Who said: "God is not outdone in generosity?"

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The Bible does not use the maxim verbatim, but anyone including Ignatius Loyola who used the maxim, only reproduced in a shorter format, what Jesus says in Lk. 6:38:

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.

Now, there are two methods of measuring grain in order to transfer it to a second person. First, you casually fill the measurement container (See Biblical and Talmudic Units of Measurement in Wikipedia) and level the grains at the top exactly at the brim , so as to fulfill the requirement of honest measurement. Here, you can easily empty the measurement container to the bag of the recipient, without spilling a single grain. In the second method, you keep the container shaking so that there is no gap left in-between when the grain is being filled into it. Once the container is full, you put more grains in the middle of the top portion so that the top attains a base-down-conical shape . When you transfer the grain to the bag of the recipient, many gains fall on the floor, but the recipient is happy that he has received more than what was expected.

Jesus is referring to the second kind of measurement when he says : " Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap..". What a fabulous way of expressing how generous God the Father can be ! What an imaginative, picturesque presentation to the farmers of Israel !

Cornelius à Lapide, S.J., commentates on Luke 6:38:

For God puts it in the hearts of men amply to repay a liberal giver. It is said that a certain monastery became rich because of the large amounts expended in charity, but that, when these were withheld, it was reduced to poverty. When the steward was complaining of this to one whom he was entertaining, the guest said Date ["Give"] and dabitur ["It will be given."] are sisters: you cast out the former, and soon her sister and inseparable companion followed. If you wish the latter to return, recall the former, and give as largely as you were accustomed to do. See verse 27, S. Matt. 5:42, and elsewhere. For almsgiving enriches and does not impoverish. Hence S. Chrysostom says it is the most profitable of all acts. And Christ has declared that the merciful are blessed, for they shall obtain mercy. See S. Matt. 5:7.

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Who said: "God is not outdone in generosity?"

I will go with St. Ignatius of Loyola.

“God will not be outdone in generosity.” — Ignatius of Loyola

Many websites point to St. Ignatius of Loyola.

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