1 Timothy 6:6–10
Paul: wanting to be rich leads into snares; the love of money is “a root of all evils”
Study it word by word6But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7For we brought nothing into the world, because neither can we take anything out.
8But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
9But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction.
10For the love of money is a root of all evils, and some, reaching out for it, have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
In its context
4he is conceited, understanding nothing, but has a morbid craving for speculations and disputes about words, out of which come envy, strife, slanders, evil suspicions,
5constant friction of people corrupted in mind and deprived of the truth, who think that godliness is a means of gain.
…
11But you, O man of God, flee these things; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.
12Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession before many witnesses.
Its words in the original
- ἔστινestin· be
Be, exist.
- πορισμὸςporismos· means of gain
Means of gain, a source of profit.
- μέγαςmegas· great
Great, large.
- εὐσέβειαeusebeia· godliness
Godliness: the reverence and love for God that show in one's life.
- αὐταρκείαςautarkeias· sufficiency, contentment
Sufficiency: having what is needed with nothing lacking; also contentment.
- εἰσηνέγκαμενeisēnenkamen· bring in
Bring in, carry in, lead into.
- κόσμονkosmon· world
World: what God created; also humanity, and humanity living with its back turned to God.
- ἐξενεγκεῖνexenenkein· carry out
Carry out, bring out; produce.
- δυνάμεθαdynametha· can, be able
Can, be able.
- ἔχοντεςechontes· have
Have, possess, hold.
- διατροφὰςdiatrophas· food, sustenance
Food, sustenance.
- σκεπάσματαskepasmata· covering, clothing
Covering: the clothing and shelter that cover someone.
- ἀρκεσθησόμεθαarkesthēsometha· be enough
Be enough, suffice; also be content.
- βουλόμενοιboulomenoi· want, intend
Want firmly, resolve, intend.
- πλουτεῖνploutein· be rich
Be rich, become rich.
- ἐμπίπτουσινempiptousin· fall into
Fall into, fall among.
- πειρασμὸνpeirasmon· testing, temptation
Test, trial; also temptation, the test that pushes one to fall.
- παγίδαpagida· trap, snare
Trap, snare.
- ἐπιθυμίαςepithymias· desire
Desire; also evil desire, craving.
- πολλὰςpollas· much, many
Much, great; in the plural, many.
- ἀνοήτουςanoētous· foolish
Foolish, without understanding.
- βλαβεράςblaberas· harmful
Harmful, causing damage.
- βυθίζουσιbythizousi· sink
Sink, make sink; plunge.
- ἀνθρώπουςanthrōpous· human being, man
Human being, person, man (without distinguishing male or female).
- ὄλεθρονolethron· destruction
Destruction, ruin.
- ἀπώλειανapōleian· destruction
Ruin, destruction; also waste.
- ῥίζαrhiza· root, shoot
Root; also a descendant, a shoot.
- κακῶνkakōn· bad, evil
Bad, evil.
- φιλαργυρίαphilargyria· love of money
Love of money.
- ὀρεγόμενοιoregomenoi· aspire to, long for
Reach out for; hence aspire to, long for something one wants.
- ἀπεπλανήθησανapeplanēthēsan· lead astray
Lead astray, cause someone to wander off.
- πίστεωςpisteōs· faith
Faith: firm trust in God; also faithfulness.
- περιέπειρανperiepeiran· pierce
Pierce, run through.
- ὀδύναιςodynais· pain, anguish
Pain, deep sorrow, anguish.