The term "cankered" is often used in biblical literature to describe something that is corrupted, decayed, or morally compromised. In the context of the Bible, it is typically associated with spiritual or moral decay, reflecting a departure from God's intended path of righteousness and holiness.

In the New Testament, the word "cankered" appears in James 5:3 , where it is used metaphorically to describe the destructive nature of wealth that is hoarded unjustly: "Your gold and silver are cankered. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days." Here, "cankered" refers to the corrosion or tarnishing of precious metals, symbolizing the moral and spiritual decay that results from greed and the improper use of wealth. This passage serves as a warning against the dangers of materialism and the neglect of spiritual responsibilities.

The imagery of cankered metals is powerful, as it conveys the idea that what is valued in the material world can become a source of judgment and destruction if not used in accordance with God's will. The corrosion of gold and silver is a metaphor for the inevitable decay of earthly treasures, contrasting with the eternal value of spiritual riches.

In a broader biblical context, the concept of being "cankered" can be related to the Old Testament teachings on purity and holiness. The Israelites were often warned against practices that would lead to spiritual corruption, such as idolatry and immorality. For example, in Deuteronomy 29:18-19, the Israelites are cautioned against turning away from God to serve other gods, which would lead to a "root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit."

The idea of cankered or corrupted wealth also aligns with Jesus' teachings in the Gospels, where He emphasizes the futility of storing up treasures on earth instead of in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). The moral decay associated with cankered wealth serves as a reminder of the transient nature of earthly possessions and the importance of prioritizing spiritual growth and obedience to God.

In summary, the biblical use of "cankered" serves as a vivid illustration of the consequences of moral and spiritual decay. It underscores the importance of aligning one's life with God's principles, avoiding the pitfalls of materialism, and seeking treasures that endure beyond this earthly life.1. (imp. & p. p.) of Canker.

2. (a.) Affected with canker; as, a cankered mouth.

3. (a.) Affected mentally or morally as with canker; sore, envenomed; malignant; fretful; ill-natured.

CANKERED

kan'-kerd (James 5:3 the Revised Version (British and American), "rusted").

As in a Race Saw I the Disputers, the Children of Strife, [Trying] ...
... again. Instead of the sponge which was cankered with vinegar and wormwood,
he gave prying, the whole of which is cankered with death. ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn vii as in a.htm

Improvement
... heart? And what happens then? It begins to become weaker and smaller, and
cankered and choked with scurf and moss till it dies. If ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon xviii improvement.htm

Matt. xiii. 34, 35
... Since both garments laid by spoil, and gold is cankered, and corn is eaten up, and
the soul too of their owner is more than they all cankered and corrupted by ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xlvii matt xiii 34.htm

Buying the Truth
... and whatever else we may have to sell, yet we must never sell the truth, but hold
it fast as a treasure that will last us when gold has cankered, and silver ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 61 1915/buying the truth.htm

Buying the Truth
... and whatever else we may have to sell, yet we must never sell the truth, but hold
it fast as a treasure that will last us when gold has cankered and silver has ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/buying the truth.htm

National Sorrows and National Lessons
... all our luxury, all our frivolity, we are not cynics yet, nor likely, thanks be
to Almighty God, to become cynics; that however encrusted and cankered with the ...
/.../kingsley/all saints day and other sermons/sermon xxxiv national sorrows and.htm

James v. 1-6
... Your riches are corrupted and your garments moth-eaten: Your gold and silver is
cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat ...
/.../neander/the epistle of james practically explained/james v 6-jan.htm

The Bad Squire
... Leaping late and early, Till under their bite and their tread The swedes and
the wheat and the barley Lay cankered and trampled and dead. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/andromeda and other poems/the bad squire.htm

The Conflict Between Capital and Labor.
... Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness
against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. ...
/.../pink/the redeemers return/7 the conflict between capital.htm

Fresh Troubles
... of a slave; a Frankish Empress domineering and unscrupulous as a Semiramis; a Court
steeped in frivolity and guile; a world of officialism cankered through and ...
/.../chapter xxxviii fresh troubles.htm

Cankered (1 Occurrence)
... & pp) of Canker. 2. (a.) Affected with canker; as, a cankered mouth. ...CANKERED.
kan'-kerd (James 5:3 the Revised Version (British and American), "rusted"). ...
/c/cankered.htm - 7k

Canker (4 Occurrences)
... A gangrene or mortification which gradually spreads over the whole body (2 Timothy
2:17). In James 5:3 "cankered" means "rusted" (RV) or tarnished. ...
/c/canker.htm - 9k

Gangrene (1 Occurrence)
...Cankered in James 5:3 the King James Version means "rusted" (Greek katiotai), and
is so rendered in the Revised Version (British and American). ...
/g/gangrene.htm - 8k

Cankerworm (7 Occurrences)

/c/cankerworm.htm - 10k

Rust (7 Occurrences)
... James 5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a
witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. ...
/r/rust.htm - 11k

Amassed (4 Occurrences)
... James 5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a
testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. ...
/a/amassed.htm - 7k

Heaped (11 Occurrences)
... (WEY NIV). James 5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall
be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. ...
/h/heaped.htm - 9k

Cankered: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus