1 Timothy 6:10

1Ti 6:10. Πάντων τῶν κακῶν, of all evils) For it destroys faith, the root of all that is good: at first sight, the love of money seems to take away the nutriment or food that supports many crimes, as luxury, wantonness, etc.; but it is in reality the root of all evils. All evils in 1Ti 6:9 are comprehended under temptation, a snare, lusts, destruction, perdition; although the article τῶν does not precisely relate to those evils, but is added to πάντων, according to custom, for the purpose of amplifying or heightening the effect, without its relative power.—φιλαργυρία, the love of money) When money is loved for itself, it is not used for procuring “food and raiment.”—ἧς) φιλαργυρίας, viz. ἀργύρου.—τινὲς) some: the Ephesians, ch. 1Ti 5:15.—ὀρεγόμενοι, having coveted) ch. 1Ti 3:1, note [having grasped at].—ὀδύναις πολλαῖς, with many sorrows) of the conscience, producing remorse for property badly acquired; also of the mind, urging to the laying up of more. The remedy of these sorrows is faith.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ti_6:10 gives a reason for the thought in 1Ti_6:9.

ῥίζα γὰρ πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἐστὶν ἡ φιλαργυρία] It is to be observed that Paul does not mean to say, whence all κακά whatever proceed, but what proceeds from φιλαργυρία. Hence there is no article with ῥίζα. Hence, too, de Wettes correcting remark, that ambition, too, may entirely destroy man, does not affect the author of the epistle.

By τὰ κακά may be understood both physical and moral evils (wickedness); here the latter idea is uppermost (otherwise in Polycarp, Ephesians 4 : ἀρχὴ πάντων χαλεπῶν φιλαργυρία). Φιλαργυρία only here in the N. T. (Jer_8:10, LXX.).

ἧς τινὲς ὀρεγόμενοι] ὀρέγεσθαι does not mean deditum esse, but it is to be acknowledged that the manner of connection is not exact, since φιλαργυρία, as de Wette rightly says, is itself an ὄρεξις. Hofmanns interpretation is artificial. He makes ὀρέγεσθαι denote here the grasping of a man after something out of his way, and the thing after which he reaches sideways is said to be the plant which afterwards proves to be to him a root of all evils, so that ἧς does not refer to φιλαργυρία, but to ῥίζα πάντων τῶν κακῶν.

ἀπεπλανήθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως] The reason of this is the inner connection between faith and blessedness. The denial of the one necessarily implies the denial of the other. The aorist passive has a neuter sense; Luther rightly: have gone astray from the faith. The compound only here and at Mar_13:22; the ἀπό added serves to intensify the meaning.

καὶ ἑαυτοὺς περιέπειραν ὀδύναις πολλαῖς] περιπείρειν ἅπ. λεγ. pierce through, not sting all round, wound in every part (Matthies). The ὄδυναι πολλαί, here regarded as a sword with which they have pierced themselves through, are not the outward pains which they have drawn on themselves by avarice, but the stings of conscience (the precursors of the future ἀπώλεια, Wiesinger) which they have prepared for themselves by apostasy from the faith. To this his own experience the apostle here directs attention, that he may thereby present more vividly the destructiveness of the φιλαργυρία.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ti 6:10 . ῥίζα , κ . τ . λ .: The root of all evils . The R.V., a root of all kinds of evil is not satisfactory. The position of ῥίζα in the sentence shows that it is emphatic. Field ( in loc .) cites similar examples of the absence of the article collected by Wetstein from Athenæus, vii. p. 280 A ( ἀρχὴ καὶ ῥίζα παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ ἡ τῆς γαστρὸς ἡδονή ), and Diog. Lært. vi. 50; and adds five others from his own observation. It is, besides, unreasonable in the highest degree to expect that on the ground of his inspiration, St. Paul’s ethical statements in a letter should be expressed with the precision of a text book. When one is dealing with a degrading vice of any kind, the interests of virtue are not served by qualified assertions.

φιλαργυρία : avaritia ( [299] ) rather than cupiditas ( [300] , [301] , Vulg.). The use of this word supports the exposition given above of 1Ti 6:9 . Love of money, meanness and covert dishonesty where money is concerned, is the basest species of the genus πλεονεξία .

[299] Cod. Frisingensis

[300] The Latin text of Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[301] Speculum

ἡς : In sense the relative refers to ἀργύριον , understood out of φιλαργυρία , with which it agrees in grammar. The meaning is clear enough; but the expression of it is inaccurate. This occurs when a man’s power of grammatical expression cannot keep pace with his thought. Alf. cites as parallels, Rom 8:24 , ἐλπὶς βλεπομένη , and Act 24:15 , ἐλπὶδα … ἣν καὶ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι προσδέχονται .

τινες : See note on ch. 1Ti 1:3 .

ὀρεγόμενοι : reaching after (R.V.) expresses the most defensible aspect of coveting (A.V.).

ἀπεπλανήθησαν : peregrinati sunt ( [302] ) erraverunt ( [303] , Vulg.). The faith is a very practical matter. Have been led astray (R.V.) continues the description of the man who allows himself to be the passive subject of temptation. Chrys. illustrates the use of this word here from an absent-minded man’s passing his destination without knowing it.

[302] Cod. Frisingensis

[303] The Latin text of Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

περιέπειραν : inseruerunt se . The force of περί in this compound is intensive, as in περιάπτω , περικαλύπτω , περικρατής , περικρύπτω , περίλυπος .

ὀδύναις πολλαῖς : There is a touch of pity in this clause, so poignantly descriptive of a worldling’s disillusionment.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Sorrow and grief do as it were pierce through the mind of man, and are the harvest and true fruits of covetousness.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

the love of money--not the money itself, but the love of it--the wishing to be rich (Ti1 6:9) --"is a root (ELLICOTT and MIDDLETON: not as English Version, 'the root') of all evils." (So the Greek plural). The wealthiest may be rich not in a bad sense; the poorest may covet to be so (Psa 62:10). Love of money is not the sole root of evils, but it is a leading "root of bitterness" (Heb 12:15), for "it destroys faith, the root of all that is good" [BENGEL]; its offshoots are "temptation, a snare, lusts, destruction, perdition."

coveted after--lusted after.

erred from--literally, "have been made to err from the faith" (Ti1 1:19; Ti1 4:1).

pierced-- (Luk 2:35).

with . . . sorrows--"pains": "thorns" of the parable (Mat 13:22) which choke the word of "faith." "The prosperity of fools destroys them" (Pro 1:32). BENGEL and WIESINGER make them the gnawings of conscience, producing remorse for wealth badly acquired; the harbingers of the future "perdition" (Ti1 6:9).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 10. The love of money is the root of all evil] Perhaps it would be better to translate παντωντωνκακων, of all these evils; i.e. the evils enumerated above; for it cannot be true that the love of money is the root of all evil, it certainly was not the root whence the transgression of Adam sprang, but it is the root whence all the evils mentioned in the preceding verse spring. This text has been often very incautiously quoted; for how often do we hear," The Scripture says, Money is the root of all evil!" No, the Scripture says no such thing. Money is the root of no evil, nor is it an evil of any kind; but the love of it is the root of all the evils mentioned here.

While some coveted after] ορεγομενοι. Insatiably desiring.

Have erred from the faith] απεπλανηθησαν. Have totally erred-have made a most fatal and ruinous departure from the religion of Christ.

And pierced themselves through with many sorrows.] The word περιεπειραν signifies to be transfixed in every part; and is an allusion to one of those snares, παγιδα, mentioned 1Ti 6:9, where a hole is dug in the earth, and filled full of sharp stakes, and, being slightly covered over with turf, is not perceived; and whatever steps on it falls in, and is pierced through and through with these sharp stakes, the οδυναις πολλαις, the many torments, mentioned by the apostle. See note on 1Ti 6:9.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10 For the root of all evils is avarice There is no necessity for being too scrupulous in comparing other vices with this. It is certain that ambition and pride often produce worse fruits than covetousness does; and yet ambition does not proceed from covetousness. The same thing may be said of the sins forbidden by the seventh commandment. But Paul’s intention was not to include under covetousness every kind of vices that can be named. What then? He simply meant, that innumerable evils arise from it; just as we are in the habit of saying, when we speak of discord, or gluttony, or drunkenness, or any other vice of that kind, that there is no evil which it does not produce. And, indeed, we may most truly affirm, as to the base desire of gain, that there is no kind of evils that is not copiously produced by it every day; such as innumerable frauds, falsehoods, perjury, cheating, robbery, cruelty, corruption in judicature, quarrels, hatred, poisonings, murders; and, in short, almost every sort of crime.

Statements of this nature occur everywhere in heathen writers; and, therefore, it is improper that those persons who would applaud Horace or Ovid, when speaking in that manner, should complain of Paul as having used extravagant language. I wish it were not proved by daily experience, that this is a plain description of facts as they really are. But let us remember that the same crimes which spring from avarice, may also arise, as they undoubtedly do arise, either from ambition, or from envy, or from other sinful dispositions.

Which some eagerly desiring The Greek word ὀρεγόμενοι is overstrained, when the Apostle says that avarice is “eagerly desired;” but it does not obscure the sense. He affirms that the most aggravated of all evils springs from avarice — revolting from the faith; for they who are diseased with this disease are found to degenerate gradually, till they entirely renounce the faith. Hence those sorrows, which he mentions; by which term I understand frightful torments of conscience, which are wont to befall men past all hope; though God has other methods of trying covetous men, by making them their own tormentors.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(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 (1Ti_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, Rom_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 Psa_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.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. the love of money] One word in the original, occurring only here and belonging to the later Greek; the adjective in Luk_16:14, ‘the Pharisees, who were covetous,’ R.V. ‘lovers of money,’ and so 2Ti_3:2. ‘It differs from the ordinary word for covetousness (e.g. Col_3:5) (which does not occur in these Epistles) in denoting rather avarice, a love of money already gained, than an active grasping after more.’ Trench’s N. T. Synonyms, § 24.

the root of all evil] It has been much questioned whether we are to translate this admitted predicate ‘a root’ or ‘the root.’ On the general grammatical question, such passages as 1Co_11:3, ‘the head of the woman is (the) man,’ make ‘the root,’ quite correct; if with R.V. we render ‘a root,’ it lays a stress on there being other roots, which is beside the point: the stress surely is on the ‘all,’ interpreted however in that rhetorical sense, if it may be so called, which is common in N. T. as elsewhere (cf. 1Ti_6:17), and is well given in R.V. We may translate the root of all kinds of evil. For this use of the plural we may compare ‘supplies of food,’ 1Ti_6:8.

which while some coveted after] ‘Which (love-of-money) some reaching after,’ R.V. keeping to the root-notion of the participle. The verb (and its noun) occur four times in N. T. and in each place the Revisers give a different version, 1Ti_3:1 and Heb_11:16 in a good sense; here and Rom_1:27 in a bad sense. ‘Desire,’ a colourless word, would fit everywhere, but is weak. Bp Wordsworth ingeniously explains the seemingly incongruous desire for the love-of-money thus: ‘riches were a proof of divine approbation: love of wealth was a love of God’s favour: thus they sanctified avarice.’ But the relative is only formally, logically, in agreement with the abstract. ‘love-of-money:’ all readers of A.V. or R.V. would refer the ‘which’ to the real antecedent in sense, ‘money,’ and would be virtually right.

have erred from the faith] R.V. is justified in rendering have been led astray. The Greek aorist ‘merely represents the action of having occurred, as filling a point of past time’ (Winer, iii., xl. 45, a). When it stands by itself, as here, with no qualifying word, this force is represented by the English perfect, as giving just in our idiom the past verbal idea merely, with no further stress or point, cf. Ellicott on 1Th_2:16. The word occurs in N.T. again only in Mar_13:32, ‘that they may lead astray, if possible, the elect.’ ‘The faith’ as in 1Ti_1:19, where see note.

pierced themselves through] Lat. transfigo; only here in N.T.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For the love of money is the root of all evil,.... Of all the evils before mentioned, and of others; not money itself, as silver and gold, which are God's creatures, and his gifts, and may be used to, and answer many good purposes; but the love of it, and not any love of it; for there may be a lawful love of it, and desire after it, so far as it is requisite to the necessaries of life, to answer the calls of Providence, the duties we owe to God and men, to serve the interest of Christ, and do good to fellow creatures and fellow Christians: but it is an immoderate insatiable desire after it, and an inordinate love of it, which is here meant, such as is properly idolatry: as when a man loves it, not only besides, but above God; serves it as if it was God, and places his trust and confidence in it, independent of God, and his providence; such love of it is the source and spring of all iniquity, as above; it was the sin of Judas, and the root of all his iniquity. The phrase is Jewish. So idolatry is said to be , "the root of all iniquities" (q); see Heb 12:15

which while some coveted after; in a greedy and insatiable way:

they have erred from the faith; the doctrine of faith. Observing that the professors of it are generally poor, they have declined that path, and have not so much as heard the word; and if they have heard and embraced it, yet when persecution arises because of it, they drop their profession of it; or else their minds are so filled with worldly cares, and deceitful riches, that the word is choked, and becomes unprofitable, and by and by, Demas like, they forsake it, having loved this present world.

And pierced themselves through with many sorrows; riches are therefore fitly compared to thorns, which give great trouble and uneasiness, both in getting and keeping them; and oftentimes the reflection upon the unlawful ways and means made use of to obtain them, gives very pungent pain and distress; see Job 20:15. The apostle seem to allude to the Hebrew word used for a covetous man, which signifies one that pierces, cuts, and wounds, as such an one does both himself and others.

(q) R. David Kimchi in Isa. xxvii. 9.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

10 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.

Ver. 10. For the love of money] Phocylides saith the same, ηη φιλοχρημοσυνη μητηρ κακοτητος απασης. Covetousness is the mother of all mischief. Bion called it the metropolis of misdemeanor. Timon, the proper element of evils. There are those who draw it through all the commandments, and demonstrate it to be a breach of all.

The root of all evil] As there is life in the root when there is no sap in the branches; so covetousness often liveth when other vices die and decay, as in old men, who because they are likely to leave the world, spit on their hands and take better hold.

They have erred from the faith] Selling themselves to the devil, as Judas, Ahab, that pope for seven years’ enjoyment of the popedom.

And pierced themselves through] Undique transfixerunt, They have galled and gored themselves. The covetous man hath his name in Hebrew of a word that signifieth sometimes to pierce or wound, Psa 10:3; cf. Joe 2:8. He that will be rich takes no more rest than one upon a rack or bed of thorns; when he graspeth earthly things most greedily, he embraceth nothing but smoke, which wringeth tears from his eyes, and vanisheth into nothing. Three vultures he hath always feeding upon his heart, care in getting, fear in keeping, grief in spending and parting with that which he hath; so that he is in hell beforehand.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For the love of money is the root of all evil - That is, of all kinds of evil. This is evidently not to be understood as literally true, for there are evils which cannot, be traced to the love of money - the evils growing out of ambition, and intemperance, and debasing lusts, and of the hatred of God and of goodness. The expression here is evidently a popular saying - “all sorts of evils grow out of the love of money.” Similar expressions often occur in the classic writers; see Wetstein, in loc, and numerous examples quoted by Priceaus. Of the truth of this, no one can doubt. No small part of the crimes of the world can be traced to the love of gold. But it deserves to be remarked here, that the apostle does not say that “money is the root of all evil,” or that it is an evil at all. It is the “love” of it which is the source of evil.

Which while some coveted after - That is, some who were professing Christians. The apostle is doubtless referring to persons whose history was known to Timothy, and warning him, and teaching him to warn others, by their example.

They have erred from the faith - Margin, “been seduced.” The Greek is, they have been led astray from; that is, they have been so deceived as to depart from the faith. The notion of deception or delusion is in the word, and the sense is, that, deceived by the promises held out by the prospect of wealth, they have apostatized from the faith. It is not implied of necessity that they were ever real Christians. They have been led off from truth and duty, and from all the hopes and joys which religion would have imparted.

And pierced themselves through with many sorrows - With such sorrows as remorse, and painful reflections on their folly, and the apprehension of future wrath. Too late they see that they have thrown away the hopes of religion for that which is at best unworthy the pursuit of an immortal mind; which leads them on to a life of wickedness; which fails of imparting what it promised when its pursuit is successful, and which, in the great majority of instances, disappoints its votaries in respect to its attainment. The word rendered “pierced themselves through” - περιέπειραν periepeiran - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, and is a word whose force and emphasis cannot be well expressed in a translation. It is from πείρω peirō, and is made more emphatic by the addition of the preposition περι peri. The word πείρω peirō, means, properly, “to pierce through from one end to another,” and is applied to meat that is “pierced through” by the spit when it is to be roasted (Passow); then it means to pierce through and through. The addition of the preposition περι peri to the word, conveys the idea of doing this “all round;” of piercing everywhere. It was not a single thrust which was made, but they are gashed all round with penetrating wounds. Such is the effect on those who cast off religion for the sake of gold. None can avoid these consequences who do this. Every man is in the hands of a holy and just God, and sooner or later he must feel the effects of his sin and folly.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The root of all evils is covetousness,[6] or the love of money, as it is in the Greek; a covetous man being ready to sacrifice his soul for money. (Witham) --- This truth is verified and illustrated by the example of Judas, in the gospel; of Ananias and Saphira, in the Acts; of Demas, mentioned by St. Paul in his second epistle to Timothy; and many others, who have made shipwreck of their faith through eagerness to gain riches. Whoever seeks visible and terrestrial goods with great avidity, cannot be supposed to retain much faith in things that are celestial and invisible. He quits a future real and substantial good to seek for a delusive happiness that presents itself, but which will prove a source of present and future evils.

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Cupiditas, Greek: philarguria, amor pecuniæ.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

For the love of money is the root of all evil; money itself is not evil, but the immoderate love of it, whether discerned in an over eager desire after it, or an excessive delight in it, is the cause of much evil, both of sin and punishment.

Which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith; which money while some too greedily thirsted after, (for though the article be feminine and cannot grammatically agree with αργυοιον, which is neuter, yet that doth agree with it as to the sense, being understood in φιλοργυρια, with which the subjunctive article grammatically agreeth),

they have erred, or been seduced, from the faith, that is, the doctrine of the gospel, or profession of Christianity.

And pierced themselves through with many sorrows; and exposed themselves to a great many sorrows, which have pierccd their very souls, such as cares, troubles for the loss of their estates, &c.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10. The root—No definite article; a root, or a source.

All evil—Evil of every sort; of total amount.

Erred from the faith—Often has the Christian man apostatized by becoming rich. Sometimes he abandons the Church, gives up all profession, and becomes professedly profane. Sometimes he stays in the Church; yet only to dishonour religion by persistent frauds. But St. Paul is here specifying Christian teachers who abandon the truth in order to propagate a false yet remunerative doctrine; a doctrine which gives freer license to immorality, and so attracts adherents and pay.

Pierced themselves through—As with a dagger, with many arrows, or pangs; the pangs being either the dagger itself, or its agonizing accompaniments. These piercing pangs are the penalties of conscience; the deep assurance of guilt and forewarning of retribution, which, forgotten in the eagerness of the pursuit and the flush of enjoyment, return at their own time.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 (filarguria); only here in the New Testament, but found in the LXX and in classical Greek. The substantive filargurov is found in Luk_16:14 and ntwn 2Ti_3:2. A root. The root is better English. Moreover, the following pa twn kakwn (not pollwn kakwn) necessitates the giving a definite sense to rJiza, though it has not the article; and Alford shows dearly that a word like rJiza, especially when placed as here in an emphatic position, does not require it. (comp., 1Co_11:3, where in the second and third clause kefalh 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 (hJ filarguria) is the metropolis, or home, pantwn twn kakwn." Reaching after (ojregomenoi). 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 rJiza the antecedent to h+v, 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 (periepeiran); only here in the New Testament, and rare in classical Greek. But the simple verb peirw, 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. jOdunhsi peparmenov, "pierced with pain" ("Il.," 5:399).

The root of all evil.

the love of money is the root of all evil." This almost proverbial saying is intended to support the statement of the previous verse.

I THE LOVE OF MONEY AS A ROOT OF EVIL.

1. The assertion is not concerning money, which, as we have seen, is neither good nor bad in itself, but concerning the love of money.

2. It is not asserted that there are not other roots of evil besides covetousness. This thought was not present to the apostle"s mind.

3. It is not meant that a covetous man will be entirely destitute of all virtuous feeling.

4. It means that a germ of all evil lies in one with the love of money; that there is no kind of evil to which a man may net be led through an absorbing greed for money. It is really a root-sin, for it leads to care, fear, malice, deceit, oppression, envy, bribery, perjury, contentiousness.

II UNHAPPY EFFECTS OF THE LOVE OF MONEY. "Which some having coveted after have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1. It led to apostasy. They made shipwreck of their Christian principles. They surrendered the faith. The good seed of the Word was choked by the deceitfulness of riches, and, like Demas, they forsook the Word, having loved this present world.

2. It involved the Tangs of conscience, to the destruction of their own happiness. They felt the piercings of that inward monitor who forebodes the future destruction. T.C.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Love of money - Commonly called "prudent care" of what a man has. Is the root - The parent of all manner of evils. Which some coveting have erred - Literally, missed the mark. They aimed not at faith, but at something else. And pierced themselves with many sorrows - From a guilty conscience, tormenting passions, desires contrary to reason, religion, and one another. How cruel are worldly men to themselves!

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Ver. 10. For a root of all evils is the love of money—or simply, root of all evils. Putting it in the latter way, the exact counterpart of the original, which also gives prominence to the term root, as the apostle undoubtedly meant, we might evade the question whether, if an article were employed, it should be the definite or the indefinite. It is certainly more in accordance with English idiom in such a passage to use an article; and if one is used, then I think, with Middleton, Huther, Conybeare, and Ellicott, against Alford, that the indefinite is the fittest—a root of all evils is, etc., or the love of money is a root of all evils. No doubt the definite article might also be employed, as Alford contends, for the purpose simply of emphasizing root, designating avarice as such a vicious passion, that if it stood alone, all manner of evils might spring out of it. But, on the other hand, the expression so put is ambiguous; for it may also mean that it is the one thing which is so prolific of evil—there is no other of which the same could be predicated: and that is not the case; for it might be said of ambition, and some other passions as well. The question is not, therefore, as Alford seems to consider, whether one might not here, as in other cases, use the definite article in English, where there is none in the Greek, in order to bring out the proper emphasis: one may well enough do so, as in the passage referred to by him (1Co 11:3), where, as there is but properly one thing of the kind to be thought of, it can occasion no ambiguity. But where the reverse is the case, as in the present instance, it is better to avoid it by employing the indefinite article, even though it should be with a partial sacrifice of the emphasis. The sentiment is, that there is no kind of evil to which the love of money may not lead men, when it once fairly takes hold of them. And the apostle further characterizes the affection by saying, which some, reaching after, have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many pangs. There is a certain looseness in the structure of the passage, since avarice, or the love of money (φιλαργυρία), being itself an affection of the mind, a lust, one cannot strictly be said to reach or long after it. The passion is obviously identified by the apostle with its object—money as a thing loved and sought after; and some, he says, reaching forth in their desires after this, made a twofold shipwreck: first, of their Christian principles, departing from the faith; and second, of their happiness, piercing themselves through (περιέπειραν, transfixed) with many pangs. What precisely these were we are left to infer; but the expression seems to point to inward rather than to outward troubles—to sorrows of heart, the pungent rebukes of conscience, which came upon the individuals referred to when they saw, and had time to reflect on, the shameful course they had pursued.

Patrick Fairbairn — An Exposition of Ezekiel (1851), Jonah (1849), and The Pastoral Epistles (1874) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Here we have the nature of covetousness, the evil and sin of covetousness, and the mischief and hurt of it declared.

Observe, 1. The nature of it: it is an inordinate love of money, an insatiable desire after wealth.

Observe, 2. The evil and sinfulness of it: it is a root of sin, The root of all evil; the fruit of all sin grows from this root, distrustful care, tormenting fear, anger, malice, envy, deceit, oppression, bribery, perjury, vexatious lawsuits, and the like; nay, farther, covetousness is the root of heresy in judgment, as well as of iniquity in practice.

They have erred from the faith: that is, in point of doctrine, as well as in practice; it makes a man believe, as well as act, against the rule of faith, for filthy lucre.

Observe, 3. The mischief and hurt of covetousness declared: it pierces, it pierces through with sorrows, yea, with many sorrows.

But whom doth it pierce?

First, others; it pierces the poor, the needy, the widow, the fatherless, all that fall within the reach of its gripping hand; nay, it doth not spare its own master, or slave rather, but pierces him: They pierce themselves through, says the apostle, with many sorrows, with many more, and much worse sorrows, than they pierce others with.

Riches ill gotten, by covetousness or oppression, instead of making their owners heartily merry, make their consciences ache, and give them many a stitch in their side. None can tell what gall and wormwood springs from this bitter root, both to themselves and others: The love of money is the root of all evil; which while some covet after, they err from the faith, piercing themselves through with many sorrows. It is the root of all evil, of sin, and also of trouble and disquiet.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. For the love of money is the root of all evil. Not the money itself, which if used as by a steward of God is a blessing, so much as the love of it. This greedy love is the source of every sin. Men murder, cheat, lie, rob, run saloons, gambling houses, brothels, all for the love of money. For love of money Judas sold his Master. Some … have erred. Have wandered from the faith through the love of money. Judas is one example.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

10. ῥίζα γὰρ πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἐστὶν ἡ φιλαργυρία. For the love of money is the root of all evils, an emphatic, rhetorical, statement. To lay stress, as the Revised Version has done, on the absence of the article before ῥίζα, seems unnecessary, and the resultant translation “a root of all kinds of evil,” though no doubt giving us a more scientifically exact maxim than the A.V. presents, is far less forcible. Quite as strong statements had been made about this vice before St Paul’s day. Comp. Apollodorus Frag.

ἀλλὰ σχεδόν τι τὸ κεφάλαιον τῶν κακῶν

εἴρηκας· ἐν φιλαργυρίᾳ γὰρ πάντʼ ἔνι,

or Diog. Laert. VI. 50 τὴν φιλαργυρίαν εἶπε μητρόπολιν πάντων τῶν κακῶν. Or again, Ammian. Marcell. XXXI. 4 aviditas materia omnium malorum.

τῶν κακῶν refers, of course, to moral not physical evils; to sins whether of omission or commission.

φιλαργυρία, defined by the Stoics as ὑπόληψις τοῦ τὸ ἀργύριον καλὸν εἶναι (Diog. VII. 111), is a passive vice, as contrasted with the active grasping of πλεονεξία, which indeed has a much wider range. The latter might co-exist with prodigal expenditure; not so φιλαργυρία, which is the miser’s sin, the auri sacra fames of Virgil (Aen. III. 56). Thus the older Latin rendering avaritia gives the sense better than the Vulgate cupiditas. The word only occurs again in the Greek Bible in 4Ma 1:26; 4Ma 2:15; but we have the adjective φιλάργυρος in 2Ti 3:2, and in Luk 16:14, where it is applied to the Pharisees.

ἦς τινὲς ὀρεγόμενοι, which some reaching after.… The image is, perhaps, not strictly correct, for we can hardly reach after an ὄρεξις like φιλαργυρία, but it is quite in St Paul’s manner; cp. ἐλπὶς βλεπομένη (Rom 8:24). For ὀρέγεσθαι see on 1Ti 3:1.

ἀπεπλανήθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως κ.τ.λ., have been led astray (cp. 1Ti 1:19, 1Ti 4:1) from the faith &c., i.e. as from a straight path. Struggling out of this they get entrapped among the briars and thorns of the world, and pierce themselves. ἀποπλανᾷν only occurs in the N.T. again in Mar 13:22; it is, however, a LXX. word.

καὶ ἑαυτοὺς περιέπειραν ὀδύναις πολλαῖς, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. περιπείρειν is ἅπ. λεγ. in the Greek Bible; it means to impale or pierce through, the force of περί arising from the idea of the thing pierced surrounding that which pierces. Cp. Philo in Flacc. i. ἀνηκέστοις περιέπειρε καοῖς. ὀδύναι (in N.T. only here and in Rom 9:2) stands for the pangs of conscience, the shafts of remorse.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10.] For the love of money is the (not ‘a,’ as Huther, Conyb., and Ellicott, after Middleton. A word like ῥίζα, a recognized part of a plant, does not require an article when placed as here in an emphatic position: we might have ἡ γὰρ ῥίζα, or ῥίζα γάρ: cf. 1Co 11:3 (which, notwithstanding what Ellic. has alleged against it, still appears to me to be strictly in point to shew that for which it is here adduced), παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ἡ κεφαλὴ ὁ χριστός ἐστιν, κεφαλὴ δὲ γυναικὸς ὁ ἀνήρ, κεφαλὴ δὲ τοῦ χριστοῦ ὁ θεός. Here in the first clause it is requisite to throw παντὸς ἀνδρός into emphasis: but had the arrangement been the same as that of the others, we should have read κεφαλή (not ἡ κεφ.) παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ὁ χριστός: but no one would therefore have thought of rendering ‘a head’) root of all evils (not, is the only root whence all evils spring: but is the root whence all (manner of evils may and as matter of fact do arise. So that De W.’s objections to the sentiment have no force: for neither does it follow (1) that the covetous man cannot possibly retain any virtuous disposition,—nor (2) that there may not be other roots of evil besides covetousness: neither of these matters being in the Apostle’s view. So Diogenes Laert. vit. Diogen. (vi. 50), τὴν φιλαργυρίαν εἶπε μητρόπολιν πάντων σῶν κακῶν: and Philo de judice 3, vol. ii. p. 346, calls it ὁρμητήριον τῶν μεγίστων παρανομηματων. See other examples in Wetst.): after which (φιλαργυρία, see below) some lusting (the method of expression, if strictly judged, is somewhat incorrect: for φιλαργυρία is of itself a desire or ὄρεξις, and men cannot be properly said ὀρέγεσθαι after it, but after its object ἀργύριον. Such inaccuracies are, however, often found in language, and we have examples of them in St. Paul elsewhere: e.g. ἐλπὶς βλεπομένη, Rom 8:24,—ἐλπίδα … ἣν καὶ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι προσδέχονται, Act 24:15) wandered away from the faith (ch. 1:19; 4:1), and pierced themselves through (not all round’ or ‘all over,’ as Beza, Elsner, al.: the περί refers to the thing pierced surrounding the instrument piercing: so περιπ. τὴν κεφαλὴν περὶ λόγχην, Plut. Galb. 27: see Palm and Rost, and Suicer, sub voce) with many pains (the ὀδύναι being regarded as the weapons. ἄκανθαί εἰσιν αἱ ἐπιθυμίαι—καὶ καθάπερ ἐν ἀκάνθαις, ὅθεν ἄν τις ἅψηται αὐτῶν, ᾕμαξε τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τραύματα ἐργάζεται· οὕτω καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν τὸ αὐτὸ πείσεται ὁ ταύταις ἐμπεσών, κ. τὴν ψυχὴν ἀλγηδόσι περιβαλεῖ. Chrys.).

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. ῥίζα] not “a root,” which would suggest that the writer was thinking of other possible roots (which no doubt there are, e.g. jealousy, St. Cyprian, de zelo ac livore, 6; pride, Aug. in Joh. xxv. 16), but “the root” (cf. Field, Ot. Norvic. ad loc.).

ῥίζα … φιλαργυρία] again proverbial, cf. Test. XII. Patr., Judah, c. 19, and the Greek saying attributed sometimes to Bion, sometimes to Democritus, τὴν φιλαργυρίαν εἶναι μητρόπολιν πάντων τῶν κακῶν, Diog. Laert. vi. 50; Seneca, de Clem. 2. 1, “alieni cupiditate, ex qua omne animi malum oritur.” Ps.-Phocyl. 42, ἡ φιλοχρημοσύνη μήτηρ κακότητος ἁπάσης (Wetstein and Dibelius). So Philo, De Judice, c. 3, warns a judge against being φιλοχρήματον ὅπερ ἐστὶν ὁρμητήριον τῶν μεγίστων παρανομημάτων. The combination of this with v. 7 in Polyc. ad Phil. c. 4 suggests literary dependence on the epistle.

ὀδύναις] both actual evils and the pangs of remorse. For the metaphor, cf. Pro 7:23-27. For illustrations, Mar 10:22 ἀπῆλθε λυπούμενος· ἦν γὰρ ἔχων κτήματα πολλά: Act 5:1-10. For a similar condemnation of “wealthy Ephesus,” cf. Pseudo-Heracl. Ep. 8. It is in his address to elders of Ephesus that St. Paul insists that he had coveted no man’s silver or gold or apparel, Act 20:33.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Love of money [φιλαργυρια] . N. T. o. See 4 Macc. 1 26. Rare in Class.

The root [ριζα] . Better, a root. It is not the only root. In Paul only metaphorically. See Rom 11:16, 17, 18.

Coveted after [ορεγομενοι] . See on ch. 1ti 3:1. The figure is faulty, since filarguria is itself a desire.

Have erred [απεπλανηθησαν] . More correctly, have been led astray. o P. Pierced through [περιεπειραν] . N. T. o o LXX

Sorrows [οδυναις] . See on Rom 9:2.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.