Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Book ·186 of 348
"Money is the root of all evil."
They never said that.
What people say
"Money is the root of all evil."
What was actually said
"The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." Paul the Apostle — 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)
Why it stuck
KJV reads "the root of all evil"; modern translations read "a root of all kinds of evil." Both forms are scriptural — the common misquote drops the crucial first four words ("the love of").
Related to the earlier entry on "love of money"; this is the NIV alternate.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.