Genesis 26:14Genesis 30:1Psalm 73:3Proverbs 3:31Psalm 37:1Proverbs 24:124:19Mark 7:22Romans 1:29Galatians 5:21Titus 3:31 Timothy 6:4Matthew 27:18Mark 15:10Acts 5:17Acts 13:45Acts 17:5Galatians 5:261 Peter 2:1

Envy is sometimes a motive for doing good. The Preacher was disillusioned that hard work and skill were the result of envying another (Ecclesiastes 4:4 ). Paul was, however, able to rejoice that the gospel was preached even if the motive were envy (Philippians 1:15 ).

The KJV rightly understood the difficult text in James 4:5 , recognizing that it is a characteristic of the human spirit that it “lusteth to envy”. Contrary to modern translations, the Greek word used for envy here (phthonos ) is always used in a negative sense, never in the positive sense of God's jealousy (Greek zealos ). God's response to the sinful longings of the human heart is to give more grace (James 4:6 ). See Jealousy .