Etymology
Mammon derives from Late Latin 'mammon', from Greek 'μαμμωνάς', Syriac 'mámóna' (riches), Aramaic 'mamon' (riches, money), a loan word from Mishnaic Hebrew 'ממון (mmôn) meaning money, wealth or possessions; although it may also have meant 'that in which one trusts'. (Scholars are divided about the etymology.)
The Greek word for "Mammon", μαμμωνάς, occurs in the Sermon on the Mount (during the discourse on ostentation) and in the parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:9-13). The Authorised Version keeps the Syriac word. John Wycliffe uses "richessis".
Christians began to use the name of Mammon as a pejorative, a term that was used to describe gluttony and unjust worldly gain in Biblical literature. It was personified as a false god in the New Testament.{Mt.6.24; Lk.16.13} The term is often used to refer to excessive materialism or greed as a negative influence.
The Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the Bible explains "mammon is a Semetic word for money or riches." The International Children's Bible (ICB) uses the wording, "You cannot serve God and money at the same time."
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