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Genesis 34:23,24
Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirsbe ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us…

Genesis 38:16
And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that shewas his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

Exodus 23:7,8
Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked…

coveted.

1 Timothy 6:21
Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Gracebe with thee. Amen.

2 Timothy 4:10
For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

Jude 1:11
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

erred.

Genesis 29:14,26,31
And Laban said to him, Surely thouart my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month…

2 Kings 5:27
The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leperas white as snow.

Psalm 32:10
Many sorrowsshall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.

is the root of all kinds of evil.
The phrase suggests that the love of money is a foundational cause of various evils, not the sole cause of every evil. The Greek text implies a broad range of evils, indicating that this love can lead to numerous sinful behaviors. Historically, the pursuit of wealth has led to corruption, exploitation, and injustice, as seen in the stories of Achan (Joshua 7) and Judas Iscariot (Matthew 26:14-16). Theologically, this aligns with the idea that sin often stems from misplaced priorities and desires.

By craving it,
Craving indicates a strong, often uncontrollable desire. This aligns with the biblical warnings against covetousness and greed (Colossians 3:5). The craving for wealth can become an obsession, leading individuals away from spiritual truths and values. This craving is a form of idolatry, where wealth becomes an object of worship, replacing God in one's heart.

some have wandered away from the faith
This phrase indicates a departure from Christian beliefs and practices. The imagery of wandering suggests a gradual process, often unnoticed until one is far from the intended path. In the New Testament, faith is central to the believer's life (Hebrews 11:6), and wandering from it can lead to spiritual peril. The parable of the sower (Mark 4:18-19) illustrates how the deceitfulness of wealth can choke the word, making it unfruitful.

and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
The imagery of piercing suggests self-inflicted harm, emphasizing personal responsibility for the consequences of one's desires. The sorrows mentioned are the inevitable result of prioritizing wealth over spiritual well-being. This aligns with the biblical principle that sin leads to suffering (Romans 6:23). The story of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-22) exemplifies how attachment to wealth can lead to sorrow and loss of eternal life.

“For the love of money…” (1 Timothy 6:10) pinpoints the issue as affection, not currency itself.

• Money is a useful gift (Proverbs 13:22), yet when our hearts cling to it, it displaces devotion owed to God (Matthew 6:24).

• Love, in Scripture, directs the will; whatever we love most governs life (Colossians 3:2).

•Ecclesiastes 5:10 warns, “Whoever loves money never has enough,” underscoring the emptiness of misplaced affection.

Paul states this passion “is the root of all kinds of evil.” The image is of a taproot feeding many sinful branches.

• Greed spawns lying (Acts 5:1-5), oppression (James 5:4), theft (Joshua 7:21), and idolatry (Colossians 3:5).

• Not every sin springs from greed, yet greed can breed “all kinds” of wrongdoing.

•Proverbs 15:27 notes, “He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household,” affirming the verse’s breadth.

Desire intensifies into “craving.”

• Craving reshapes priorities, slowly edging God out (Mark 4:19).

•Hebrews 13:5 calls believers to “be free from the love of money,” showing the antidote: contentment in Christ.

Greed is not neutral; it diverts souls.

• Demas is a tragic illustration, having “loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10).

• Jesus’ parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21) depicts one whose plans never included God; earthly abundance masked spiritual bankruptcy.

The image is self-inflicted wounds.

• Achan’s greed led to his death and grief for Israel (Joshua 7:24-26).

• Judas, driven by thirty pieces of silver, ended in despair (Matthew 27:3-5).

•Proverbs 11:28 summarizes: “He who trusts in his riches will fall.”

Paul exposes a heart-issue: when money receives the love reserved for God, it becomes a root that feeds diverse evils, drags believers off course, and impales them on needless sorrow. Scripture calls us to contentment, generosity, and single-hearted devotion to Christ, whose priceless riches neither fade nor fail (1 Peter 1:4).

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 evilnecessarily must come from "love of money," but that there is no conceivable evil which can happen to the sons and daughters of men whichmay 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 weresome 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 ofPsalm 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. . . .