ProverbWisdomBiblical origin

Money is the root of all evil

Meaning: Excessive pursuit of wealth corrupts moral judgment and leads to harmful actions.

Origin: A misquotation of the Bible. 1 Timothy 6:10 says "the love of money is the root of all evil" — the fault lies in the craving, not in money itself. The shortened version drops the qualifier and turns a warning about greed into a condemnation of wealth.

Explore another collection: Idioms

Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.

Browse all idioms →

Keep exploring

Explore all proverbs →