the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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1 Timothy 6:9
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- BridgewayEncyclopedias:
- InternationalDevotionals:
- DailyContextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
they: Genesis 13:10-13, Numbers 22:17-19, Joshua 7:11, 2 Kings 5:20-27, Proverbs 15:27, Proverbs 20:21, Proverbs 21:6, Proverbs 22:16, Proverbs 28:20-22, Isaiah 5:8, Hosea 12:7, Hosea 12:8, Amos 8:4-6, Zechariah 11:5, Matthew 13:22, Matthew 19:22, Matthew 26:15, James 5:1-4, 2 Peter 2:15, 2 Peter 2:16, Jude 1:11
snare: 1 Timothy 3:7, Deuteronomy 7:25, Psalms 11:6, Proverbs 1:17-19, Luke 21:35, 2 Timothy 2:26
many: Mark 4:19, Ephesians 4:22, 1 John 2:15-17
which: 1 Timothy 1:9, Numbers 31:8, Joshua 7:24-26, Matthew 27:3-5, Acts 5:4, Acts 5:5, Acts 8:20, 2 Peter 2:3
Reciprocal: Genesis 13:6 - General Genesis 14:12 - who Exodus 18:21 - hating Exodus 28:40 - glory Numbers 22:7 - rewards of divination Numbers 22:19 - General Deuteronomy 5:21 - General Deuteronomy 17:17 - neither shall he Joshua 7:21 - I coveted Judges 16:5 - we will 2 Samuel 16:3 - day 1 Kings 21:2 - Give me 1 Kings 21:6 - Because Job 18:8 - he is cast Job 27:8 - General Psalms 10:3 - whom Psalms 91:3 - snare Psalms 119:36 - and not to Proverbs 1:13 - General Proverbs 1:19 - every Proverbs 28:22 - hasteth to be rich Ecclesiastes 5:13 - riches Isaiah 57:17 - the iniquity Jeremiah 17:11 - he that Jeremiah 22:17 - covetousness Ezekiel 22:12 - greedily Ezekiel 28:16 - the multitude Ezekiel 33:31 - but their Matthew 6:24 - mammon Matthew 12:44 - he findeth Matthew 19:23 - That Matthew 22:5 - one Mark 4:7 - General Mark 10:22 - for Luke 8:14 - and are Luke 14:18 - I have Luke 16:9 - mammon Luke 18:24 - How Luke 22:5 - and covenanted Acts 19:24 - brought Acts 24:26 - hoped 1 Corinthians 5:11 - or covetous Ephesians 2:3 - in the Ephesians 5:15 - not 1 Timothy 1:19 - made 2 Timothy 2:4 - entangleth 2 Timothy 3:6 - divers Hebrews 10:39 - unto Hebrews 12:1 - let us lay Hebrews 13:5 - conversation James 4:2 - lust 1 Peter 2:11 - war 2 Peter 3:7 - and perdition
Cross-References
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens-
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh God made earth and heaven.
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven.
These are the generations of the heauens and of the earth when they were created, in the day when the Lord God made the earth and the heauens.
This is the story about the creation of the sky and the earth. This is what happened when the Lord God made the earth and the sky.
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
These ben the generaciouns of heuene and of erthe, in the day wherynne the Lord God made heuene and erthe,
These are the generations of the heauens, & of the earth, when they were created; in the day that the LORD God made the earth, and the heauens,
These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
Gill's Notes on the Bible
But they that will be rich,.... Not they that are rich; for some rich men are good men; and do much good with their riches; and are as free from temptations and snares, and foolish and hurtful lusts, as other persons, as Abraham, Joseph of Arimathea, Gaius, and others were; but such that would be rich, who labour after, make haste for it, and are resolved upon it, at any rate, right or wrong, as there be thousands, who never attain to it; so that the apostle does not point at rich men particularly, but at such who are determined to be rich, whether they ever are so or not: these
fall into temptation; not in such sense in which the phrase is used in James 1:2 but in such sense as Christ uses it, Matthew 6:13 namely, a falling into temptation to sin, so as to be drawn away by it, and overcome with it:
and a snare; the Vulgate Latin version reads, "the snare of the devil", and so Beza's Claromontane copy; which perhaps is taken from 1 Timothy 3:7, and though this seems not to be the genuine reading, yet it may give the true sense: Satan may be compared to a fowler; his temptations to sin are his nets and snares; and they that will be rich, are the birds that are caught and entangled therein, out of which sometimes it is impracticable to extricate themselves:
and into many foolish and hurtful lusts; carnal and worldly lusts, the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, which are the things that are in the world and draw the affections to them; yea, what sin is there but such persons may, and do fall into; as defrauding of the neighbour, oppressing the poor, lying, perjury, theft, murder, rapine, violence, and injustice of every kind? so that they may be said to be "many", and some of them are "foolish". All sin is folly, and every wicked man is a foolish one, and acts a part quite contrary to reason; but some evil ways are notoriously silly, weak and foolish, and which they that will be rich make use of to get money; though others of them are sly and artful enough, and all of them are "hurtful" to their credit and reputation, or to the health of their bodies, and especially to the welfare of their immortal souls. So the phrase יצריהון טפשא, "their foolish lust", is used by the Targumist in Ezekiel 20:25 and the corruption of nature in general is by the Jews called the old and foolish king, in Ecclesiastes 4:13. They ask p,
"why is he called a king? because all obey him; why is he called old? because he is joined to him (a man) from his birth to his old age; and why is he called כסיל, "foolish?" because he teaches him an evil way, which he knows not how to warn him of again.''
Which drown men in destruction and perdition; that is, in utter ruin, in the ruin both of soul and body; and which is irrecoverable, like that of the drowning of a man in the sea, with a millstone about his neck; such folly and danger do those expose themselves to, who will be rich at any rate.
p Midrash Kohelet, fol. 70. 2.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
But 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 which the desire of wealth produces in the world, to make us contented with a most lowly condition of life. Perhaps nothing more would be necessary to make a poor man satisfied with his lot, and grateful for it, than to be acquainted with the perplexities and cares of a rich man. There is more emphasis to be placed on the word will, here, in the phrase, “will be rich,” than might be supposed from our translation. It is not the sign of the future tense, but implies an actual “purpose” or “design” to become rich - οἱ βουλόμενοι hoi boulomenoi. The reference is to those in whom this becomes the object of earnest desire, and who lay their plans for it.
Fall into temptation - That is, they are tempted to do wicked things in order to accomplish their purposes. It is extremely difficult to cherish the desire to be rich, as the leading purpose of the soul, and to he an honest man.
And a snare - Birds are taken in a snare, and wild beasts were formerly; see the notes on Job 18:8-9. The net was sprung suddenly upon them, and they could not escape. The idea here is, that they who have this desire become so entangled, that they cannot easily escape. They become involved in the meshes of worldliness and sin; their movements are so fettered by cares, and inordinate desires, and by artificial needs, that they are no longer freemen. They become so involved in these things, that they cannot well break away from them if they would; compare Proverbs 28:20.
And into many foolish and hurtful lusts - Desires, such as the love of wealth creates. They are foolish - as being not such as an intelligent and immortal being should pursue; and they are hurtful - as being injurious to morals, to health, and to the soul. Among those desires, are the fondness for display; for a magnificent dwelling, a train of menials, and a splendid equipage; for sumptuous living, feasting, the social glass, company, and riotous dissipation.
Which drown men in destruction and perdition - The word which is here rendered, “drown” - βυθίζω buthizō - means, to “sink in the” deep, or, “to cause to sink;” and the meaning here is, that they become submerged as a ship that sinks. The idea of drowning is not properly that of the apostle, but the image is that of a wreck, where a ship and all that is in it go down together. The destruction is complete. There is a total ruin of happiness, of virtue, of reputation, and of the soul. The ruling desire to be rich leads on a train of follies which ruins everything here, and hereafter. How many of the human family have thus been destroyed!
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. But they that will be rich — οι δε βουλομενοι πλουτειν. 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, c.
By the term rich it is very likely that the apostle refers to what he had said above: Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. He that has more than these is rich in the sense in which the apostle uses the term.
Fall into temptation and a snare — του διαβολου, Of the devil, is added by D*FG, Vulgate, Itala, and many of the fathers. It is in consequence of the temptation of the devil that they have determined to be rich this temptation once received, others quickly succeed: and when they have swallowed down the temptation to the thing, then they drink in a thousand temptations to the means; and all these lead them εις παγιδα, into an unforeseen and concealed trap. παγις signifies a net, trap, gin, snare, springe, or pit dug in the ground filled with sharp stakes, and slightly covered over; so that when a man, or any animal, steps upon it, he tumbles in, and is taken or destroyed. Such a snare is that into which those who will be rich must necessarily fall. But who will believe this? See note on 1 Timothy 6:10.
And into many foolish and hurtful lusts — The whole conduct of such a person is a tissue of folly; scraping, gathering, and heaping up riches, and scarcely affording to take the necessaries of life out of them for himself. These lusts or desires are not only foolish, but they are hurtful; the mind is debased and narrowed by them; benevolent and generous feelings become extinct; charity perishes; and selfishness, the last and lowest principle in mental degradation, absorbs the soul; for these foolish and hurtful lusts drown men in destruction and perdition-the soul is destroyed by them here, and brought through them into a state of perdition hereafter. The apostle considers these persons like mariners in a storm; by the concurrence of winds, waves, and tide, they are violently driven among the rocks, the vessel is dashed to pieces, and in a moment they are all ingulfed in the great deep! Such is the lot and unavoidable catastrophe of them that will be rich, even though they should strive to accomplish their desires by means the most rigidly honest.
In this place I beg leave to refer the reader to a sermon on this text by the late Rev. JOHN WESLEY, in which the whole of this subject is treated by the hand of a master; and, for usefulness, the sermon is superior to every thing of the kind ever published. It is entitled, The Danger of Riches; and is found in his WORKS, Vol. 2, page 248, American edit.
