1 Timothy 6:10 - Contentment in Godliness (2024)

Verse (Click for Chapter)

New International Version
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.New Living Translation
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.English Standard Version
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.Berean Standard Bible
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.Berean Literal Bible
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils, which some, stretching after, have been seduced away from the faith and have pierced themselves with many sorrows.King James Bible
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.New King James Version
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.New American Standard Bible
For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.NASB 1995
For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.NASB 1977
For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang.Legacy Standard Bible
For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evils, and some by aspiring to it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.Amplified Bible
For the love of money [that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically] is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves [through and through] with many sorrows.Christian Standard Bible
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.Holman Christian Standard Bible
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. American Standard Version
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But the root of all these evils is the love of money, and there are some who have desired it and have erred from the faith and have brought themselves many miseries.Contemporary English Version
The love of money causes all kinds of trouble. Some people want money so much they have given up their faith and caused themselves a lot of pain. Douay-Rheims Bible
For the desire of money is the root of all evils; which some coveting have erred from the faith, and have entangled themselves in many sorrows. English Revised Version
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.GOD'S WORD® Translation
Certainly, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people who have set their hearts on getting rich have wandered away from the Christian faith and have caused themselves a lot of grief.Good News Translation
For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows. International Standard Version
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.Literal Standard Version
for the love of money is a root of all the evils, which certain [ones] longing for went astray from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows;Majority Standard Bible
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.New American Bible
For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains. NET Bible
For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains. New Revised Standard Version
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.New Heart English Bible
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.Webster's Bible Translation
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some have coveted, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.Weymouth New Testament
For from love of money all sorts of evils arise; and some have so hankered after money as to be led astray from the faith and be pierced through with countless sorrows.World English Bible
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Young's Literal Translation
for a root of all the evils is the love of money, which certain longing for did go astray from the faith, and themselves did pierce through with many sorrows;Additional Translations ...

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(10) For the love of money is the root of all evil.--Some would water down this strong expression by translating the Greek words by "a root of all evil," instead of "the root," making this alteration on the ground of the article not being prefixed to the Greek word rendered "root." This change, however, grammatically is unnecessary, as the article disappears before the predicate, in accordance with the well-known rule respecting subject and predicate.

St. Paul had just written (1Timothy 6:9) of men being plunged into destruction and perdition--the awful consequence of yielding to those lusts into which the fatal love of riches had guided them; he now sums up the teaching contained in these words by pithily remarking. "Yes, for the love of money is the root of all evil," meaning thereby, not that every evil necessarily must come from "love of money," but that there is no conceivable evil which can happen to the sons and daughters of men which may not spring from covetousness--a love of gold and wealth.

Which while some coveted after.--There is a slight irregularity in the image here, but the sense of the expression is perfectly clear. It is, of course, not the "love of money," strictly speaking, which "some have coveted after," but the money itself. The thought in the writer's mind probably was--The man coveting gold longs for opportunities in which his covetousness (love of money) may find a field for exercise. Such inaccuracies in language are not uncommon in St. Paul's writings, as, for instance, Romans 8:24, where he writes of "hope that is seen."

They have erred from the faith.--Better rendered, they have wandered away from the faith. This vivid picture of some who had, for sake of a little gold, given up their first love--their faith--was evidently drawn by St. Paul from life. There were some in that well-known congregation at Ephesus, once faithful, now wanderers from the flock, over whom St. Paul mourned.

And pierced themselves through with many sorrows.--The language and the thoughts of Psalm 16:4 were in St. Paul's mind when he wrote these words--"Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another (god)." The "many sorrows" here are, no doubt, the "gnawings of conscience," which must ever and anon harass and perplex the man or woman who, for covetousness' sake, has deserted the old paths, and has wandered away from the old loved communion of Christ.

The imagery used in this tenth verse seems to be that of a man who wanders from the straight, direct path of life, to gather some poisonous, fair-seeming root growing at a distance from the right road on which he was travelling. He wanders away and plucks it; and now that he has it in his hands he finds himself pierced and wounded with its unsuspected thorns. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 10. - A root for the root, A.V.; all kinds of for all, A.V.; some reaching after for while some coveted after, A.V.; have been led astray for they have erred, A.V.; have pierced for pierced, A.V. Love of money (φιλαργυρία); only here in the New Testament, but found in the LXX. and in classical Greek. The substantive φιλάργυρος is found in Luke 16:14 and 2 Timothy 3:2. A root. The root is better English. Moreover, the following πάντων τῶν κακῶν (not πόλλων κακῶν) necessitates the giving a definite sense to ῤίζα, though it has not the article; and Alford shows dearly that a word like ῤίζα, especially when placed as here in an emphatic position, does not require it (comp. 1 Corinthians 11:3, where in the second and third clause κεφαλή, being in the emphatic place, has not the article). Alford also quotes a striking passage from Diog. Laert., in which he mentions a saying of the philosopher Diogenes that "the love of money ( φιλαργυρία) is the metropolis, or home, πάντων τῶν κακῶν." Reaching after (ὀρεγόμενοι). It has been justly remarked that the phrase is slightly inaccurate. What some reach after is not "the love of money," but the money itself. To avoid this, Hofmann (quoted by Luther) makes ῤίζα the antecedent to η΅ς, and the metaphor to be of a person turning out of his path to grasp a plant which turns out to he not desirable, but a root of bitterness. This is ingenious, but hardly to be accepted as the true interpretation. Pierced themselves through (περιέπειραν); only here in the New Testament, and rare in classical Greek. But the simple verb πείρω, to "pierce through," "transfix," applied 'especially to "spitting" meat, is very common in Homer, who also applies it metaphorically exactly as St. Paul does here, to grief or pain. Ὀδύνησι πεπαρμένος, "pierced with pain" ('Il.,' 5:399). Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

the
(hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

love of money
φιλαργυρία (philargyria)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5365: Love of money, avarice, covetousness. From philarguros; avarice.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

[the] root
ῥίζα (rhiza)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4491: A root, shoot, source; that which comes from the root, a descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'root'.

of all kinds
πάντων (pantōn)
Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

of evil.
κακῶν (kakōn)
Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 2556: Bad, evil, in the widest sense. Apparently a primary word; worthless, i.e. depraved, or injurious.

By craving
ὀρεγόμενοι (oregomenoi)
Verb - Present Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3713: To stretch forth, mid: To hanker after, long for, be eager for, aspire to.

[it],
ἧς (hēs)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

some
τινες (tines)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

have wandered
ἀπεπλανήθησαν (apeplanēthēsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 635: To cause to go astray; pass: To be led astray. From apo and planao; to lead astray; passively, to stray.

away from
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

faith
πίστεως (pisteōs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4102: Faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

pierced
περιέπειραν (periepeiran)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 4044: To put on a spit; met: I pierce, wound deeply. From peri and the base of peran; to penetrate entirely, i.e. Transfix.

themselves
ἑαυτοὺς (heautous)
Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself.

with many
πολλαῖς (pollais)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 4183: Much, many; often.

sorrows.
ὀδύναις (odynais)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3601: Pain, sorrow, distress, of body or mind. From duno; grief.

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1 Timothy 6:10 - Contentment in Godliness (2024)

FAQs

1 Timothy 6:10 - Contentment in Godliness? ›

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

What does 1 Timothy say about godliness with contentment? ›

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

What does 1 Timothy 6 10 mean? ›

Rather, it is that a love of money can lead a person to virtually any other sin. Greed can enhance, inspire, and amplify the temptation of any other sin, and lead us to disaster. This is why Paul continues by saying that believers tempted by a love of money can leave a close walk with God.

What does godly contentment mean? ›

Contentment is finding joy in what God has given to you. The opposite of contentment is greed which destroys your capacity to enjoy what God has given. Contentment is a Christian grace that grows over time. It does not come quickly, easily or naturally. Paul says “I have learned to be content” (Philippians 4:12).

What is the difference between godliness and contentment? ›

We can be “godly” in the way we live, but not be truly content in Christ. We can be “content” with what we have, but not godly in our motives. Today, and every day it is vital that we seek the Holy Spirit to help us live from a place of godly contentment through the power of the Holy Spirit.

What did Paul mean by contentment? ›

Third, Paul could speak of contentment because of how God had formed him within. Because he experienced the fruit of the Spirit – – think love, joy, peace – – he had peace, contentment, and joy within (Galatians 5:22-23). It had everything to do with his relationship to Christ.

What is the main point of 1 Timothy 6? ›

Building on the ideas laid down earlier in the letter, Paul reminds Timothy of the importance of godly living and avoiding the snares of evil and temptation. This chapter provides a strong encouragement for Timothy to apply the wisdom of this letter, both in his personal life and in the churches he is leading.

What is 1 Timothy 6 10 in the Bible? ›

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

What is the lesson taught in 1 Timothy 6 9 10? ›

Those that desire to be rich, "fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition." Often our desire for shiny, new things makes our lives more complicated doesn't it? It's easy for our possessions to own us instead of us owning them.

What has a form of godliness but deny the power? ›

In commenting on 2 Tim 3:5, Ellicott observes: Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. —Keeping up a show of observing the outward forms of religion, but renouncing its power and its influence over the heart and the life; shewing openly that they neither acknowledged its guidance or wished to do so.

How can we demonstrate contentment in godliness? ›

Contentment is not to be found in having favorable circumstances and many possessions, but it is found in the triune God alone, and living in union and communion with Christ and in obedience and service before the Lord. Think of Psalm 23!

What is the deeper meaning of contentment? ›

Contentment is a state of being in which one is satisfied with their current life situation, and the state of affairs in one's life as they presently are. If one is content, they are at inner peace with their situation and how the elements in one's life are situated.

What does biblical contentment look like? ›

As Jeremiah Burroughs explained, “Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.” We recognize that every circumstance calls us to be either thankful or patient.

What does 1 Timothy 6 6 10 mean? ›

It means complete self-sufficiency. This is what our culture would preach: to look inside yourself for the power to achieve success. Yet our sufficiency is found in Christ. The wording is clear: Godliness comes first, and contentment comes only from Jesus.

What did Paul say about godliness with contentment? ›

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

How does the Bible define godliness? ›

Put simply, godliness is living a fruitful, obedient Christian life. It is one of seven qualities we are instructed to add to our faith after we become Christians. There are sixteen references to godliness in Scripture. All of them are in the New Testament, and most of them occur in 1 Timothy and 2 Peter.

What is the godliness in 1 Timothy? ›

Dr. John MacArthur says that the godliness mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:16 “refers to the truths of salvation and righteousness in Christ, which produce holiness in believers” (The MacArthur Bible Commentary, p. 1,788).

What is godliness combined with contentment how is it possible? ›

The Apostle says that godliness with contentment is gain. It is gain in a twofold way, for it has promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. It is gain in this life. “Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of life that now is” 1Tim.

What is the mystery of godliness in 1 Timothy 3? ›

CSB And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

What is the meaning of 1 Timothy 6 vs 12? ›

Paul delivers a strong, unmistakable mandate to Timothy: maintain your testimony, maintain your faith, fight for what is true and right. As a church leader, Timothy's primary weapons against false doctrine and sin are keeping himself on God's path and refusing to waver in his instruction of fellow church members.

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