What does 'no man can serve two masters' mean in the Bible?

Last updated Jul 15, 2026

Published by Bible Direct Answers · Licensed under Citation License 1.0

The saying "no man can serve two masters" is from Matthew 6:24, spoken by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

The verse itself supplies the sense: a servant cannot hold to two masters at once, so a person cannot serve both God and mammon (see What is mammon in the Bible?). Full chapter: Matthew 6.

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