Do not envy a violent person, And do not choose any of his ways.
Parallel translations
- WEB Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
- KJV Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
- BSB Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways;
- NKJV Do not envy the oppressor, And choose none of his ways;
- NLT Don’t envy violent people or copy their ways.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Do not envy the violent man or choose any of his ways. The success of the ruthless is not to be desired or imitated.
Overview
It is tempting to envy those who get ahead through violence and oppression, but the wise reject both the envy and the path. Their apparent gain is fleeting and abhorrent to God (as the next verses make clear). Scripture repeatedly cautions against envying the wicked, whose end is ruin (Ps 37:1; 73:17-20).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Prov 24:1Don’t be envious of evil men; neither desire to be with them:
- Ps 37:1By David. Don’t fret because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness.
- Gal 5:21envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.
- Eccl 5:8If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter: for one official is eyed by a higher one; and there are officials over them.
- Prov 23:17Don’t let your heart envy sinners; but rather fear Yahweh all day long.
- Prov 12:12The wicked desires the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous flourishes.
- Prov 24:19–20Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers; neither be envious of the wicked:
- Ps 37:7–9Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him. Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.
- Prov 1:15–18My son, don’t walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,
- Prov 2:12–15to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things;
- Ps 73:3For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
- Prov 22:22–25Don’t exploit the poor, because he is poor; and don’t crush the needy in court;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 3:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.