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Selected Verse: Matthew 6:24 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Mt 6:24 |
Strong Concordance |
No man [3762] can [1410] serve [1398] two [1417] masters [2962]: for [1063] either [2228] he will hate [3404] the one [1520], and [2532] love [25] the other [2087]; or else [2228] he will hold [472] to the one [1520], and [2532] despise [2706] the other [2087]. Ye cannot [3756] [1410] serve [1398] God [2316] and [2532] mammon [3126]. |
|
King James |
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
No man can serve--The word means to "belong wholly and be entirely under command to."
two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other--Even if the two masters be of one character and have but one object, the servant must take law from one or the other: though he may do what is agreeable to both, he cannot, in the nature of the thing, be servant to more than one. Much less if, as in the present case, their interests are quite different, and even conflicting. In this case, if our affections be in the service of the one--if we "love the one"--we must of necessity "hate the other"; if we determine resolutely to "hold to the one," we must at the same time disregard, and (if he insist on his claims upon us) even "despise the other."
Ye cannot serve God and mammon--The word "mamon"--better written with one m--is a foreign one, whose precise derivation cannot certainly be determined, though the most probable one gives it the sense of "what one trusts in." Here, there can be no doubt it is used for riches, considered as an idol master, or god of the heart. The service of this god and the true God together is here, with a kind of indignant curtness, pronounced impossible. But since the teaching of the preceding verses might seem to endanger our falling short of what is requisite for the present life, and so being left destitute, our Lord now comes to speak to that point. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
No man can serve two masters ... - Christ proceeds to illustrate the necessity of laying up treasures in heaven from a well-known fact, that a servant cannot serve two masters at the same time. His affections and obedience would be divided, and he would fail altogether in his duty to one or the other. One he would love, the other he would hate. To the interests of the one he would adhere, the interests of the other he would neglect. This is a law of human nature. The supreme affections can be fixed on only one object. So, says Jesus, the servant of God cannot at the same time obey him. and be avaricious, or seek treasures supremely on earth. One interferes with the other, and one or the other will be, and must be, surrendered.
Mammon - Mammon is a Syriac word, a name given to an idol worshipped as the god of riches. It has the same meaning as Plutus among the Greeks. It is not known that the Jews ever formally worshipped this idol, but they used the word to denote wealth. The meaning is, ye cannot serve the true God, and at the same time be supremely engaged in obtaining the riches of this world. One must interfere with the other. See Luk 16:9-11. |
Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
The other (ἕτερον)
Implying distinction in quality rather than numerical distinction (ἄλλος). For example, "whoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other (τὴν ἄλλην); i.e., the other one of the two (Mat 5:39). At Pentecost, the disciples began to speak with other (ἑτέραις) tongues; i.e., different from their native tongues. Here the word gives the idea of two masters of distinct or opposite character and interests, like God and Mammon.
Hold to (ἀνθέξεται)
The preposition ἀντί, against, indicates holding to the one master as against the other. He who is for God must be against Mammon. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
Mammon - Riches, money; any thing loved or sought, without reference to God. Luk 16:13. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
No man can serve two masters - The master of our heart may be fitly termed the love that reigns in it. We serve that only which we love supremely. A man cannot be in perfect indifference betwixt two objects which are incompatible: he is inclined to despise and hate whatever he does not love supremely, when the necessity of a choice presents itself.
He will hate the one and love the other - The word hate has the same sense here as it has in many places of Scripture; it merely signifies to love less - so Jacob loved Rachel, but hated Leah; i.e. he loved Leah much less than he loved Rachel. God himself uses it precisely in the same sense: Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated; i.e. I have loved the posterity of Esau less than I have loved the posterity of Jacob: which means no more than that God, in the course of his providence, gave to the Jews greater earthly privileges than he gave to the Edomites, and chose to make them the progenitors of the Messiah, though they ultimately, through their own obstinacy, derived no more benefit from this privilege than the Edomites did. How strange is it, that with such evidence before their eyes, men will apply this loving and hating to degrees of inclusion and exclusion, in which neither the justice nor mercy of God are honored!
Ye cannot serve God and mammon - ממון mamon is used for money in the Targum of Onkelos, Exo 18:21; and in that of Jonathan, Jdg 5:19; Sa1 8:3. The Syriac word ממונא mamona is used in the same sense, Exo 21:30. Dr. Castel deduces these words from the Hebrew אמן aman, to trust, confide; because men are apt to trust in riches. Mammon may therefore be considered any thing a man confides in. Augustine observes, "that mammon, in the Punic or Carthaginian language, signified gain." Lucrum Punic mammon dicitur. The word plainly denotes riches, Luk 16:9, Luk 16:11, in which latter verse mention is made not only of the deceitful mammon, (τω αδικω), but also of the true (το αληθινον). St. Luke's phrase, μαμωνα αδικιας, very exactly answers to the Chaldee ממון דשקר mamon dishekar, which is often used in the Targums. See more in Wetstein and Parkhurst.
Some suppose there was an idol of this name, and Kircher mentions such a one in his Oedip. Egyptiacus. See Castel.
Our blessed Lord shows here the utter impossibility of loving the world and loving God at the same time; or, in other words, that a man of the world cannot be a truly religious character. He who gives his heart to the world robs God of it, and, in snatching at the shadow of earthly good, loses substantial and eternal blessedness. How dangerous is it to set our hearts upon riches, seeing it is so easy to make them our God! |
9 And I [2504] say [3004] unto you [5213], Make [4160] to yourselves [1438] friends [5384] of [1537] the mammon [3126] of unrighteousness [93]; that [2443], when [3752] ye fail [1587], they may receive [1209] you [5209] into [1519] everlasting [166] habitations [4633].
10 He that is faithful [4103] in [1722] that which is least [1646] is [2076] faithful [4103] also [2532] in [1722] much [4183]: and [2532] he that is unjust [94] in [1722] the least [1646] is [2076] unjust [94] also [2532] in [1722] much [4183].
11 If [1487] therefore [3767] ye have [1096] not [3756] been [1096] faithful [4103] in [1722] the unrighteous [94] mammon [3126], who [5101] will commit [4100] to your [5213] trust [4100] the true [228] riches?
39 But [1161] I [1473] say [3004] unto you [5213], That ye resist [436] not [3361] evil [4190]: but [235] whosoever [3748] shall smite [4474] thee [4571] on [1909] thy [4675] right [1188] cheek [4600], turn [4762] to him [846] the other [243] also [2532].
13 No [3762] servant [3610] can [1410] serve [1398] two [1417] masters [2962]: for [1063] either [2228] he will hate [3404] the one [1520], and [2532] love [25] the other [2087]; or else [2228] he will hold [472] to the one [1520], and [2532] despise [2706] the other [2087]. Ye cannot [3756] [1410] serve [1398] God [2316] and [2532] mammon [3126].
11 If [1487] therefore [3767] ye have [1096] not [3756] been [1096] faithful [4103] in [1722] the unrighteous [94] mammon [3126], who [5101] will commit [4100] to your [5213] trust [4100] the true [228] riches?
9 And I [2504] say [3004] unto you [5213], Make [4160] to yourselves [1438] friends [5384] of [1537] the mammon [3126] of unrighteousness [93]; that [2443], when [3752] ye fail [1587], they may receive [1209] you [5209] into [1519] everlasting [166] habitations [4633].
30 If there be laid [07896] on him a sum of money [03724], then he shall give [05414] for the ransom [06306] of his life [05315] whatsoever is laid [07896] upon him.
3 And his sons [01121] walked [01980] not in his ways [01870], but turned aside [05186] after [0310] lucre [01215], and took [03947] bribes [07810], and perverted [05186] judgment [04941].
19 The kings [04428] came [0935] and fought [03898], then fought [03898] the kings [04428] of Canaan [03667] in Taanach [08590] by the waters [04325] of Megiddo [04023]; they took [03947] no gain [01215] of money [03701].
21 Moreover thou shalt provide [02372] out of all the people [05971] able [02428] men [0582], such as fear [03373] God [0430], men [0582] of truth [0571], hating [08130] covetousness [01215]; and place [07760] such over them, to be rulers [08269] of thousands [0505], and rulers [08269] of hundreds [03967], rulers [08269] of fifties [02572], and rulers [08269] of tens [06235]: