Bible Verses About Envy

"A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones."

"For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work."

"Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."

"Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?"

"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up."

"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass. Trust in the LORD, and do good."

"Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying."

"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings."

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

"Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit."

What does the Bible say about envy?

Envy is one of the most destructive yet socially acceptable sins. It was envy that drove Cain to murder Abel, Saul to hunt David, and the religious leaders to crucify Jesus. Key King James Version passages include Proverbs 14:30, James 3:16, Galatians 5:26. This page collects 10 KJV verses about envy, each quoted in full.

Is envy a sin in the Bible?

Yes. Envy is listed among the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:21), described as rotting the bones (Proverbs 14:30), and said to produce confusion and every evil work (James 3:16). Love, by contrast, 'envies not' (1 Corinthians 13:4).

How do I overcome envy?

Overcome envy through gratitude (Philippians 4:11-12), trusting God's plan for your life (Psalm 37:1-3), celebrating others' blessings, and laying aside comparison (1 Peter 2:1). Contentment is the biblical antidote to envy.