Mammon/Money - What's the difference?

Post by **_AARONDISNEY** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 9:16 pm

Matt 6:24
24 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.
(KJV)

Matt 6:24
24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
(NIV)

The KJV and a couple of versions translate this word into "Mammon"
The NIV translates it into "Money"
Yet another translates it as "Wealth"

Is there a reason a couple of versions keep the odd word "Mammon" and do not designate it to be referring to any sort of monetary thing? Or would it have been just as reliable to translate it as "money" such as the NIV does?
Is there a real distinction between money and mammon?