Proverbs 24:19

Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(19) Fret not thyself because of evil men—i.e., at the sight of their prosperity, the same difficulty which occurred to the Psalmist (Psalm 37:1). (Comp. also Psalm 73:3 and Jeremiah 12:1.)

Benson Commentary

Proverbs 24:19-20. Fret not thyself because of evil men — For their present impunity, or good success. For there shall be no reward to the evil man — All his hopes and happiness shall quickly and eternally perish, and he shall have no share in those solid felicities, and blessed recompenses of another life, which thou shalt enjoy. Therefore thou hast no reason to envy him. The candle of the wicked shall be put out — All their comfort and glory shall cease.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

24:17,18. The pleasure we are apt to take in the troubles of an enemy is forbidden. 19,20. Envy not the wicked their prosperity; be sure there is no true happiness in it. 21,22. The godly in the land, will be quiet in the land. There may be cause to change for the better, but have nothing to do with them that are given change. 23-26. The wisdom God giveth, renders a man fit for his station. Every one who finds the benefit of the right answer, will be attached to him that gave it. 27. We must prefer necessaries before conveniences, and not go in debt.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the margin. The meaning is "Thy joy will be suicidal, the wrath of the righteous Judge will be turned upon thee, as the greater offender, and thou wilt have to bear a worse evil than that which thou exultest in."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

19, 20. (Ps 37:1, 38; 18:28).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Fret not thyself; which translation of the word is confirmed by the parallel word in the following clause.

Because of evil men; for their present impunity and good success.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Fret not thyself because of evil men,.... Because of their outward prosperity and worldly happiness, any more than rejoice at their adversity; neither do the one nor the other; where the one prevails, the other does also; by the frequent repetition of this advice, it looks as if this evil is what good men are prone to, and which was very common in Solomon's time, and in the time of his father David, from whom he seems to have borrowed these words, Psalm 37:1; see Proverbs 23:17;

neither be thou envious at the wicked; though they may stand when thou fallest, or be in prosperity when thou art in adversity; the reasons follow.

Geneva Study Bible

Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked:

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

19. Comp. Psalm 37:1; Psalm 37:7.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 19, 20. - A warning against envying the prosperity of the wicked. Verse 19. - Fret not thyself because of evil men (comp. Ver. 1 and Psalm 37:1). The verb (charah) means "to burn," "to be angry;" so here we may render, "Be not enraged on account of evil doers." The anger would arise on account of the apparent inequitable distribution of blessings. St. Jerome has, Ne contendas cum pessimis; Septuagint, "Rejoice not over (ἐπὶ) evildoers." Neither be thou envious at the wicked; i.e. do not fancy that their prosperity is to be desired, nor be led to imitate their doings in order to secure like success. The new verse shows the solemn reason for this warning. Proverbs 24:19

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Warning against envying the godless for their external prosperity:

19 Be not enraged on account of evil-doers,

     Envy not the godless;

20 For the wicked men shall have no future,

     The light of the godless is extinguished.

Ver. 19 is a variation of Psalm 37:1; cf. also Proverbs 3:21 (where with בכל־דרכיו following the traditional תבחר is more appropriate than תתחר, which Hupfeld would here insert). תּתחר is fut. apoc. of התחרה, to be heated (to be indignant), distinguished from the Tiphel תּחרה, to be jealous. The ground and occasion of being enraged, and on the other side, of jealousy or envy, is the prosperity of the godless, Psalm 73:3; cf. Jeremiah 12:1. This anger at the apparently unrighteous division of fortune, this jealousy at the success in which the godless rejoice, rest on short-sightedness, which regards the present, and looks not on to the end. אחרית, merely as in the expression 'ישׁ אח, 14b (cf. Psalm 37:37), always denotes the happy, glorious issue indemnifying for past sufferings. Such an issue the wicked man has not; his light burns brightly on this side, but one day it is extinguished. In 20b is repeated Proverbs 13:9; cf. Proverbs 20:20.