Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

1 Timothy 6:9

παγίδα. D2G and the Old Latin Vss add τοῦ διαβόλου from 1 Timothy 3:7. Cp. 2 Timothy 2:26.

9. οἱ δὲ βουλόμενοι πλουτεῖν κ.τ.λ. But, on the other hand, they who desire (who are minded, a more definite word than θέλοντες) to be rich &c. It is not the mere possession of wealth, but the desire to be rich, the grasping after riches as the supposed end of life, whose ill results are now described.

ἐμπίπτουσιν εἰς πειρασμὸν κ.τ.λ., fall into a temptation and a snare. Again we have a close parallel in the words of Seneca: “Dum divitias consequi volumus in mala multa incidimus” (Ep. 87).

καἰ ἐπιθυμίας πολλὰς κ.τ.λ., and many foolish and hurtful lusts. βλαβερός is only found again in the Greek Bible at Proverbs 10:26.

αἵτινες, which indeed, cp. 1 Timothy 3:15.

βυθίζουσιν τοὺς�, drown men, sc. mankind in general, as the article τοὺς indicates. βυθίζειν only occurs again in Greek Bible at 2Ma 12:4 and Luke 5:7.

εἰς ὄλεθρον καὶ�, in destruction and perdition. The two words are not to be very sharply distinguished. ἀπώλεια = utter loss is the regular word for the soul’s perdition, e.g. Philippians 1:28; Philippians 3:19; but ὄλεθρος is also used in this sense, e.g. 1 Thessalonians 5:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:9, though also for “the destruction of the flesh” only (1 Corinthians 5:5).

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

1 Timothy 6:9

Old Testament

New Testament