μαμμωνᾶς (mammōnas)
mammōnas
wealth
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun māmōnas refers to wealth or material possessions, carrying a distinct Aramaic origin that emphasizes trust or confidence in resources. In the New Testament, it appears only four times, all within the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, where Jesus uses the term to describe a powerful rival to God.
Unlike neutral words for money, māmōnas is personified as a master. Jesus contrasts serving this "mammon" with serving God, highlighting that material wealth demands an allegiance that competes with divine devotion. This usage suggests that riches are not merely objects but possess a spiritual influence that can shape one’s ultimate loyalty.
Translators often render it as "wealth" or "money," yet the term retains its force as a personified entity. The sources note its appearance in teachings about storing up treasures and serving two masters, underscoring the tension between earthly security and spiritual faithfulness without resolving the practical management of resources.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mammon appears only four times in the New Testament, yet it carries a heavy weight. It is not just a neutral term for money or wealth; it describes a rival master that demands your loyalty. Jesus uses this personified figure to show that material resources can become an idol if we trust them more than God.
This teaching challenges us to examine where our true security lies. When we hold onto possessions tightly, they begin to rule our hearts. The call is not necessarily to give away everything, but to refuse letting wealth dictate our choices or define our worth. We are invited to serve God alone, using resources as tools for good rather than objects of worship.
Living with this awareness brings a quiet freedom. You can manage money without being managed by it. By keeping your heart fixed on divine faithfulness, you find that earthly treasures lose their power to control you. This shift in loyalty allows you to live generously and peacefully, knowing your ultimate provider is God.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- wealth2×
- money.2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- μαμωνᾷ.¶2×
- μαμωνᾷ1×
- μαμωνᾶ1×
Key Verses
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Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.
This verse establishes the core conflict by personifying mammon as a master that competes directly with God for human allegiance.
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Luke 16:9
I tell you, make for yourselves friends by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents.
Here Jesus uses the term ironically to suggest using temporary, unreliable wealth to build eternal relationships rather than hoarding it.
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Luke 16:11
If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
The phrase 'unrighteous mammon' highlights the corrupting influence of wealth and tests whether believers can be trusted with spiritual truths.