Chapter
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Verse

Hebrews 13:5

ESV Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
NIV Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
NASB Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER ABANDON YOU,'
CSB Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.
NLT Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, 'I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.'
KJV Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
NKJV Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

What does Hebrews 13:5 mean?

This chapter lists particular points on which the writer wants to encourage proper Christian behavior. These have included brotherly love (Hebrews 13:1), hospitality (Hebrews 13:2), support for the abused and imprisoned (Hebrews 13:3), and an emphasis on sexual morality (Hebrews 13:4). Other places in the New Testament echo the importance of avoiding sexual sin, given its allure and power (Romans 1:24–27). The consequences of immorality, often, are simply the natural consequences of those risky behaviors.

Here, the writer mentions another common theme of biblical morality: the danger of greed. The phrase "money is the root of all evil" is not actually biblical, since wealth can be properly used and enjoyed without sin (Romans 14:14). What the Bible does say, in 1 Timothy 6:10, is that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils." That verse notes that unhealthy desire for wealth has led to the ruin of many lives.

Unhealthy obsession with money is closely related to discontent. This is something the Bible implies using words such as "covet" (Exodus 20:17; James 4:2) and "jealousy" (James 3:16). Rather than being unhappy over what we do not have, Christians ought to be thankful for what we do have and hopeful for what we will one day obtain (Hebrews 11:14–16).

A foundation of this trusting, content, forward-looking perspective is the believer's relationship with Christ (Hebrews 12:2). The phrasing here might be a reference to God's promise to Joshua (Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:5). The following verse will amplify this trust by quoting specific Psalms which proclaim the security we have in God.
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