Proverbs 24:1
in Proverbs 24Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Be not thou envious against evil men; Neither desire to be with them:
KJV
Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
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This verse in Proverbs 24
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
A lesson given before, now combined with another. True followers after wisdom will admit neither envy of evil on the one hand, nor admiration or fellowship with it on the other.
This site's exposition
Be not thou envious against evil men
on Proverbs 24:1-2
Be not thou envious against evil men repeats a warning the collection returns to more than once, and this pairing gives the reason: their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. Gill reads the envy warned against as wishing for their apparent ease or success rather than approving their acts, a temptation the plain man feels precisely because the wicked often look comfortable. The proverb answers desire with diagnosis, showing what actually occupies the heart the reader might otherwise envy.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Do not emulate evil men, etc. Do not desire to imitate those whom you see entangled in the vices I have mentioned, but rather strive to devote yourself to wisdom.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Be not thou envious against evil men,.... Or, "men of evil" (b).
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תְּ֭קַנֵּא | tekane' | you be jealous | H7065 → | 34 times |
| בְּאַנְשֵׁ֣י | beanshei | of people of | H582 → | 566 times |
| רָעָ֑ה | raah | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| וְאַל־ | veal- | and may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו | titav | you desire | H183 → | 26 times |
| לִהְי֥וֹת | lihyot | to be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אִתָּֽם׃ | ʾitam | with them | H854 → | 929 times |
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תְּ֭קַנֵּאyou be jealous
tekane'H7065 →34 times
בְּאַנְשֵׁ֣יof people of
beansheiH582 →566 times
רָעָ֑הevil
raahH7451 →662 times
וְאַל־and may not
veal-H408 →724 times
תִּ֝תְאָ֗יוyou desire
titavH183 →26 times
לִהְי֥וֹתto be
lihyotH1961 →3559 times
אִתָּֽם׃with them
ʾitamH854 →929 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 37:1Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong.
it leads to
- Proverbs 23:17
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 37:7
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes.
- Proverbs 24:19
Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.
- Proverbs 23:17
Through
Psalms 37:7Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes.
it leads to
- Psalms 27:14
Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!
- James 5:7–11
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.
- Psalms 62:5
Rest in God alone, O my soul, for my hope comes from Him.
- Hebrews 10:36–37
You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.
- Lamentations 3:25–26
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
- Psalms 27:14
About Proverbs
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Proverbs; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.