What does 1 Timothy 6:10 mean?
“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”
1 Timothy 6:10 warns that the love of money — not money itself — is a root of all kinds of evil, and that craving wealth can lure people away from the faith into much grief.
Paul is precise: it is “the love of money,” a heart set on riches, that is “a root of all kinds of evil.” Money is a tool; the danger is the craving. This misplaced love leads to a harvest of sins — deceit, discontent, injustice — because it dethrones God in favor of gain.
The verse’s sharpest warning is spiritual: some, “eager for money, have wandered from the faith” and pierced themselves with many griefs. Loving wealth does not satisfy; it wounds. The remedy, in the surrounding verses, is contentment with godliness and generosity that treats wealth as a servant, not a god.
Does 1 Timothy 6:10 say money is evil?
No. It says the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Wealth itself is not condemned; craving it and trusting it in God’s place is the danger.
What is the antidote to the love of money?
Contentment joined to godliness (v. 6), trust in God rather than riches, and generous open-handedness — treating money as a tool for good, not a source of security.
Original BibleDawn explanation · reviewed 2026-07. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.