What Does Proverbs 3:31 Mean?

Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways as a strategy for success. The father addresses the internal temptation to want what those who use force have gained. The violent man often appears to be winning as he takes what he wants and accumulates wealth and power. The warning not to envy him is a warning against adopting his methods for yourself. A person must not let the apparent success of the ruthless become the template for how they live their own life or manage their own affairs.

Envy (qana) describes a burning desire that can lead a person to try and replicate what another has achieved. [Psalm 37:1] tells its readers not to fret because of evildoers or be envious of those who do wrong. The Psalms and Proverbs both recognize that the prosperity of the violent can be very tempting to a person who is struggling. However both also insist that the success of the wicked is temporary and its final destination is ruin. Envy of a violent man is wanting a result that leads to a end you would not choose.

Jesus addresses this in the Beatitudes in [Matthew 5:5] by saying that the meek will inherit the earth. The meek are those who refuse to use the ways of the violent man because they have a different view of what true success looks like. Paul tells the Romans in [Romans 12:19] never to avenge themselves but to leave room for the judgment of God. The person who refuses the ways of violence is trusting God to settle the accounts. They realize that the prize gained by force is not worth the cost to the soul.