Matthew 6:19

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jesus, addressing his disciples and the surrounding crowd in the Sermon on the Mount, at the hinge between the "before men / before your Father" block (6:1–18) and the treasure contrast that follows (6:20).

The words — θησαυρίζετε (thēsaurizete) is a present imperative: "keep on storing up," marking a habitual practice rather than a single act. The noun θησαυροὺς (thēsaurous) is the same root, making the verb and its object a tight compound — the act is the treasure.

The thread — Luke 12:21 applies the same logic to the rich fool ("stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God"); Hebrews 13:5 and 1 John 2:15 press the underlying warning against the love of money and the world.

Why it lands — The command is negative and direct: stop building a storehouse in a realm that decays and is stolen from. It is not a call to poverty but a test of where one's ongoing investment of time, energy, and security is actually directed.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

ΜὴMēNot θησαυρίζετεthēsaurizetedo store up ὑμῖνhuminfor yourselves θησαυροὺςthēsauroustreasures ἐπὶepiupon τῆςtēsthe γῆς,gēsearth,ὅπουhopouwhere σὴςsēsmoth καὶkaiand βρῶσιςbrōsisrust ἀφανίζειaphanizeidestroy καὶkaiand ὅπουhopouwhere κλέπταιkleptaithieves διορύσσουσινdiorussousinbreak in καὶkaiand κλέπτουσιν·kleptousinsteal;

King James Version

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

Cross-references

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Luke 12:21 This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”
Proverbs 23:4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.
Proverbs 11:4 Riches are worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.
James 5:1 Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you.
Proverbs 16:16 How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.
1 Timothy 6:8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
1 Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.
Luke 18:22 On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”