Mammon
In the Bible, “mammon” is a reference to money or wealth, which can become an idol to people.
What Does Mammon Mean?
Mammon probably comes from the Aramaic word mammona (or from the Hebrew mammon), which means “money”, “property”, “profit” or “wealth”. Originally the word had a neutral meaning, but in later Jewish sources its connotations are increasingly negative.
Mammon in the Bible
The word “mammon” occurs four times in the Bible, always in the words of Jesus:
- In Matthew 6:24
and Luke 16:13 Jesus seems to see mammon as an evil force that you can become a slave to, or even as a god that can be worshipped: “No servant can be the slave of two masters; such a servant will hate one and love the other or will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (The Good News Translation says “money” instead of “mammon”.) - Luke 16:9-11
speaks of false mammon. The mammon is called “false” because possessions and money are often acquired in an inappropriate way. Jesus, however, encourages his disciples to use money precisely to love others, and in so doing to serve God.
Mammon in later Christian Literature
In later Christian texts, mammon is sometimes depicted as a demon
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