Saul became envious of David because the people gave greater praise to David after his defeat of Goliath than they did to Saul as king. Saul was convinced that David, making capital of his popularity, would seize the throne. Actually he had little or no basis for that fear. David respected Saul and his position. He recognized that the same divine power which had allowed him to defeat Goliath had also established Saul as the rightful king. Saul, blinded by fear, failed to see God's hand at work and gave in to the vice of envy.

Envy is chagrin or discontect at the excellence or good fortune of another. It produces resentment and bitterness. Envy is a terrible vice not only because it manifests selfishness but also because it makes its victim miserable. It can plague not only an insecure king like Saul but ordinary people like ourselves.

There is a temptation for us to resent the fact that some people who seem to have no regard for God or their fellow human beings ae the ones who are wealthy and powerful in this world. In our own struggles to make ends meet we can also become bitter about our situation. But envy knows no boundaries. We can envy even the good fortune of our best friends or members of our families. There is a pettiness in all envy.