Lexical Summary apothésaurizó: To store up, to lay up, to treasure up Original Word: ἀποθησαυρίζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lay up in store. From apo and thesaurizo; to treasure away -- lay up in store. see GREEK apo see GREEK thesaurizo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom apo and thésaurizó Definition to treasure up, store away NASB Translation storing (1), treasure (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 597: ἀποθησαυρίζωἀποθησαυρίζω; to put away, lay by in store, to treasure away (seponendo thesaurum colligere, Winers De verb. comp. etc. Part iv., p. 10); to store up abundance for future use: 1 Timothy 6:19. (Sir. 3:4; Diodorus, Josephus, Epictetus, others.) Topical Lexicon Core IdeaThe verb translated “treasuring up” in 1 Timothy 6:19 portrays the deliberate laying away of something valuable for future use. Paul uses it to redirect affluent believers from accumulating perishable wealth toward accumulating spiritual capital that endures into eternity. Only New-Testament Occurrence “Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” Here the act of “treasuring up” is not performed by God but by the believers themselves. Their present generosity becomes an investment that secures “a firm foundation for the future.” The clause “so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” links present stewardship with future possession of eternal life in its fullest experience. Theological Emphases 1. Eternal Perspective 2. Faith Expressed Through Works 3. Stewardship and Accountability 4. Contrast with Storing Up Wrath Old-Testament Foundations Wisdom literature prepares the concept: Historical Setting In the first-century Mediterranean world, surplus wealth was commonly secured in storerooms or temple treasuries. Paul adopts this cultural image yet subverts it: true security is not in vaults but in sacrificial giving. The early church’s care for the needy (Acts 4:34-35) exemplified this new economy. Ministry Implications • Pastors are to teach the affluent that wealth’s chief purpose is service. Practical Counsel 1. Cultivate Generosity: Regular, proportionate, and joyful giving transforms worldly goods into heavenly treasure. Summary The lone New-Testament use of this verb gathers the whole biblical doctrine of treasure into a single stroke: voluntary, present generosity “stores away” a foundation that outlasts death. Instead of depleting resources, giving deposits them beyond the reach of decay, ensuring that believers will “take hold of that which is truly life.” Forms and Transliterations αποθησαυριζοντας αποθησαυρίζοντας ἀποθησαυρίζοντας apothesaurizontas apothesaurízontas apothēsaurizontas apothēsaurízontasLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |