"to collect and lay up stores or wealth, treasure, Mt. 6:19, 20; Lk. 12:21; 2 Cor. 12:14; Jas. 5:3; to heap up, accumulate, Rom. 2:5; 1 Cor. 16:2; to reserve, keep in store, 2 Pet. 3:7"
Definition and meaning
to collect and lay up stores or wealth, treasure, Mt. 6:19, 20; Lk. 12:21; 2 Cor. 12:14; Jas. 5:3; to heap up, accumulate, Rom. 2:5; 1 Cor. 16:2; to reserve, keep in store, 2 Pet. 3:7
In the original Greek the word is written: θησαυρίζω
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of thesaurizo (G2343) across the King James Bible.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.
Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
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Common questions
Strong's G2343 (thesaurizo) is a Greek word that means: to collect and lay up stores or wealth, treasure, Mt. 6:19, 20; Lk. 12:21; 2 Cor. 12:14; Jas. 5:3; to heap up, accumulate, Rom. 2:5; 1 Cor. 16:2; to reserve, keep in store, 2 Pet. 3:7 It appears 8 times in the King James Bible.
The word thesaurizo (G2343) appears 8 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2343 is thesaurizo, a Greek word defined as: to collect and lay up stores or wealth, treasure, Mt. 6:19, 20; Lk. 12:21; 2 Cor. 12:14; Jas. 5:3; to heap up, accumulate, Rom. 2:5; 1 Cor. 16:2; to r. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
thesaurizo is a Greek word found in the New Testament.