Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Corinthians 9:10

"And he that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness:" — 2 Corinthians 9:10 (ASV)

Now he that ministereth seed to the sower.—Better, he that gives bounteously. The Greek verb (epichorêgein) has a somewhat interesting history. Originally, it expressed the act of one who undertook to defray the expenses of the chorus of a Greek theatre. Since this was an act of somewhat stately generosity, the verb acquired a wider range and was applied to any such act. In a similar manner, the Apostle transferred it—probably for the first time, as far as we can trace—to refer to the divine bounty. It may be noted that it was not so used by the Septuagint translators. The word indeed occurs only once in that version, in Sirach 25:22 (if a woman maintain her husband). In its higher sense, it became a somewhat favorite word with St. Paul (Galatians 3:5; Colossians 2:19) and is used by St. Peter (2 Peter 1:5; 2 Peter 1:11) after he had become acquainted with St. Paul’s Epistles, and possibly enriched his vocabulary through them.

The phrase seed to the sower occurs, with a different verb, in Isaiah 55:10. In the words that follow, the fruits of righteousness, there is an obvious reminiscence of Hosea 10:12 and Amos 6:12. The phrase occurs again in Philippians 1:11. The construction, according to the better manuscripts, varies somewhat from that of the Authorized Version. He that bounteously gives seed to the sower and bread for food (the beneficence of God thought of, as shown both in seed-time and harvest) shall give bounteously, and multiply your seed, and increase the produce of your righteousness. “Righteousness” is taken, as before, as specially presented under the aspect of almsgiving.