Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
will be rich—have more than "food and raiment." Greek, "wish to be rich"; not merely are willing, but are resolved, and earnestly desire to have riches at any cost (Proverbs 28:20, Proverbs 28:22). This wishing (not the riches themselves) is fatal to "contentment" (I Timothy 6:6). Rich men are not told to cast away their riches, but not to "trust" in them, and to "do good" with them (I Timothy 6:17-18; Psalms 62:10).
fall into temptation—not merely "are exposed to temptation," but actually "fall into" it. The falling into it is what we are to pray against, "Lead us not into temptation" (James 1:14); such a one is already in a sinful state, even before any overt act of sin. The Greek for "temptation" and "gain" contains a play on sounds—porasmus, peirasmus.
snare—a further step downwards (I Timothy 3:7). He falls into "the snare of the devil."
foolish—irrational.
hurtful—to those who fall into the snare. Compare Ephesians 4:22, "deceitful lusts" which deceive to one's deadly hurt.
lusts—With the one evil lust ("wish to be rich") many others join themselves: the one is the "root of all evils" (I Timothy 6:10).
which—Greek, "whatever (lusts)."
drown—an awful descending climax from "fall into"; this is the last step in the terrible descent (James 1:15); translated "sink," Luke 5:7.
destruction . . . perdition—destruction in general (temporal or eternal), and perdition in particular, namely, that of body and soul in hell.
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing 1 Timothy 6:9:
Proverbs 10:22
Proverbs 23:4-5
1 Timothy 3:7
1 Timothy 6:10
1 Timothy 6:11
2 Timothy 2:26
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