597. apothésaurizó

Lexical Summary

apothésaurizó: To store up, to lay up, to treasure up

Original Word: ἀποθησαυρίζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: apothésaurizó
Pronunciation: ah-po-thay-sow-REE-zo
Phonetic Spelling: (ap-oth-ay-sow-rid'-zo)
KJV: lay up in store
NASB: storing, treasure
Word Origin: [from G575 (ἀπό - since) and G2343 (θησαυρίζω - save)]

1. to treasure away

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

lay up in store.

From apo and thesaurizo; to treasure away -- lay up in store.

see GREEK apo

see GREEK thesaurizo

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from apo and thésaurizó
Definition
to treasure up, store away
NASB Translation
storing (1), treasure (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 597: ἀποθησαυρίζω

ἀποθησαυρίζω; to put away, lay by in store, to treasure away (seponendo thesaurum colligere, Winers De verb. comp. etc. Part iv., p. 10); to store up abundance for future use: 1 Timothy 6:19. (Sir. 3:4; Diodorus, Josephus, Epictetus, others.)

Topical Lexicon

Core Idea

The verb translated “treasuring up” in 1 Timothy 6:19 portrays the deliberate laying away of something valuable for future use. Paul uses it to redirect affluent believers from accumulating perishable wealth toward accumulating spiritual capital that endures into eternity.

Only New-Testament Occurrence

1 Timothy 6:18-19


“Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

Here the act of “treasuring up” is not performed by God but by the believers themselves. Their present generosity becomes an investment that secures “a firm foundation for the future.” The clause “so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” links present stewardship with future possession of eternal life in its fullest experience.

Theological Emphases

1. Eternal Perspective
• The verb grounds Paul’s call to generosity in eschatology: earthly resources can be converted into an imperishable foundation (cf. Matthew 6:20; Luke 12:33).
• It affirms the continuity between this life and the next. Acts done in faith now reappear as reward in the age to come (2 Corinthians 5:10).

2. Faith Expressed Through Works
• The passage does not place salvation on a meritorious footing but presumes that those already “in Christ” will demonstrate their faith by beneficence (James 2:17).
• Good works become a stored treasure, not the currency of justification but the fruit that accompanies it.

3. Stewardship and Accountability
• Wealth is pictured as a trust, not an entitlement (1 Timothy 6:17). Mismanagement squanders eternal opportunity; faithful use converts temporal assets into lasting gain (Luke 16:9-12).
• By connecting generosity with future reward, Paul supplies motivation that transcends social obligation or philanthropy.

4. Contrast with Storing Up Wrath
• Romans 2:5 uses the cognate verb without the prefix: “you are storing up wrath for yourself.” The same metaphor operates in reverse, underscoring that all people are depositing something for the final day—either wrath or reward.

Old-Testament Foundations

Wisdom literature prepares the concept:
• Proverbs 11:24-25 describes the paradox of generous giving leading to increase, while hoarding leads to want.
• Proverbs 19:17 teaches that lending to the poor is lending to the LORD, anticipating repayment. These texts echo in Paul’s instructions, showing continuity between the covenants.

Historical Setting

In the first-century Mediterranean world, surplus wealth was commonly secured in storerooms or temple treasuries. Paul adopts this cultural image yet subverts it: true security is not in vaults but in sacrificial giving. The early church’s care for the needy (Acts 4:34-35) exemplified this new economy.

Ministry Implications

• Pastors are to teach the affluent that wealth’s chief purpose is service.
• Believers assess their portfolios by kingdom yield—support for missions, relief of the poor, hospitality, and every “good work” (Titus 3:14).
• The verse guards against both ascetic disdain for possessions and materialistic misuse, offering a positive vision: possessions become tools for eternal investment.

Practical Counsel

1. Cultivate Generosity: Regular, proportionate, and joyful giving transforms worldly goods into heavenly treasure.
2. Engage in Good Works: Time, talent, and influence are as depositable as money.
3. Remember the Future: Evaluate decisions through the lens of the coming age, where Christ rewards faithfulness (Revelation 22:12).

Summary

The lone New-Testament use of this verb gathers the whole biblical doctrine of treasure into a single stroke: voluntary, present generosity “stores away” a foundation that outlasts death. Instead of depleting resources, giving deposits them beyond the reach of decay, ensuring that believers will “take hold of that which is truly life.”

Forms and Transliterations

αποθησαυριζοντας αποθησαυρίζοντας ἀποθησαυρίζοντας apothesaurizontas apothesaurízontas apothēsaurizontas apothēsaurízontas

Englishman's Concordance

1 Timothy 6:19 V-PPA-AMP
GRK: ἀποθησαυρίζοντας ἑαυτοῖς θεμέλιον
NAS: storing up for themselves the treasure
KJV: Laying up in store for themselves
INT: treasuring up for themselves a foundation

Strong's Greek 597
1 Occurrence

ἀποθησαυρίζοντας — 1 Occ.