Greek word · G597
ἀποθησαυρίζω
apothēsaurizō
to store up
To lay away as a treasure, store up a reserve, save. It comes from thēsauros ('treasury, storehouse'). The prefix apo- ('away') adds the idea of putting something aside for later rather than spending it.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament.
What it means
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
From the study of 1 Timothy 6:19
- Range of meaning
To lay away as a treasure, store up a reserve, save. It comes from thēsauros ('treasury, storehouse'). The prefix apo- ('away') adds the idea of putting something aside for later rather than spending it.
- Against the English
KJV/WEB 'laying up in store' and BSB/YLT 'treasuring up' are both accurate. In English 'treasure' can mean 'value emotionally', but the Greek is financial: building savings.
- Used elsewhere in the period
It appears once in the New Testament. In the Greek Old Testament, Sirach 3:4 says the one who honours his mother is 'like one who lays up treasure' (hōs ho apothēsaurizōn). The closely related thēsaurizō is used in the Jewish almsgiving tradition: Tobit 4:9 says giving to the poor means 'you store up a good treasure for yourself against the day of need', and Sirach 29:11–12 tells the reader to 'lay up your treasure' and 'store up almsgiving'. Jesus uses the same language in Matthew 6:19–21 and Luke 12:21, 33.
Similar words
Where it appears
1 Timothy · 1
-
1 Timothy 6:19 ἀποθησαυρίζοντας treasuring up
treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Here: 'Putting away as a treasure reserve.' The present tense describes something they keep doing. It is not a separate command. It names what happens as the rich do good and share (v.18): their giving becomes savings. This is the only place the word appears in the New Testament.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.