Bible Verses About Jealousy

Jealousy can corrode the soul. These verses about jealousy teach contentment and the freedom that comes from trusting God with what others have.

“A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.” — Proverbs 14:30 (KJV)

A sound heart is the life of the flesh, but envy the rottenness of the bones. The contrast is medical: envy is described as decay from inside.

“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” — James 3:14-16 (KJV)

Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. Envy is traced to a wisdom the letter calls earthly and devilish.

“Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” — Galatians 5:26 (KJV)

Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Provoking and envying are named as two directions of the same problem.

“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” — 1 Corinthians 3:3 (KJV)

There is among you envying and strife, are ye not carnal — written to a church split into factions over favourite teachers. Envy is offered as the diagnosis.

“Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” — Proverbs 27:4 (KJV)

Wrath is cruel and anger is outrageous, but who is able to stand before envy? Envy is rated as harder to withstand than open rage.

“For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” — Psalm 73:3 (KJV)

I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked — the psalm's opening admission. It takes the whole psalm to work back out.

“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,” — 1 Peter 2:1 (KJV)

Laying aside all malice, guile, hypocrisies, envies and evil speakings — listed among things put down like luggage. The metaphor implies they are carried.

“And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.” — Genesis 37:11 (KJV)

His brethren envied him, but his father observed the saying — the sentence that sets the rest of Joseph's story in motion. Envy is recorded as the cause.

“For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.” — Job 5:2 (KJV)

Envy slayeth the silly one — spoken by one of Job's friends, whose counsel was often wrong but whose proverbs were conventional wisdom. The observation stands on its own.

“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.” — Song of Solomon 8:6 (KJV)

Jealousy is cruel as the grave, the coals thereof are coals of fire. Here jealousy is love's fierce form rather than envy of another's good.

“Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.” — Proverbs 23:17 (KJV)

Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. A replacement is prescribed rather than mere avoidance.

“Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.” — Romans 13:13 (KJV)

Let us walk honestly, not in strife and envying — placed alongside rioting and drunkenness. Envy keeps unexpected company in the list.

“Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” — Matthew 20:15 (KJV)

Is thine eye evil because I am good? — asked by the vineyard owner to labourers paid the same for less work. The complaint was about fairness and is answered as envy.

“And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,” — Acts 7:9 (KJV)

The patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt — Stephen's summary in a speech that got him killed. He was accusing his hearers of the same pattern.

“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” — Titus 3:3 (KJV)

We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. The confession is first-person plural and includes the writer.

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” — Galatians 5:19-21 (KJV)

Emulations, wrath, strife, envyings appear in the works of the flesh between idolatry and drunkenness. The list makes no distinction between respectable sins and disreputable ones.

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Frequently asked questions

What does the Bible say about jealousy?

The 16 passages gathered on this page are the ones readers turn to most on jealousy: Proverbs 14:30, James 3:14-16, Galatians 5:26, 1 Corinthians 3:3, Proverbs 27:4, Psalm 73:3, 1 Peter 2:1, Genesis 37:11, Job 5:2, Song of Solomon 8:6, Proverbs 23:17, Romans 13:13, Matthew 20:15, Acts…

What is a good Bible verse about jealousy?

Proverbs 14:30 is the passage most often quoted on jealousy, with James 3:14-16 and Galatians 5:26 close behind. Which one helps depends on whether you need reassurance, instruction or simply company.

Where can I read these jealousy verses?

You can read all of these verses about jealousy — and the whole Bible, offline, in your preferred translation — free in the Quiethaven app for iPhone.