Matius 6:19

Lasting Treasure

6:19 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth ¹  and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

Matius 6:24

6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate ²  the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise ³  the other. You cannot serve God and money. ⁴ 

[6:19]  ¹ tn The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.

[6:24]  ² sn The contrast between hate and love here is rhetorical. The point is that one will choose the favorite if a choice has to be made.

[6:24]  ³ tn Or “and treat [the other] with contempt.”

[6:24]  ⁴ tn Grk “God and mammon.”

[6:24]  sn The term money is used to translate mammon, the Aramaic term for wealth or possessions. The point is not that money is inherently evil, but that it is often misused so that it is a means of evil; see 1 Tim 6:6-10, 17-19. God must be first, not money or possessions.