1 Timothy 6:7
in 1 Timothy 6For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
for we brought nothing into the world, for neither can we carry anything out;
KJV
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
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This verse in 1 Timothy 6
Commentary
19 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For we brought nothing into this world ... - A sentiment very similar to this occurs in Job 1:21 - and it would seem probable that the apostle had that passage in his eye; see the notes on that passage. Numerous expressions of this kind occur in the classic writers; see Wetstein, in loc., and Pricaeus, in loc. in the Critici Sacri. Of the truth of what is here said, there can be nothing more obvious. It is apparent to all.
This site's exposition
godliness with contentment
on 1 Timothy 6:6-8
The counterfeit is answered by inversion: godliness with contentment is great gain, autarkeia, the sufficiency Paul claimed at Philippians 4:11. The arithmetic is Job's: we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it. The floor is food and clothing.
This site's exposition
we brought nothing into the world
Barnes hears Job 1:21 behind the verse, naked I came and naked I will return. Matthew Henry draws the lesson for contentment. Since we came with nothing, all we have since is a gift of providence, and nothing is owed to us.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
A commentator
Desert FathersThe Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks · Written before 500.
proposed
When Macarius was living in Egypt, one day he came across a man who had brought a donkey to his cell and was stealing his possessions. As though he was a passer-by who did not live there, he went up to the thief and helped …
For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. For we brought nothing into the world. If we have brought nothing in, and we can …
But the world retains its hold on us. On all sides its charms decoy us. We like lots of money, we like splendid honors, we like power to overawe others. We like all these things, but let's listen to the apostle, "We brought nothing into this world, neither can we take anything out." Honor should be looking for you, not you for it. You, after all, should sit down in the humbler place, so he that invited you may make you go up to a more honored place. But if he doesn't wish to, eat where you are sitting, because you brought nothing into this world.
We neither take nor snatch anything away with us. What if we could take something—wouldn't we be devouring people alive? What is this monstrously avid appetite, when even huge beasts know their limits? The time they pounce on something, you see, is when they are hungry; but when they feel satisfied, they spare their prey. It is only the avarice and greed of the rich that is forever insatiable.
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 9 -- Second Discourse on Poverty · Written before 523.
proposed
Adam was thus created, and Eve was thus formed, and they were not only destitute of the riches of the world, but also of the clothing and raiment of the world, and they were like unto the child who goeth forth naked from the womb …
11 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers3 voices
"But the love of money is the root of all evils." Knowing, therefore, that "as we brought nothing into the world, so we can carry nothing out," let us arm ourselves with the armour of righteousness; and let us teach, first of all, ourselves to walk in the commandments of the Lord. Next, [teach] your wives [to walk] in the faith given to them, and in love and purity tenderly loving their own husbands in all truth, and loving all [others] equally in all chastity; and to train up their children in the knowledge and fear of God. Teach the widows to be discreet as respects the faith of the Lord, praying continually for all, being far from all slandering, evil-speaking, false-witnessing, love of money, and every kind of evil; knowing that they are the altar of God, that He clearly perceives all things, and that nothing is hid from Him, neither reasonings, nor reflections, nor any one of the secret things of the heart.
For there is no one free, save only one who lives for Christ. He stands superior to all troubles. And if he does not choose to injure himself, no one else will be able to do this, for he is impregnable. He is not stung by the loss of wealth, for he has learned that we "brought nothing into this world, neither can we carry anything out." He is not caught by the longings of ambition or glory, for he has learned that our citizenship is in heaven. No one annoys him by abuse or provokes him by blows. There is only one calamity for a Christian: disobedience to God. All the other things, such as loss of property, exile, peril of life, one does not even reckon to be a grievance at all. And that which all dread, departure hence to the other world—this is to him sweeter than life itself.
"For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." For that worldly gain is nothing, is manifest, because it is left behind, and does not attend us, or go along with us at our departure. Whence is this plain? Because we had nothing when we came into this world, therefore we shall have nothing when we depart from it. For nature came naked into the world, and naked she will go out of it. Therefore we want no superfluities; if we brought nothing with us, and shall take nothing away with us.
The Medieval Church2 voices
The Apostle shows that the gain which those people seek has no significance whatsoever. For it remains here and does not accompany us there. Therefore, what need have we of surplus, if we shall carry nothing with us there?
Then when he says, for we brought nothing into this world, he gives the reason for his statement: first, from man's condition; second, from his needs, at having food. Man's conditions he describes from man's beginnings, because we brought nothing into this world. As if …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Some account Christianity an advantageous profession for this world. In the sense they mean this is false; yet it is undoubtedly true that, though Christianity is the worst trade, it is the best calling in the world.
This is a reason why we should be content with a little. [1.] Because we can challenge nothing as a debt that is due to us, for we came naked into the world. Whatever we have had since, we are obliged to the providence of God for it; but he that gave may take what and when he pleases.
For we brought nothing into this world,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
For--confirming the reasonableness of "contentment." and it is certain--Vulgate and other old versions support this reading. The oldest manuscripts, however, omit "and it is certain"; then the translation will be, "We brought nothing into the world (to teach us to remember) that neither can we carry anything out" (Job 1:21;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
We brought nothing into this world - There are some sayings in Seneca which are almost verbatim with this of St. Paul: Nemo nascitur dives; quisquis exit in lucem jussus est lacte et panno esse contentus; Epist. xx, “No man is born rich; every one that comes into the world is commanded to be content with food and raiment.” Excutit natura redeuntem, sicut intrantem; non licet plus auferre, quam intuleris; Epist., cap. ii. “Nature, in returning, shakes off all incumbrances as in entering; thou canst not carry back more than thou broughtest in.” Seneca and St. Paul were contemporary; but all the Greek and Latin poets, and especially the stoic philosophers, are full of such sentiments. It is a self-evident truth; relative to it there can be no controversy.
Modern Voices1 voice
But I wish to urge the case for cubic content; in which (even more than in moral content) I take a personal interest. Now, moral content has been undervalued and neglected because of its separation from the other meaning. It has become a negative rather …
The words behind it
11 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οὐδὲν | ouden | No [thing] | G3762 → | 232 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| εἰσηνέγκαμεν | eisenegkamen | we brought | G1533 → | |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κόσμον, | kosmon | world, | G2889 → | 185 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | because | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| οὐδὲ | oude | neither | G3761 → | 141 times |
| ἐξενεγκεῖν | exenegkein | to carry out | G1627 → | |
| τι | ti | anything | G5100 → | 528 times |
| δυνάμεθα· | dunametha | are we able; | G1410 → | 207 times |
οὐδὲνNo [thing]
oudenG3762 →232 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
εἰσηνέγκαμενwe brought
eisenegkamenG1533 →
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
κόσμον,world,
kosmonG2889 →185 times
ὅτιbecause
hotiG3754 →1292 times
οὐδὲneither
oudeG3761 →141 times
ἐξενεγκεῖνto carry out
exenegkeinG1627 →
τιanything
tiG5100 →528 times
δυνάμεθα·are we able;
dunamethaG1410 →207 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Job 1:21saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 5:15
As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived. He takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
- James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
- Job 2:10
“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
- Psalms 49:17
For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.
- Ecclesiastes 5:15
Through
Proverbs 27:24for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to every generation.
it leads to
- Proverbs 23:5
When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.
- 1 Timothy 6:17–18
Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us…
- Proverbs 23:5
Through
Psalms 49:17For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.
it leads to
- Job 27:19
He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone.
- Job 27:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies9
About 1 Timothy
This page draws on 17 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, SERMONS 39.2; Augustine of Hippo, SERMONS 367.1; Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks; GK Chesterton, A Miscellany of Men: The Contented Man; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, LETTERS to the Fallen Theodore 2.5; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Timothy 17; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, COMMENTARY ON 1 TIMOTHY; Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 9 -- Second Discourse on Poverty; Polycarp of Smyrna, Epistle to the Philippians 4; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Timothy and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Timothy.