Envy

Envy is resentment of the goods of another, plus the desire to despoil him or her of the goods (and typically, but not necessarily, to have them for oneself: on 9/11 terrorists did not want to occupy the twin towers; they wanted to destroy them).

In Scripture

Cain and Abel Genesis 4:1-8 starts the history of envy. God favors Abel’s offering over Cain’s, provoking Cain to anger and then to fratricide. The incident is the first in a biblical pattern in which God surprisingly prefers one person over another—typically the younger over the older—and then has to deal with the loser’s envy. Think Jacob and Esau, Leah and Rachel, Isaac and Ishmael, Joseph and his brothers.

Saul and David 1 Samuel 16-31 gives us the incomparable Saul and David stories. David is a teenager with beautiful eyes who became a giant-killer in his dual with Goliath and therefore a rival to his own sovereign, the stormy King Saul. Saul had been Israel’s undisputed war hero. But now this talented rookie is making the crowds roar and the women sing: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands.’ Saul was very angry; for this saying displeased him” (1 Sam. 18:7, 8). In fact, the refrain makes Saul want to kill David.

Resentment of another’s ministry Numbers 11:26-28 describes Joshua’s resentment of Eldad and Medad’s prophecy. The two of them hadn’t gone to the tent of meeting where the Spirit had inspired the seventy elders to prophesy. They had stayed home from church that day but started prophesying anyhow, and Joshua didn’t appreciate it one little bit. See also Mark 9:38: “John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us;”” [i.e. “we’re the authorized exorcists, as you can see from our T-shirts”].

Moses and Aaron In Numbers 16, the story of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (with echoes in Psalm 106:16) tells of God’s judgment on those Israelites who envied the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

Envy poisons Several Old Testament texts warn that envy poisons the envier, e.g., Job 5:2 (“Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple”, NIV) and Proverbs 14:30 (“a heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones,” NIV).

Evildoers Several Old Testament texts caution believers against envying “the wicked” or “evildoers” (e.g. Ps. 37:1; Prov. 24:1, 19). The idea appears to be that envy of the wicked is superfluous. They may appear fat and sassy, but they cannot endure.

New Testament New Testament texts are of roughly four sorts: (1) Vice lists Texts in which envy is an undiscussed item in a list of vices (e.g., Rom. 13:13, 2 Cor. 12:20, Gal. 5:21, 1 Tim. 6:4); (2) Worldliness exhibits Similarly, texts in which envy is an exhibit of worldliness, (e.g., 1 Cor 3:3, Jame 3:14, Titus 3:3); (3) Envy of Jesus and Paul Texts in which envy is the motive for handing over Jesus to the Romans (Matt. 27:18, Mk. 15:10) or for opposing Paul’s ministry (Acts 13:14, 17:5); and (4) Various instances Texts in which the all-day employees in the vineyard resent advantages given to the latecomers (Matt. 20:15) or the elder brother resents the party thrown for his younger brother (Luke 15:28-30) or Martha resents Mary’s sabbatical for study (Luke 10:38-40) or John the Baptist’s disciples resent the crowds Jesus is drawing (John 3:22-26).

Points to Ponder

Not jealousy Despite ordinary usage and meaning in current English, envy in the “seven deadlies” tradition is not the same thing as jealousy, which is the keen desire to keep and protect goods one already has. (God wants people’s worship not to drift toward idols: God is a jealous God. A husband wants to keep his wife’s love for himself; he is properly jealous of it.)

Not covetousness Neither is envy the same as covetousness, which is unhealthy desire for the goods of another, and thus, classically, a motive to steal. (In the 1930s, the Japanese cast a covetous eye on the natural resources of Manchuria.)

Not emulation Envy is not emulation either—the desire to equal or surpass someone in achievement or quality. (“After hearing Wynton Marsalis I wanted to go home and practice for hours.”)

Vs. gratitude Envy’s opposite is gratitude to God for the genuine goods with which God blesses others. This is a high calling. Church fathers sometimes commented that it’s easier to weep with those who weep than to rejoice with those who rejoice.

Schadenfreude Envy’s natural corollary is what the Germans call Schadenfreude—the enjoyment of others’ misfortune. The envier not only sorrows over another’s good fortune and wants it to end; he or she also rejoices in another’s misfortune and wants it to persist.

Pure evil Nearly all the other seven deadly sins (pride, anger, sloth, avarice, gluttony, lust) have an element of pleasure in them. Not envy. It’s pure evil, as sickening to the envier as to everybody else.

Cain and Abel God may have preferred Abel’s offering because it really cost Abel something to give it—he gave the choicest cuts from his most valuable stock while Cain brought garden-variety produce. Or God may have preferred Abel’s offering out of the blue. To an envier, it doesn’t matter. The other person’s advantage is unfair either way.

Translation Insights

wu-guu (Kassem): In Kassem, a language spoken in the African nation of Burkina Faso, the word “envy” or “jealousy” is translated wu-guu which means “inner-being-killer.” In the Burkinabé culture of Burkina Faso, when a person is jealous of someone, it hurts his inner being almost to the point of killing him. Jealousy is more than just wishing to have what the other has; it also means wishing the other person doesn’t have it, perhaps leading to violent or destructive behavior.

Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Search Results

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Envy This sermon illustration for James 3:13-16 quotes Frederick Buechner on envy: "Envy is the consuming desire to have everybody else be as unsuccessful as you are." Resource type: Sermon Illustration | Source: Day1 | Author: Frederick Buechner Coveting This sixteenth-century woodcut depicts a man coveting his neighbor's sheep. Resource type: Image | Source: Pitts Theology Library Digital Image Archive | Author: Martin Luther Envy Coveting is such an easy thing to do! Samuel reflects on the value of developing your own gifts and authenticity instead of envying others. Resource type: Article | Source: Day1 | Author: Kenneth L. Samuel Envy Scott Hoezee and David Bast draw from Genesis 4:1-8 & 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, to think about the 'deadly sin' of envy, what it is, and how we combat it through the Holy Spirit's leading. Resource type: Commentary/Exegesis | Source: Groundwork | Author: Scott Hoezee Envy This devotional discusses the commandment against envy as a opportunity to stop looking at others and focus on developing our own unique gifts. Resource type: Devotional | Source: Day1 | Author: Kenneth L. Samuel Envy and Ambition Reflecting on James 3:13-16; 4:1 and Luke 9:43-48, Robert Barron holds that envy or even ambition for the purpose of outdoing others knocks us off our center and we lose our orientation toward Christ. Resource type: Audio/Video | Source: Word on Fire | Author: Robert Barron The Tenth Commandment: Don’t Covet This devotional on Exodus 20:17 considers the tenth commandment, suggesting that coveting is allowing desire to invade and pervade your heart. It’s letting that desire govern your thoughts and guide your actions. Resource type: Commentary/Exegesis | Source: The High Calling | Author: Mark Roberts Frederick Buechner on Envy A quotation from Frederick Buechner suggesting that envy "is the consuming desire to have everyone else be as unsuccessful as you are.” Resource type: Book Quote | Source: Center for Excellence in Preaching | Author: Frederick Buechner I Don't Envy You This blog explores how envy and gratitude are competing for our souls. Resource type: Article | Source: Day1 | Author: Martin B. Copenhaver Saul Envies David As Saul’s army makes its return trip to Jerusalem, the townswomen give David greater praise than they do Saul. Saul looks on in envy of David Resource type: Image | Source: Pitts Theology Library Digital Image Archive | Author: Jean Leclerc Katie Couric Envies Those with Faith An illustration by Cable Neuhaus on TV host, Katie Couric: "I really envy those who have a steadfast, unwavering faith, because I think it's probably so comforting and helpful during difficult times." Resource type: Sermon Illustration | Source: Preaching Today | Author: Cable Neuhaus Envy Is the Least "Fun" Sin An illustration by Arthur C. Brooks describes research findings of the negative psychological effects of envy. Applicable scriptures include Exodus 20:17; Psalm 37:1; Proverbs 14:30; Hebrews 13:5-6; James 3:14-16. Resource type: Sermon Illustration | Source: Preaching Today | Author: Arthur C. Brooks Full Text Hymns on Envy The Cure of Envy, Fretfulness, and Unbelief; or, The Rewards of the Righteous and the WickedPD
Not in envy, not in angerPD
Envy and wrong, and wrath and pridePD
See more hymns... Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Destroyed by Envy An illustration from the movie Snow White, describing the story of a queen that was destroyed by envy, appropriate for Proverbs 14:30 and Colossians 3:5-6. Resource type: Sermon Illustration | Source: Preaching Today Envy Leads to Man's Downfall Ken McGregor and Sean Fewster tell the story of an apparently successful man brought down by envy, to illustrate Proverbs 14:30, 2 Corinthians 12:20, 1 Corinthians 13:4, and other similar passages. Resource type: Sermon Illustration | Source: Preaching Today | Author: Ken McGregor Preacher Struggles with Cancer of Envy This sermon illustration shares an example of envy from a pastor whose neighbouring church was having great success. Resource type: Sermon Illustration | Source: Preaching Today | Author: Vance Christie The Green-Eyed Monster A reflection on envy that suggests envy is rooted in a sense of inadequacy, in feeling that someone else has something I want or something better than what I have and that there is not enough... Resource type: Article | Source: Day1 | Author: Alyce McKenzie Nine Lessons and Carols Since 1918, every Christmas Eve in England hundreds of people wait for hours in cold temperatures outside King’s College Chapel at the University of Cambridge for a coveted seat at the Festival of Nine Lessons and... Resource type: Article | Source: Religion & Ethics Newsweekly | Author: Benedicta Cipolla The Festival-Envy Syndrome: Four Contexts of Worship When people go to special events (festivals) to worship, there is often a special experience they have that they wish they had every week. We need to realize, however, that every worship experience has value. Resource type: Article | Source: Reformed Worship Adam Works the Earth and Cain Murders His Brother Abel Expelled from the Garden of Eden, Adam must labor for his provision. Cain, Adam’s son, murders his brother Abel out of envy for the favor God showed toward Abel for his sacrifice Resource type: Image | Source: Pitts Theology Library Digital Image Archive | Author: Jean Leclerc Son Mistakenly Envies Another Boy’s Father An illustration by Craig Brian Larson, published by Christianity Today, appropriate for Philippians 4:11-12 and Isaiah 46:5. Resource type: Sermon Illustration | Source: Preaching Today | Author: Craig Brian Larson

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