Proverbs Chapter 3 verse 31 Holy Bible
Envy thou not the man of violence, And choose none of his ways.
read chapter 3 in ASV
Have no envy of the violent man, or take any of his ways as an example.
read chapter 3 in BBE
Envy not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.
read chapter 3 in DARBY
Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
read chapter 3 in KJV
read chapter 3 in WBT
Don't envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
read chapter 3 in WEB
Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.
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Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 31. - Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. The thought of strife in the preceding verse leads to that of oppression, and the precept is directed against fellowship with those who outrage the general law of benevolence and justice, Envy not; i.e. as Stuart, "Do not anxiously covet the booty which men of violence acquire." Success and wealth may follow from severity and extortion, but the man who acquires prosperity by these means is not to be envied even by the victim of his oppression (for the verb, see Proverbs 23:17; Proverbs 24:1, 19). The oppressor (ish khamas); literally, a man of violence (see margin). The expression occurs in Proverbs 14:29; Psalm 18:41, and in its plural form, ish khamamim, "man of violences," in 2 Samuel 22:49; Psalm 140:1, 4. The man of violence is one who "grinds the faces of the poor," and whose conduct is rapacious, violent, and unjust. And choose none of his ways; literally, and choose not all his ways, i.e. with a view to acquire the same wealth, greatness, and power. The LXX. renders this verse, "Do not acquire the hatred of evil men, neither be jealous of their ways," evidently from having taken tiv'khar, "choose," in the second hemistich, for tith'khan, "be jealous."
