Complete Bible Study Guide

What Does the Bible Say About Avarice?

12 Scripture references with full text and commentary

Understanding Avarice in the Bible

Discover 12 Bible verses about avarice. This comprehensive collection of Scripture quotes reveals God's wisdom and guidance on avarice, with verses from across the Old and New Testaments.

12
Total Verses
9
Old Testament
3
New Testament

Top 10 Verses About Avarice

  1. 1
    Joshua 17:14
    And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto?
    KJV
  2. 2
    Joshua 17:15
    And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. giants: or, Rephaims
    KJV
  3. 3
    Joshua 17:16
    And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.
    KJV
  4. 4
    Joshua 17:17
    And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only:
    KJV
  5. 5
    Joshua 17:18
    But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong.
    KJV
  6. 6
    Ecclesiastes 4:7
    Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
    KJV
  7. 7
    Ecclesiastes 4:8
    There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
    KJV
  8. 8
    Ecclesiastes 5:10
    He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
    KJV
  9. 9
    Ecclesiastes 5:11
    When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
    KJV
  10. 10
    1 Timothy 3:2
    A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; of good: or, modest
    KJV

Subtopics of Avarice

General scriptures concerning
INSTANCES OF
The descendants of Joseph
General references
Instances of, the descendants of Joseph

Old Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Avarice? (9 Verses)

And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto?
And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. giants: or, Rephaims
And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.
And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only:
But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong.
Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

New Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Avarice? (3 Verses)

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; of good: or, modest
Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; given: or, ready to quarrel, and offer wrong, as one in wine
For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

How to Study What the Bible Says About Avarice

  1. 1

    Begin by reading through every verse listed on this page, noting which ones speak most directly to your current season of life. Write them down and revisit them throughout the week.

  2. 2

    Use a concordance or the search tools on this site to find additional passages about avarice. Look for patterns across both the Old and New Testaments to gain a complete picture of what God reveals on this subject.

  3. 3

    Study the context of each verse. Read the surrounding chapter to understand who was speaking, who the audience was, and what circumstances prompted the passage. Context prevents misapplication.

  4. 4

    Memorise at least one key verse about avarice and meditate on it daily. Scripture memory transforms thinking and equips you to apply God's Word in real-time situations.

Practical Application

Studying what the Bible says about avarice is only the beginning. Scripture is meant to be lived out in daily obedience and faith. Here are practical steps to apply these truths:

  • Identify one area of your life where the biblical teaching on avarice needs to be applied more consistently. Write a specific, actionable step you can take this week.

  • Share what you have learned about avarice with a fellow believer or in a small group setting. Teaching others solidifies your own understanding and encourages mutual growth.

  • Pray through the key verses about avarice, asking God to reveal how His Word applies to your relationships, decisions, and daily habits.

How Well Do You Know What the Bible Says About Avarice?

You have studied 12 verses about avarice. Now test your knowledge with chapter-by-chapter quizzes covering the books where these verses appear.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Bible say about avarice?
Discover 12 Bible verses about avarice. This comprehensive collection of Scripture quotes reveals God's wisdom and guidance on avarice, with verses from across the Old and New Testaments. The Bible contains 12 key verses about avarice spanning both Old and New Testaments.
How many Bible verses about avarice are there?
There are 12 key Bible verses about avarice compiled in this study guide, drawn from books across both the Old and New Testaments.
What is the best verse about avarice?
One of the most well-known and frequently cited verses about avarice is Joshua 17:14 — "And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, foras..."
Where in the Bible does it talk about avarice?
Avarice is discussed throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. You can find 12 references to this topic across multiple books including the Psalms, Proverbs, the Gospels, and the Epistles.

Continue Studying Avarice

Topics Included

This page consolidates Bible verses from 2 related topics:

avarice