Jealousy (2205) (zelos from zeo = to be hot, to boil [from the sound of bubbling water], figuratively to be fervent or show great enthusiasm; see related studies zeloo; zelotes) was originally a good word which described fervour in advancing a cause or in rendering service. Zelos for example gives us our English word zeal (zealous - filled with intense enthusiasm) which is generally a "good" word which describes eagerness, earnestness, enthusiastic devotion, single-minded allegiance, fervency, eager desire or ardent interest in pursuit of something, but it can take on a negative connotation when it describes a reaction which borders on extreme or fanatical. A T Robertson comments that zelos... In itself it means only warmth, ardour, zeal, but for a bad cause or from a bad motive, jealousy, envy, rivalry results (Robertson, A. Word Pictures in the New Testament) Zelos is used to describe an intense positive interest in something, such as godly jealousy, active enthusiasm or zeal, (eg, John 2:17, 2Cor 7:7, 11, 9:2, 11:2). In the NT zelos can also convey a negative meaning, especially jealousy (Acts 5:17, 13:45, Ro 13:13, 1 Cor 3:3, 2 Cor 12:20, Gal 5: 20, Phil 3:6, James 3:14, 16). Jealousy describes envy of someone else’s possessions, achievements, or advantages. It describes the spirit which cannot be content with what it has and looks with jealous eye on every blessing given to someone else and denied to itself. NIDNTT writes that in classic Greek use... zelos (from the Attic tragedians on) has zeal as its underlying idea, and means an emotional going out to a person, idea or cause. There are two clear meanings depending on the object of the zeal. Where the goal is good, zelos means eager striving, competition, enthusiasm, admiration, and in suitable contexts praise, glory. In a bad sense, the zeal has had a wrong goal and has become a defect; it then means jealousy, ill-will, envy. Accordingly, zelotes, zealot, can mean one seeking to reach good goals or a jealous man, an envious man. Equally, according to the context, the vb. zeloo can mean be zealous, consider fortunate, strive after or envy, be jealous. William Barclay makes the point that zelos is a great word which has come down ("degenerated") in the world. Originally it described a great emotion, that of the man who sees a fine life or a fine action and is moved to emulation (attempt to match or surpass, typically by imitation). But emulation can so easily become envy, the desire to have what is not ours to have, the spirit which grudges others the possession of anything denied to us. Emulation in fine things is a noble quality; but envy is the characteristic of a mean and little mind. The KJV translates zelos with the word emulations which Wuest observes... refers to jealousy, the unfriendly feeling excited by another’s possession of good, and to envy, the eager desire for possession created by the spectacle of another’s possessions. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans or Logos) In many languages jealous is expressed by an idiomatic phrase, for example, “their hearts burned” or “their livers were yellow.” (The United Bible Societies' New Testament Handbook Series or Logos) A Jewish proverb says that... Love is blind; jealousy sees too much. Milton says... Jealousy is the injured lover’s hell William Penn wrote that... The jealous are troublesome to others; a torment to themselves Shakespeare wrote... O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey’d monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on. [Shakespeare: Othello, III.iii] In the OT jealousy speaks of God's demand for exclusive loyalty. See Spurgeon's sermon A Jealous God (Exodus 34:14) The TDNT writes that... the usual translation of this term is “zeal”: a. as the capacity of state of passionate commitment; b. comprehensively for the forces that motivate personality (e.g., interest, taste, imitative zeal, rivalry, fame, enthusiasm); c. in the bad sense jealousy, envy, competition, contention. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans) The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia states that zelos... denoted “the capacity or state of passionate committal to a person or cause” (Albrecht Stumpff, “Zelos, etc,” TDNT, II, 877-888), either as a noble impulse toward the development of character or as the opposite and poisonous passion of jealousy (q.v.). The context determines the significance of this human emotion. In Koiné Gr. the term has both a good sense—“ardor, zeal,” and a bad sense—“jealously, envy.” (Pfeiffer, C. F., Vos, H. F., & Rea, J. The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia. Moody Press or Press) Eerdman's Dictionary of the Bible defines zeal as... The display of fervent devotion or jealousy on behalf of valued possessions (including persons) perceived to be under threat from rival claimants. There are 16 uses of zelos in the NT... John 2:17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Thy house will consume me." Acts 5:17 But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy; (Comment: They were "filled with" or controlled by jealousy - see similar picture below in passages using thumos [translated rage]) Acts 13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming. Romans 10:2 (note) For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. (See Spurgeon's sermon on this passage Zealous But Wrong - Pdf) Romans 13:13 (note) Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 1 Corinthians 3:3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? (Comment: Paul is describing genuine believers who are acting fleshly [like mere men who have no Spirit enabled power to behave in any fashion other than that dictated by their flesh nature.]) 2 Corinthians 7:7 and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. 2 Corinthians 7:11 For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. 2 Corinthians 9:2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 2 Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. 2 Corinthians 12:20 For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there may be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances; Galatians 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, Philippians 3:6 (note) as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. Hebrews 10:27 (note) but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. Vincent comments on zelos in this passage: The word is used in the New Testament both in a bad and a good sense. For the latter, see John 2:17; Ro 10:2; 2 Cor. 9:2. From it is our word zeal, which may be either good or bad, wise or foolish. The bad sense is predominant in the New Testament. See Acts 5:17; Ro 13:13; Gal. 5:20, and here, where the bad sense is defined and emphasized by the epithet bitter. It is often joined with eris, strife, as here with eritheia, intriguing or faction. The rendering envying, as A. V., more properly belongs to phthonos, which is never used in a good sense. Emulation is the better general rendering, which does not necessarily include envy, but may be full of the spirit of self-devotion. Rev. renders jealousy. (Word Studies in the New Testament, Volume 1, page 753) James 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. There are 28 uses of zelos in the Lxx (Nu 25:11; Deut. 29:20; 2Ki. 19:31; Job 5:2; Ps. 69:9; 79:5; 119:139; Pr 6:34; 27:4; Eccl. 4:4; 9:6; Song 8:6; Is 9:7; 11:13; 26:11; 37:32; 42.13" class="scriptRef">42:13; 63:15; Ezek. 5:13; 16:38, 42; 23:25; 36:6; 38:19; Zeph. 1:18; 3:8; Zech. 1:14; 8:2). Below are some representative uses. Notice that most of OT uses of zelos are used in a good sense and are applied to God, for example several passage describing Jehovah's jealousy toward sin, including even the sin of His people Israel. In the Zephaniah passage God's His jealousy reaches it's limit, which is manifest by the outpouring of His fury against the entire world (see the Day of the Lord; cp the Great Tribulation) Numbers 25:11 (Context - The Israelites had been seduced by the Midianite women and joined themselves to Baal of Peor - immorality and idolatry are close allies in Scripture. So serious was this breach of covenant, especially when Israel was on the threshold of the land of promise, that the Lord commanded Moses to take serious action—all the guilty individuals involved must die.) "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath (spearing a Israelite man who with weeping brought a Midianite women into the midst of the camp - this checked the plague on the sons of Israel) from the sons of Israel, in that he was jealous (verb = zeloo) with My jealousy (Hebrew = qin'ah = ardor, zeal, jealousy; Lxx = zelos) among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy (Hebrew = qin'ah = ardor, zeal, jealousy; Lxx = zelos). Deuteronomy 29:20 "The LORD shall never be willing to forgive him (the man who boasts "that 'I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart in order to destroy the watered land with the dry"), but rather the anger of the LORD and His jealousy (Hebrew = qin'ah = ardor, zeal, jealousy; Lxx = zelos) will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. (Comment: Compare this use with the NT reference to God's zeal likened to a consuming fire in Hebrews 10:27) Psalm 69:9 For zeal (Hebrew = qin'ah = ardor, zeal, jealousy; Lxx = zelos) for Thy house has consumed me, And the reproaches of those who reproach Thee have fallen on me. (Comment: The first part of this verse is quoted in John 2:17 in reference to Jesus' first cleansing of the temple. Paul quotes the latter part of the verse in Ro 15:3 as finding its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.) Psalm 79:5 How long, O LORD? Wilt Thou be angry forever? Will Thy jealousy (Hebrew = qin'ah = ardor, zeal, jealousy; Lxx = zelos) burn like fire? Proverbs 6:34 For jealousy (Hebrew = qin'ah = ardor, zeal, jealousy; Lxx = zelos) enrages a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance. Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, but who can stand before jealousy? Isaiah 9:7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal (Hebrew = qin'ah = ardor, zeal, jealousy; Lxx = zelos) of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 42:13 The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal (Hebrew = qin'ah = ardor, zeal, jealousy; Lxx = zelos) like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies. Ezekiel 5:13 'Thus My anger will be spent, and I will satisfy My wrath on them, and I shall be appeased; then they will know that I, the LORD, have spoken in My zeal when I have spent My wrath upon them. Ezekiel 16:38 (Context: God's zeal against the apostasy of His "wife" Israel as jealousy toward her spiritual adultery) "Thus I shall judge you, like women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I shall bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy. Zephaniah 1:18 (Context: Day of the Lord) Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to deliver them On the day of the LORD's wrath; And all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth. (cp Zeph 3:8 "the fire of My zeal') Zechariah 1:14 So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "Proclaim, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. 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