5. Covetousness. Love of Money

Both πλευνεξία and φιλαργυρία -ρος refer to covetousness, but there appears to be a marked distinction between them. πλεονεξία (from πλέον, and ἔχω ‘to have more') is not confined to money, and is often connected with open wickedness, the force of the word being ‘desiring more (than is necessary),' and hence ‘an over-reaching to get,' and is thus applied to the lusts of the flesh, Rom. 1:2929Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, (Romans 1:29); Eph. 4:1919Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. (Ephesians 4:19), where it is translated ‘greediness'; v. 3; &c. It is declared to be idolatry, Col. 3:55Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:5).
On the other hand, φιλαργυρία (from φίλος and ἄργυρος) literally ‘love of money,' is the miser's sin, and may be indulged in with a profession of religion. Thus in Luke 16:1414And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. (Luke 16:14) it is applied to the Pharisees, and in 2 Tim. 3:22For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (2 Timothy 3:2) to those who had a form of godliness, but denied the power thereof. This love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, 1 Tim. 6:1010For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:10), and those who go after it are liable to wander away from the faith, and to pierce themselves through with many sorrows.