Sordid
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Aischrokerdēs describes someone greedy for shameful gain or eager for profit obtained in a dishonorable way. The Pastoral Epistles exclude this trait from deacons and overseers, and Peter contrasts it with the willing eagerness proper to shepherds.
Reader summary
Full entry for αἰσχροκερδής (G146) · Open the biblical lexicon
Aischrokerdēs describes someone greedy for shameful gain or eager for profit obtained in a dishonorable way. The Pastoral Epistles exclude this trait from deacons and overseers, and Peter contrasts it with the willing eagerness proper to shepherds.
The BSB source-word alignment has 2 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include greedy for money (2).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 1 Timothy 3:8. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Timothy (1), Titus (1).
Aischrokerdēs describes someone greedy for shameful gain or eager for profit obtained in a dishonorable way. The Pastoral Epistles exclude this trait from deacons and overseers, and Peter contrasts it with the willing eagerness proper to shepherds. The concern is broader than possessing money or receiving support for ministry. It reaches the motive, means, and moral cost of gain: using entrusted office, vulnerable people, spiritual influence, secrecy, or pressure for personal advantage.
Because church leaders manage what belongs to God, financial character is a theological qualification rather than a private administrative detail. Faithful stewardship welcomes transparent accounts, shared controls, honest compensation, and correction while refusing both exploitation and unsupported accusation.
Aischrokerdēs names appetite for disgraceful gain. Its leadership settings expose the contradiction between shepherding God's people and converting entrusted ministry into personal advantage.
Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued or given to much wine or greedy for money.
First Timothy 3:8 requires deacons to be dignified, truthful, sober, and not greedy for shameful gain. Financial integrity belongs to a connected public character.
As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach—not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money.
Titus 1:7 forbids shameful greed because an overseer is God's steward. What the leader handles belongs to another and must serve that Owner's purposes.
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed, but out of eagerness;
First Peter 5:2 uses the same adjective adverbially in the contrast between shepherding for shameful gain and serving eagerly. The flock must not become a revenue opportunity.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Shameful greed; pursuing dishonest financial gain motivated by disreputable desire for profit.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
3 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
greedy
Read versegreedy
Read versegreedy
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 2 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
αἰσχροκερδής is built from this root:
Aischrokerdēs reveals that financial qualification concerns more than a leader's bank balance. Deacons and overseers handle trust, and shepherds exercise influence over people who may feel spiritual pressure to give, buy, volunteer, or remain silent. Shameful gain appears when ministry becomes leverage for undisclosed benefit, when access is sold, when fear or promises manipulate generosity, or when leaders evade ordinary controls.
Yet Scripture permits honorable support for gospel workers, so poverty is not the qualification and accusation is not proof. Churches should establish plural oversight, clear compensation, conflict disclosures, independent review, and truthful reporting before a scandal. The aim is not merely clean accounting but shepherds eager for the flock's good under God's ownership.
Titus.1.7
Aischrokerdēs combines language of shame or disgrace with gain. It identifies a person disposed toward profit whose source, method, or moral price makes it dishonorable.
Prophets condemn shepherds who feed themselves, judges who take bribes, and merchants who falsify measures. Faithful servants handle offerings openly and refuse gifts that would bend judgment.