“Your Clothing Has Become Moth-Eaten”

This photo shows the damage that moths can do to a piece of clothing. (The photo shows a webbing clothes moth [Tineola bisselliella] and its larvae.) The Bible writer James mentions moth damage to illustrate how foolish it is to place one’s hope in riches. (Jas 5:2) In the first century C.E., wealth was often measured in terms of such things as grain, olive oil, or clothing. However, even costly garments could easily become useless because of moth larvae, or caterpillars. It is the larvae, rather than the adult moths, that feed on clothing. The larvae have a voracious appetite and could consume all types of material from which clothing was made in Bible times​—such as wool, linen, goat hair or camel’s hair, and even leather. The destructiveness of moths was mentioned by writers of the Hebrew Scriptures. (Job 13:28; Isa 51:8) In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus used the damage caused by moths to illustrate that trusting in material riches rather than storing up “treasures in heaven” is unwise.​—Mt 6:19, 20.