1 Timothy 6:6-10

6:6 Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit. 6:7 For we have brought nothing into this world and so ¹  we cannot take a single thing out either. 6:8 But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that. ²  6:9 Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 6:10 For the love of money is the root ³  of all evils. ⁴  Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.

1 Timothy 6:17-19

6:17 Command those who are rich in this world’s goods ⁵  not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, ⁶  but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. 6:18 Tell them to do good, ⁷  to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others. ⁸  6:19 In this way they will save up ⁹  a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation ¹⁰  for the future and so lay hold of ¹¹  what is truly life.

[6:7]  ¹ tc The Greek conjunction ὅτι usually means “because,” but here it takes the sense “so that” (see BDAG 732 s.v. 5.c). This unusual sense led to textual variation as scribes attempted to correct what appeared to be an error: D* and a few versional witnesses read ἀληθές ὅτι (“it is true that”), and א² D² Ψ Ï read δῆλον ὅτι (“it is clear that”). Thus the simple conjunction is preferred on internal as well as external grounds, supported by א* A F G 33 81 1739 1881 pc.

[6:8]  ² tn Grk “with these.”

[6:10]  ³ tn This could be taken to mean “a root,” but the phrase “of all evils” clearly makes it definite. This seems to be not entirely true to life (some evils are unrelated to love of money), but it should be read as a case of hyperbole (exaggeration to make a point more strongly).

[6:10]  ⁴ tn Many translations render this “of all kinds of evil,” especially to allow for the translation “a root” along with it. But there is no parallel for taking a construction like this to mean “all kinds of” or “every kind of.” The normal sense is “all evils.”

[6:17]  ⁵ tn Grk “in the present age.”

[6:17]  ⁶ tn Grk “in uncertainty.”

[6:18]  ⁷ tn Grk “to do good” (the continuation of 6:17). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 18.

[6:18]  ⁸ tn Grk “to be generous,” “sharing.”

[6:19]  ⁹ tn Grk “saving up” (the continuation of 6:18). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 19.

[6:19]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “treasuring up a good foundation.”

[6:19]  ¹¹ tn Grk “that they may lay hold of.”