Topical Bible: Envy: Punishment of

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Envy, a destructive emotion characterized by a resentful longing for what others possess, is frequently addressed in the Bible as a sin that leads to various forms of divine punishment. The Scriptures provide numerous examples and teachings that illustrate the consequences of harboring envy.

In the Old Testament, the account of Cain and Abel serves as an early example of the punishment of envy. Cain, envious of his brother Abel's favor with God, commits the first murder. As a result, God punishes Cain by cursing him to be a restless wanderer on the earth. Genesis 4:11-12 states, "Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield to you its strength. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth."

The account of Joseph and his brothers further illustrates the destructive power of envy. Joseph's brothers, envious of their father's favoritism and Joseph's dreams, sell him into slavery. This act of envy leads to years of suffering and separation. However, it also sets the stage for God's providential plan, demonstrating that while envy leads to punishment, God's sovereignty can bring about redemption.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul warns against envy as a work of the flesh that leads to spiritual death. Galatians 5:19-21 lists envy among the acts of the flesh, concluding with a stern warning: "I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." This passage underscores the spiritual consequences of envy, emphasizing that it is incompatible with the life of a believer.

James 3:14-16 also addresses the destructive nature of envy, stating, "But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice." Here, envy is linked to disorder and evil, highlighting its corrupting influence on individuals and communities.

The punishment of envy is not only seen in direct divine retribution but also in the natural consequences that follow. Envy breeds strife, division, and a host of other sins, leading to personal and communal turmoil. Proverbs 14:30 succinctly captures this truth: "A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy rots the bones." This proverb illustrates the internal decay and unrest that envy brings to the envious person.

Throughout Scripture, envy is consistently portrayed as a sin that incurs God's displeasure and leads to various forms of punishment, both temporal and eternal. The biblical narrative warns believers to guard against envy, encouraging them to cultivate contentment and trust in God's provision.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 26:11
LORD, when your hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yes, the fire of your enemies shall devour them.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Whether Envy is a Sin?
... Objection 4: Further, punishment is condivided with fault. But envy is a
kind of punishment: for Gregory says (Moral. v, 46): "When ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether envy is a sin.htm

Whether in Hell the Damned Would Wish Others were Damned who are ...
... Nevertheless they will envy their kindred less than others, and their punishment
would be greater if all their kindred were damned, and others saved, than if ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether in hell the damned 2.htm

Antipater is Accused Before Varus, and is Convicted of Laying a ...
... end my brethren came to, on whom God inflicted so great a punishment for their ... of
the other advantages thou bestowedst on me, thou madest me an object of envy. ...
/.../chapter 32 antipater is accused.htm

Whether Sin Can be the Punishment of Sin?
... whether it be an interior act, as is clearly the case with anger or envy, or an ... on
the part of the effect, so that one sin is said to be a punishment by reason ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether sin can be the.htm

Of the Creation, Sin, and Punishment of Man; and of Angels, Both ...
... XXVII."Of the Creation, Sin, and Punishment of Man; And of Angels, Both Good and
Bad. ... him who was first born in this world, under the impulse of envy, to the ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xxvii of the creation sin.htm

Treatise x. On Jealousy and Envy.
... you quench all the light of peace and charity in the blindness of envy? ... to Gehenna,
in ignorance and blindness; he is hurrying into punishment, departing, that ...
/.../cyprian/the treatises of cyprian/treatise x on jealousy and.htm

Sin and the Penalty of Sin the Same.
... how often it happens that the very punishment which God ... all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 24 xxii sin and the.htm

Chapter xxii.
... Holy Ghost; but if, after receiving Him, they should choose to envy the brotherhood ...
therefore pray against him: for you may see that his punishment is certain ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/our lords sermon on the mount/chapter xxii.htm

Whether There is Sorrow in the Demons?
... to be, which are, and others to be, which are not: for, out of envy, they would ... in
them: and especially because it is of the very notion of punishment for it ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether there is sorrow in.htm

Argument. --Novatian
... poison of envy, but lest, living for ever without Christ's previous pardon of his
sins, he should always bear about with him for his punishment an immortality ...
/.../a treatise of novatian concerning the trinity/chapter i argument novatian.htm