and "mercy" is chesed. "For ever" is olam, which Strong's defines as "properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity." Psalm 118 ends, in 118:29, with the same seven Hebrew words it opens with. "Give thanks unto the LORD" and "for he is good" stand together in six verses, 1 Chronicles 16:34, Psalm 106:1, 107:1, 118:1, 118:29 and 136:1. "His mercy endureth for ever" comes in 41 verses, and 26 of them are Psalm 136, where every verse ends "for his mercy endureth for ever". Psalm 136:26 is the last of the 26.

Offer unto God thanksgiving (Psalm 50:14 and 23)

Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: (Psalm 50:14)

Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God. (Psalm 50:23)

"Thanksgiving" in 50:14 and "praise" in 50:23 are the same Hebrew word, todah. The KJV prints todah a form of thanksgiving in 17 verses, thanks or thank offerings in five, a form of praise in five and confession in two, Joshua 7:19 and Ezra 10:11. Strong's lists them all among its King James renderings, "confession, (sacrifice of) praise, thanks(-giving, offering)." "Offer" in 50:14 and "offereth" in 50:23 are zabach, which Strong's defines as "to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice)."

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving (Psalm 116:17 and Jonah 2:9)

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD. (Psalm 116:17)

But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. (Jonah 2:9)

Jonah prays this "out of the fish's belly" (Jonah 2:1). "Thanksgiving" in both verses is todah. "Sacrifice" in Psalm 116:17 is zebach, which Strong's defines as "properly, a slaughter, i.e. the flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act)," and "I will sacrifice" in Jonah 2:9 is zabach, the verb Strong's derives it from. The next verse of the psalm goes on "I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people," and "pay" there and in Jonah 2:9 is shalam.

Now will I praise the LORD (Genesis 29:35)

And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing. (Genesis 29:35)

Leah names her fourth son, after Reuben, Simeon and Levi in Genesis 29:32 to 34. "Praise" is yadah. Judah is Yehudah, which Strong's derives from yadah and glosses "celebrated." The KJV prints yadah a form of praise in 51 verses, a form of thank in 39 and a form of confess in 18.

He kneeled upon his knees three times a day (Daniel 6:10)

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. (Daniel 6:10)

The writing is the decree King Darius signed in Daniel 6:9, that whoever asked a petition of any God or man for thirty days, except of the king, would be cast into the den of lions. "Gave thanks" is the Aramaic yeda, which Strong's sets beside yadah and defines "to praise." It comes twice in the Bible, here and in Daniel 2:23, which is on the wisdom page. "Kneeled" is berak, the Aramaic of barak, "to kneel."

Gave thanks likewise unto the Lord (Luke 2:38)

And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. (Luke 2:38)

She is Anna, "a prophetess" and "a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple" (Luke 2:36 and 37). "Gave thanks likewise" is one Greek word, anthomologeomai, which Strong's defines as "to confess in turn, i.e. respond in praise." It comes nowhere else in the New Testament. Strong's builds it on homologeō, the verb behind "giving thanks" in Hebrews 13:15.

I thank thee, O Father (Matthew 11:25)

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. (Matthew 11:25)

"I thank" is exomologeō, which Strong's defines as "to acknowledge or (by implication, of assent) agree fully." The KJV prints it thank in two verses, this one and Luke 10:21, which opens its prayer with the same words, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth". It prints it a form of confess in eight, among them Philippians 2:11, "every tongue should confess".

Were there not ten cleansed? (Luke 17:15 to 18)

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. (Luke 17:15-18)

Ten lepers "stood afar off" and cried "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us" (Luke 17:12 and 13), and Jesus sent them to shew themselves to the priests. In "giving him thanks," the giving thanks is eucharisteō, which Strong's defines as "to be grateful, i.e. (actively) to express gratitude (towards); specially, to say grace at a meal." "Stranger" is allogenēs, "foreign, i.e. not a Jew," and it comes nowhere else in the New Testament.

He took bread, and gave thanks (John 6:11 and Acts 27:35)

And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. (John 6:11)

And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. (Acts 27:35)

In John 6 the loaves are a lad's "five barley loaves" (6:9), and the men who sit down number "about five thousand" (6:10). In Acts 27 Paul is at sea, and the men aboard have "continued fasting, having taken nothing" for fourteen days (27:33). Acts 27:37 counts "two hundred threescore and sixteen souls" in the ship. "Given thanks" and "gave thanks" are eucharisteō, and Strong's definition ends "specially, to say grace at a meal."

If it be received with thanksgiving (1 Timothy 4:4 and 5)

4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:4-5)

The verse before speaks of "meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving" (4:3). "Thanksgiving" in 4:3 and 4:4 is eucharistia, which Strong's defines as "gratitude; actively, grateful language (to God, as an act of worship)." "Creature" is ktisma, "an original formation (concretely), i.e. product (created thing)," and the KJV prints it creature or creatures in all four of its New Testament verses.

In every thing give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

It comes right after "Pray without ceasing" (5:17). "Give thanks" is eucharisteō, and "in every thing" is en panti. Philippians 4:6, on the worry page, has en panti too, and eucharistia later in the verse.

Giving thanks always for all things (Ephesians 5:20 and Colossians 3:17)

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 5:20)

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Colossians 3:17)

"Giving thanks" in both verses is eucharisteō. Colossians 3:15 is on the peace page. The last word of it in the KJV, thankful, stands for eucharistos, the adjective Strong's derives eucharisteō from, and eucharistos comes nowhere else in the New Testament.

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15 and 1 Corinthians 15:57)

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. (2 Corinthians 9:15)

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

"Thanks" in both verses is charis, the word the KJV prints grace 130 times. Strong's defines it as "graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act" and ends the definition "including gratitude." The KJV prints it thank, thanks, thanked or thankworthy in 12 verses. "Unspeakable" in 2 Corinthians 9:15 is anekdiēgētos, "not expounded in full, i.e. indescribable," and it comes nowhere else in the New Testament. The "unspeakable" of 1 Peter 1:8, on the joy page, is another word, aneklalētos.

The fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name (Hebrews 13:15)

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Hebrews 13:15)

"Giving thanks" is homologeō, which Strong's defines as "to assent, i.e. covenant, acknowledge." The KJV prints it confess or confession in 15 of its 20 verses and giving thanks only here. "Praise" is ainesis, "a praising (the act), i.e. (specially) a thank(-offering)," and it comes nowhere else in the New Testament.

Neither were thankful (Romans 1:21)

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (Romans 1:21)

"Were thankful" is eucharisteō. The KJV's unthankful is acharistos, which Strong's defines as "thankless, i.e. ungrateful." It comes in two verses, Luke 6:35, which is on the love page, and 2 Timothy 3:2, which the pride page names.

We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty (Revelation 11:17)

Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. (Revelation 11:17)

The four and twenty elders say this after the seventh angel sounds (Revelation 11:15 and 16). It's the last verse where the KJV says thanks, and in "we give thee thanks" the give thanks is eucharisteō.

The words behind thanks

The KJV says thanks, thank, thanksgiving or another word built on thank 141 times. Counted by their Strong's numbers, the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek words in this table stand behind all 141.

Yadah and todah are 64 of the 68 in the Old Testament. Eucharisteō, eucharistia and charis are 66 of the 73 in the New.

Every place the KJV says thanks

Thanks, thank, thanksgiving or another word built on thank comes in these 136 verses.

• Leviticus 7:12, 7:13, 7:15, 22:29
• 2 Samuel 14:22, 22:50
• 1 Chronicles 16:4, 16:7, 16:8, 16:34, 16:35, 16:41, 23:30, 25:3, 29:13
• 2 Chronicles 5:13, 29:31, 31:2, 33:16
• Ezra 3:11
• Nehemiah 11:17, 12:8, 12:24, 12:27, 12:31, 12:38, 12:40, 12:46
• Psalms 6:5, 18:49, 26:7, 30:4, 30:12, 35:18, 50:14, 69:30, 75:1, 79:13, 92:1, 95:2, 97:12, 100:4, 105:1, 106:1, 106:47, 107:1, 107:22, 116:17, 118:1, 118:29, 119:62, 122:4, 136:1, 136:2, 136:3, 136:26, 140:13, 147:7
• Isaiah 51:3
• Jeremiah 30:19
• Daniel 2:23, 6:10
• Amos 4:5
• Jonah 2:9
• Matthew 11:25, 15:36, 26:27
• Mark 8:6, 14:23
• Luke 2:38, 6:32, 6:33, 6:34, 6:35, 10:21, 17:9, 17:16, 18:11, 22:17, 22:19
• John 6:11, 6:23, 11:41
• Acts 24:3, 27:35, 28:15
• Romans 1:8, 1:21, 6:17, 7:25, 14:6, 16:4
• 1 Corinthians 1:4, 1:14, 10:30, 11:24, 14:16, 14:17, 14:18, 15:57
• 2 Corinthians 1:11, 2:14, 4:15, 8:16, 9:11, 9:12, 9:15
• Ephesians 1:16, 5:4, 5:20
• Philippians 1:3, 4:6
• Colossians 1:3, 1:12, 2:7, 3:15, 3:17, 4:2
• 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 2:13, 3:9, 5:18
• 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 2:13
• 1 Timothy 1:12, 2:1, 4:3, 4:4
• 2 Timothy 1:3, 3:2
• Philemon 1:4
• Hebrews 13:15
• 1 Peter 2:19
• Revelation 4:9, 7:12, 11:17

Five of them are quoted on other pages here, in whole or in part. Ezra 3:11 is on the joy page, Philippians 4:6 on the worry page and Colossians 3:15 on the peace page. Luke 6:35 and 2 Thessalonians 1:3 are on the love page.

Worry, fear, grief, strength, love, forgiveness, hope, peace, anger, pride, temptation, wisdom and joy

Worry, fear, grief, strength, love, forgiveness, hope, peace, anger, pride, temptation, wisdom and joy have pages of their own. They're What the Bible Says About Worry, What the Bible Says About Fear, What the Bible Says About Grief, What the Bible Says About Strength, What the Bible Says About Love, What the Bible Says About Forgiveness, What the Bible Says About Hope, What the Bible Says About Peace, What the Bible Says About Anger, What the Bible Says About Pride, What the Bible Says About Temptation, What the Bible Says About Wisdom and What the Bible Says About Joy. Every chapter quoted here can be read whole in Read the Bible.

How this page was made

Every verse is quoted from the 1769 standard text of the King James Version and checked word for word against two more digital copies. The printed KJV sets supplied words in italics, which this page doesn't show. Verse numbers follow the KJV. Hebrew Bibles number 12 verses named here differently. Daniel 6:9 and 6:10 are 6:10 and 6:11 there, and Jonah 2:1 and 2:9 are 2:2 and 2:10. Psalm 6:5, 18:49, 30:4, 30:12, 69:30, 75:1, 92:1 and 140:13 are each one verse higher there.

Hebrew and Aramaic words were identified with the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. Greek words were identified with STEPBible's tagged Greek New Testament. The counts of the words behind thanks come from the Strong's numbers in the CrossWire Bible Society's KJV, each checked against the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible or STEPBible's Greek. Greek counts follow the Textus Receptus as STEPBible gives it, so the thank of Romans 7:25 counts as eucharisteō, the word three of STEPBible's eight Greek editions have there, where the other five have charis. Every Greek word the notes cite in a quoted verse stands in all eight Greek editions STEPBible compares. Some quoted words don't. "And art to come" in Revelation 11:17 stands in one of the eight and "to the disciples, and the disciples" in John 6:11 in two, and the notes cite no Greek for words like them. STEPBible is a Tyndale House Cambridge project. STEPBible's data and the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible are both shared under CC BY 4.0. The definitions come from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). If you find a mistake, tell us through the support page.

About Patmos

Patmos is an AI Bible study companion for iPhone, free to download. Take a photo of a page in your Bible or type a reference. John, the app's AI, reads the passage with you and answers your questions. He can be wrong, so check what he says against your Bible.

Where Patmos stands