Giving thanks to God is an important theme in the Old Testament, especially in the Book of Psalms, which contains dozens of individual and/or communal Psalms of Thanksgiving.
Gratitude is also an important virtue in the New Testament, especially for Jesus and for Paul. They (and other people) thank God not only for food and material blessings, but also for spiritual gifts and other blessings from God. Paul repeatedly stresses the importance for all believers to be grateful to God and to express thanks to one another.
The Greek verb εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteō; “to give thanks; to be grateful”) occurs only 6 times in the whole Septuagint (LXX, the Greek version of the Old Testament), but 38 times in the New Testament, esp. in the Gospels and the Pauline Letters.
The prefix εὐ (eu) means “good” and the noun χάρις (charis) by itself means “gift” or “grace” or “favor.”
The LXX more often uses the verb ἐξομολογέω (exomologeō = “to confess, praise”) to express “thanks,” especially in many Psalms.
The related noun εὐχαριστία (eucharistia; “thanksgiving; gratitude”) occurs only 4 times in the LXX, but 15 times in the NT, mostly in Paul's letters.
The related adjective εὐχάριστος (eucharistos; “thankful; grateful”) occurs once each in the LXX and in the NT (Prov 11:16 & Col 3:15).
There are also some closely related expressions:
χάρις τῷ θεῷ (charistō theō; “thanks be to God”; Rom 6:17; 7:25; 2 Cor 8:16; 9:15)
τῷ θεῷ χάρις (tō theō charis; “to God be thanks”; 1 Cor 15:57; 2 Cor 2:14)
χάριν ἔχω τῷ... (charin echō tō...; “I am grateful to...”; 1 Tim 1:12; 2 Tim 1:3)
ἔχωμεν χάριν (echōmen charin; “let us give thanks”; Heb 12:28)
εἰ ἐγὼ χάριτι μετέχω (ei egō chariti metechō; “If I partake with thankfulness”; 1 Cor 10:30)
ἐν χάριτι (en chariti; "with gratitude"; Col 3:16)
ἀχαρίστους (acharistos; "ungrateful"; Luke 6:35; 2 Tim 3:2)
Several other closely related Greek verbs are sometimes also used in the sense of “thanksgiving” and even translated as “give thanks”:
ἐξομολογέω (exomologeō = “to confess, acknowledge, praise” – translated “thanks” in many Psalms and in Matt 11:25//Luke 10:21 NRSV);
εὐλογέω (eulogeō = “to bless”); see especially the Feeding of the 5000 (Mark 6:41 & par.) and the Last Supper (Mark 14:22 & par.)
Key to Color Highlighing Used Below:
Verb eucharisteō - bold, no highlighing
Noun eucharistia - silver: thanksgiving
Adjective eucharistos - aqua: thankful
Expressions with charis - pink: thanks be to God; I am grateful
Verb exomologeō - yellow: I thank you
All biblical texts below are from the NRSV translation (New Revised Standard Version)
GOSPELS:
When Jesus Thanks/Praises God's Ways:
Matt 11:25-26 – At that time Jesus said, “I thank you(exomologoumai soi), Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; / yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.”
Luke 10:21 – At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you(exomologoumai soi), Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.”
When Jesus Feeds 5000 People:
John 6:11 – Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.
John 6:23 – Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
Note: The Synoptic accounts of this event use a similar verb, eulogeō, “to bless” (Mark 6:41; Matt 14:19; Luke 9:16).
When Jesus Feeds Another 4000 People:
Matt 15:35-36 – Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, / he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
Mark 8:6 – Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd.
Note: This second feeding story is not found in Luke or John.
After Jesus Heals Ten Persons of Leprosy:
Luke 17:16 – He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan.
Note: This is the only text in the four Gospels in which anyone explicitly thanks Jesus for something. Thus, it is the Gospel reading prescribed for Mass on Thanksgiving Day in the USA.
Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector:
Luke 18:11 – “The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.’ ”
Note: In this parable, the prayer of the Pharisee “thanking” God is not accepted, due to his haughtiness in despising others.
Jesus’ Prayer to God at the Raising of Lazarus:
John 11:41-42 – So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. /
I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.”
At the Last Supper:
Matt 26:26-27 – While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing (eulogēsas) it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” /
Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;”
Mark 14:22-23 – While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing (eulogēsas) it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” /
Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it.
Luke 22:17 – Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves;”
Luke 22:19 – Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
1 Cor 11:23-24 (St. Paul’s report) – For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, /
and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
ACTS of the Apostles:
Acts 24:3 (Paul praising Governor Felix’s actions) – We welcome this in every way and everywhere with utmost gratitude (Gk. noun eucharistia = lit. “thanksgiving”).
Acts 27:35 (Paul aboard a ship sailing toward Rome) – After he had said this, he took bread; and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat.
Acts 28:15 (just as Paul arrives at Rome) – The believers from there, when they heard of us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.
Note: St. Paul thanks God for the believers near the beginning of most of his letters, often specifically mentioning the reasons for his gratitude. Both letters to the Thessalonians even contain two “thanksgiving sections.”
Rom 1:8 – First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world.
1 Cor 1:4-7 – I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph 1:15-16 – I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason / I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.
Phil 1:3-5 – I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.
Col 1:3-5a– In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.
Col 1:11-12 – May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully / giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
1 Thess 1:2-3 – We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly / remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thess 2:13 – We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God's word, which is also at work in you believers.
2 Thess 1:3 – We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.
2 Thess 2:13 – But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
Phlm 4-5 – When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God / because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus.
Note: In a few of Paul’s letters, the initial “thanksgiving” section uses the related verb, eulogeō (“to bless”), and one uses the expression charin echō tō theō (“I am grateful to God”)
2 Cor 1:3-4 – Blessed be (eulogētos) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, / who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.
Eph 1:3-4 – Blessed be (eulogētos) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, / just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.
1 Tim 1:12 –I am grateful (charin echō; lit. "I have thanks") to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service,
2 Tim 1:3 –I am grateful (charin echō) to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.
Other Prayers, Exortations, and Comments by St. Paul about Gratitude and Thanksgiving:
Rom 1:20-21 (about people who don’t recognize God) – Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; / for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened.
Rom 6:17-18 (on sin & righteousness) – But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, / and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
Rom 7:25 (on belonging to God vs. sin) – Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.
Rom 14:6 (about eating or abstaining from food) – Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God. (verb eucharisteō 2x)
Rom 16:3-4 (about Paul’s close companions) – Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, / and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
1 Cor 1:14-15 (against factionalism within the community) – I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, / so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name.
1 Cor 10:30 (about eating food that was sacrificed to idols) – If I partake with thankfulness (chariti metechō), why should I be denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
1 Cor 14:16-18 (about praying in tongues) – Otherwise, if you say a blessing with the spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say the “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since the outsider does not know what you are saying? / For you may give thanks well enough, but the other person is not built up. / I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you;
1 Cor 15:57 (on sin, death, resurrection) – But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Cor 1:10-11 (after enduring afflictions) – He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, / as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
2 Cor 2:14 (on Paul’s missionary work) – But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him.
2 Cor 4:15 (about Paul’s work of evangelization) – Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
2 Cor 8:16 (about one of Paul’s missionary associates) – But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same eagerness for you that I myself have.
2 Cor 9:11-12 (about the rewards of generosity) – You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; / for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God.
2 Cor 9:15 (about the collection for the poor Christians in Jerusalem) – Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Eph 5:4 (about avoiding vices) – Entirely out of place is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving.
Eph 5:20 (about being filled with God’s Spirit) – giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
Phil 4:6 (about Christian virtues) – Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Col 2:6-7 (about life in Christ) – As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, / rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Col 3:15 & 16 & 17 (about virtuous Christian living) – And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. / Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. / And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Col 4:2 (about Christian conduct) – Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.
1 Thess 3:9 (about the Thessalonians’ faithfulness) – How can we thank God (lit. “what thanksgiving can we render to God”) enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you?
1 Thess 5:16-18 (about Christian conduct) – Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Tim 2:1-2 (about prayer and worship) – First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, / for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.
1 Tim 4:3-4 (against false asceticism) – They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. / For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving;
CATHOLIC Epistles:
Giving thanks is not mentioned in the letters of James, John, Peter, or Jude, and only once in Hebrews:
Heb 12:28 (about the eternal kingdom) – Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks (echōmen charin), by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe;
Book of REVELATION:
Thanksgiving is an element of the worship around God’s heavenly throne in three different scenes:
Rev 4:9-11 – And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks (lit. “give thanksgiving”) to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, 11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Rev 7:11-12 – And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, / singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Rev 11:16-17 – Then the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, / singing, “We give you thanks, Lord God Almighty, who are and who were, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.”
Giving thanks to God is an important theme in the Old Testament, especially in the Book of Psalms, which contains dozens of individual and/or communal Psalms of Thanksgiving. 
