Proverbs 23:17 - Meaning and Application

Here is a necessary warning against any favorable thoughts about sinful success: “Do not envy sinners.” Do not resent the freedom they take to sin, or the success they enjoy, since they are to be pitied rather than envied. Their prosperity is their portion (Psalm 73:3), and even worse, it becomes a poison to them (Proverbs 1:32). We should not let our hearts secretly complain about God’s providence, even when it seems to favor them, or wish we were in their place.

Some read the line this way: “Do not let your heart imitate sinners.” That fits the same point. Do not copy what they do. Do not walk in their path. Do not use the same methods they use to make money, even if those methods seem to work.

There is also a strong call here to keep a high view of God always: be in the fear of the Lord every day, all day long. To fear the Lord means to live with reverence, an awe that shapes how we think, speak, and act. We should honor God, submit to his commands, accept his providence, and keep seeking to please him. We should be devoted to this fear (Psalm 119:38), so that it guides everything we do.

All our days, we must keep a sense of God’s greatness and authority in our hearts. We should respect his right to rule and have a real seriousness about his displeasure. In this way, we are always under his fear and never free from it.

A good reason for both of these commands is this: there is an end, an outcome, and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). The prosperity of the wicked will end, so do not envy them (Psalm 73:17). Your troubles will also end, so do not grow tired of them. Your service will end, your work and battle will be finished, and perfect love will soon drive out fear. Your hope of reward will not be cut off or disappointed, but will be greatly exceeded. Thinking about the end helps us bear the hardships and discouragements of the way.