Miserliness

A reluctance to part with money, often associated with the hoarding of money or possessions. While Scripture censures the squandering of resources, it also regards the hoarding of money or possessions as potentially idolatrous.

Miserliness as a form of idolatry

Proverbs 18:11; Matthew 6:24 See also Deuteronomy 15:9; Proverbs 11:26; Hosea 12:8; Matthew 6:19–21; Ephesians 5:3–5; Colossians 3:5; 1 Timothy 6:17

A rich man’s wealth is his fortified city; it is like a high wall in his imagination.

No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

The foolishness of miserliness

Ecclesiastes 2:26; 1 Timothy 6:7 See also Psalm 39:6, Psalm 39:11, Psalm 49:10; Proverbs 22:16, Proverbs 23:6, Proverbs 28:8, Proverbs 28:22; Ecclesiastes 4:7–8, Ecclesiastes 5:10–11, Ecclesiastes 5:15; Luke 12:15–21

To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it.

Miserliness leads to misery

Proverbs 11:24; 1 Timothy 6:9–10 See also Proverbs 11:16; Ecclesiastes 5:12–14; James 5:1–6

One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor.

Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Some examples of miserliness

1 Samuel 25:3; Amos 3:10; Luke 16:19–31; Acts 5:1–2