1 Timothy 6:9

1 Timothy 6:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
• New International Version (NIV)Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Context of 1 Timothy 6:9

7When we were born, we brought nothing with us into this world. When we die, we cannot take anything with us out of the world. 8So, if we have enough food and clothes, we should be happy with that. But some people want to have lots of money. This causes them to do wrong things. They cannot get free from their bad ways, like an animal in a trap. They want many things for themselves. Their foolish thoughts hurt them and finally destroy their lives. 10When people like to have lots of money, it causes all kinds of bad things to happen. Some people have stopped believing the message about Christ because they want to get more money. As a result, they have caused themselves to become sad with many troubles. 11But you, Timothy, are a servant of God. So keep away from all bad things like that. Instead, always try to do what is right. Serve God in a way that pleases him. Choose to trust God and to love other people. Continue to be strong when you have trouble. Be kind to people.

1 Timothy 6:9 word by word

Οἱ δὲ βουλόμενοι πλουτεῖν ἐμπίπτουσιν εἰς πειρασμὸν καὶ παγίδα καὶ ἐπιθυμίας πολλὰς ἀνοήτους καὶ βλαβεράς, αἵτινες βυθίζουσιν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἰς ὄλεθρον καὶ ἀπώλειαν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• they that willβούλομαιboulomai · to planG1014
• be richπλουτέωplouteō · be richG4147
• fallἐμπίπτωempiptō · to fall intoG1706
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• temptationπειρασμόςpeirasmos · temptation/testing: temptationG3986
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• a snareπαγίςpagis · trapG3803
• manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• foolishἀνόητοςanoētos · foolishG453
• hurtfulβλαβερόςblaberos · harmfulG983
• lustsἐπιθυμίαepithumia · desireG1939
• whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• drownβυθίζωbuthizō · to sinkG1036
• menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• destructionὄλεθροςolethros · destructiveG3639
• perditionἀπώλειαapōleia · destructionG684

Cross-references for 1 Timothy 6:9

• Genesis 13:10Lot looked up and he saw the flat land of Jordan, as far as Zoar. He saw that it had lots of water, like the garden of the Lord. It was good land, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed the cities there called Sodom and Gomorrah.)
• Numbers 22:17I will certainly make you rich and famous. I will do for you anything that you want. So please come and curse these people for me.” ’
• Joshua 7:11Israel has done a bad thing. They have not obeyed the command of the covenant that I made with them. That have taken for themselves some of the valuable things that belong to me. They have taken them and they have tried to deceive me. They have hidden them among their own things.
• 2 Kings 5:20Elisha's servant, Gehazi, thought, ‘My master did not accept the gifts that Naaman offered to him. He made it too easy for that Syrian man. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him. I will accept a gift from him.’
• Proverbs 15:27Anyone who cheats people to become rich will cause trouble for his family. But anyone who refuses to accept bribes will live safely.
• Proverbs 20:21If you receive riches too early in life, it will do you no good in the end.
• Proverbs 21:6If you deceive people to become rich, it will soon all disappear. It will lead you to an early death.
• Proverbs 22:16Someone may be cruel to poor people to make himself rich. Someone else may give gifts to rich people to make them his friends. But both those people will become poor in the end.
• Proverbs 28:20A faithful person will receive many blessings. But anyone who hurries to become rich will only receive punishment.
• Isaiah 5:8It will be very bad for you people who buy many houses for yourselves. You also buy land to join to the land that you already have. Then there is no more land left for anyone else. You are the only people who remain on the land.
• Hosea 12:7Your traders love to cheat people. They use false weights and measures.
• Amos 8:4So listen to me, you who are cruel to helpless people. You try to destroy people who are poor and weak.
• Zechariah 11:5Those men who buy the sheep will kill them. Nobody will punish them. They will sell them. And they will say, “Thank you Lord, because I am a rich man.” Their own shepherds do not give the sheep any help.’
• Matthew 13:22Some seeds fell among thorn bushes. This is like people who hear the message from God. But they have many troubles in their minds. They want to get more money and more things. They think that this will make them happy. So they do not let God's message change them. They are like plants that do not grow well and make new seeds.
• Matthew 19:22When the young man heard this, he went away. He was not happy. He was feeling sad because he was a very rich man.
• Matthew 26:15and he asked them, ‘How much money will you give me if I help you to take hold of Jesus?’ The priests gave Judas 30 silver coins.

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 6:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9But they that will be rich - ̔ . The words are emphatic, and refer to persons who are determined to get riches; who make this their object and aim in life; who live to get money; who get all they can, save all they can, and keep all they get; and yet are apprehensive of no danger, because they seek to be rich by honest means; for it is likely that the apostle does not refer to those who wish to get riches by robbery, plunder, extortion, etc. By the term…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9But they that will be rich - Further to enforce the duty of contentment, the apostle refers to some of the evils which necessarily attend a desire to be rich. Those evils have been so great and uniform in all ages, and are so necessary accompaniments of that desire, that, even amidst many inconveniences which may attend the opposite condition, we should he contented with our lot. Indeed, if we could see all, it would only be necessary to see the evils…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-10Verses 6-10 Those that make a trade of Christianity to serve their turn for this world, will be disappointed; but those who mind it as their calling, will find it has the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come. He that is godly, is sure to be happy in another world; and if contented with his condition in this world, he has enough; and all truly godly people are content. When brought into the greatest straits, we cannot be…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-10This paragraph reveals that the true desire of false teachers is wealth, not God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. will be rich--have more than "food and raiment." Greek, "wish to be rich"; not merely are willing, but are resolved, and earnestly desire to have riches at any cost (Pr 28:20, 22). This wishing (not the riches themselves) is fatal to "contentment" (1Ti 6:6). Rich men are not told to cast away their riches, but not to "trust" in them, and to "do good" with them (1Ti 6:17, 18; Psa 62:10). fall into temptation--not merely "are exposed to temptation," but…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Timothy 6:9

• Covetousness
• Lust
• Minister, Christian
• Riches
• Temptation

In the dictionaries

• Babbling
• Confession
• Consent
• Content
• Contentment
• Covet
• Covetousness
• Foolish
• Pierce
• Root

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings