Topical Encyclopedia
In the Bible, the term "jealous" is used to describe both a human emotion and an attribute of God. It is important to understand the context in which jealousy is mentioned to grasp its full meaning and implications.
Divine Jealousy:God's jealousy is a central theme in the Scriptures, particularly in the context of His covenant relationship with Israel. Unlike human jealousy, which can often be rooted in selfishness or insecurity, divine jealousy is a righteous and protective zeal for His people and His holiness. God's jealousy is an expression of His love and commitment to His covenant, desiring exclusive devotion from His people.
In
Exodus 20:5, God declares, "You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me." Here, God's jealousy is linked to His prohibition against idolatry, emphasizing His demand for exclusive worship.
Similarly, in
Deuteronomy 4:24, it is stated, "For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." This verse underscores the intensity of God's desire for His people to remain faithful to Him, warning against the spiritual adultery of idolatry.
The prophet Ezekiel also speaks of God's jealousy in the context of Israel's unfaithfulness. In
Ezekiel 16:38, God says, "I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood, and bring upon you the wrath of bloodshed and jealousy." This illustrates how God's jealousy is provoked by Israel's spiritual infidelity.
Human Jealousy:Human jealousy, on the other hand, is often portrayed in the Bible as a negative emotion that can lead to sin. It is frequently associated with envy, rivalry, and strife. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul warns against jealousy as a work of the flesh. In
Galatians 5:19-21, he lists jealousy among the acts of the sinful nature, stating, "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like."
James also addresses the destructive nature of jealousy in
James 3:14-16: "But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice."
Jealousy in Relationships:The Bible provides examples of jealousy in human relationships, often leading to conflict and sin. In
Genesis 37, Joseph's brothers become jealous of him because of their father's favoritism and Joseph's dreams, which ultimately leads them to sell him into slavery.
In
1 Samuel 18, King Saul becomes jealous of David's success and popularity, which results in Saul's attempts to kill David. This narrative highlights how jealousy can consume an individual and lead to destructive behavior.
Conclusion:In summary, the concept of jealousy in the Bible encompasses both the righteous jealousy of God, which demands exclusive devotion and faithfulness, and the sinful jealousy of humans, which can lead to strife and discord. Understanding the distinction between these two forms of jealousy is crucial for interpreting biblical texts and applying their lessons to one's life.
Topical Bible Verses
1 Corinthians 13:1-13Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
Topicalbible.orgJames 4:2
You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not.
Topicalbible.org
Exodus 20:5
You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Topicalbible.org
Acts 10:34
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Topicalbible.org
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
a.) Zealous; solicitous; vigilant; anxiously watchful.
2. (a.) Apprehensive; anxious; suspiciously watchful.
3. (a.) Exacting exclusive devotion; intolerant of rivalry.
4. (a.) Disposed to suspect rivalry in matters of interest and affection; apprehensive regarding the motives of possible rivals, or the fidelity of friends; distrustful; having morbid fear of rivalry in love or preference given to another; painfully suspicious of the faithfulness of husband, wife, or lover.
Greek
2206. zeloo -- to bejealous... to be
jealous. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: zeloo Phonetic Spelling:
(dzay-lo'-o) Short Definition: I am
jealous, eager for Definition: (a) intrans:
...2205a. zeleuo -- to have warmth of feeling for or against, to be...
... 2205, 2205a. zeleuo. 2205b . to have warmth of feeling for or against, to be
zealous orjealous. Transliteration: zeleuo Short Definition: zealous....
2205. zelos -- to have warmth of feeling for or against, to be...
... to have warmth of feeling for or against, to be zealous orjealous. Part of Speech:
Noun, Masculine; Noun, Neuter Transliteration: zelos Phonetic Spelling: (dzay...
3863. parazeloo -- to provoke to jealousy
... to provoke to jealousy. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: parazeloo Phonetic
Spelling: (par-ad-zay-lo'-o) Short Definition: I makejealous Definition: I...
5354. phthoneo -- to envy
... See 5355 (). Word Origin from phthonos Definition to envy NASB Word Usage envying
(1). envy. From phthonos; to bejealous of -- envy. see GREEK phthonos....
5355. phthonos -- envy
... misfortune or pain. 5355 ("the feeling of ") refers to thejealous envy that
negatively "energizes" someone with an . 5355 ("ill-will...
3788. ophthalmos -- the eye
... eye, sight. From optanomai; the eye (literally or figuratively); by implication,
vision; figuratively, envy (from thejealous side-glance) -- eye, sight....
Strong's Hebrew
7065. qanah -- to bejealous or zealous... 7064, 7065. qanah. 7066 . to be
jealous or zealous. Transliteration: qanah
Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-naw') Short Definition:
jealous.
...7067. qanna --jealous
... 7066, 7067. qanna. 7068 .jealous. Transliteration: qanna Phonetic Spelling:
(kan-naw') Short Definition:jealous. Word Origin from...
7072. qanno --jealous
... 7071, 7072. qanno. 7073 .jealous. Transliteration: qanno Phonetic Spelling:
(kan-no') Short Definition:jealous. Word Origin from...
7520. ratsad -- to watch (stealthily)
... leap. A primitive root; probably to look askant, ie (figuratively) bejealous --
leap. 7519, 7520. ratsad. 7521 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
God aJealous God.
... Homily XI. Chapter IX."God aJealous God. "But, you say, we do better when
we are thankful at once to Him and to all others. Now...
AJealous God
... AJealous God. A Sermon (No.502).... CH SPURGEON,. At the Metropolitan Tabernacle,
Newington. "For the Lord, whose name isjealous, is ajealous God.""Exodus 34:14....
How God isJealous of Us.
... CHAPTER XIII. HOW GOD ISJEALOUS OF US. God speaks thus: I am the Lord thy
God, ajealous God. [464] The Lord his name isjealous....
I Will Run in My Affections, to Him who Heals Freely
... 13. Bejealous over me who am Thine, and to Thee, O my Lord: am I betrothed! The
Apostle who betrothed me to Thee, told me that Thou artjealous....
Of the Zeal or Jealousy which we have for Our Lord.
... comparison there is between those who enjoy the brightness of the sun, and those
who have only the paltry light of a lamp; the former are notjealous of one...
2 Cor. xi. 1
... And therefore he added, "For I amjealous over you with a godly jealousy [916] ."
He did not say, for I love you,' but uses a term far more vehement than this....
The Covenant of an Everlasting Priesthood
... apake unto Moses, saying, Phineas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, hath turned
away My wrath from the children of Israel, in that he wasjealous with My...
How Love Produces Zeal.
... But jealousy is not grieved at our neighbour's having some good provided that it
is not our good: for thejealous man does not grieve at his fellow's being...
Love of God and Man
... And then thou wilt find that God is ajealous God, and will take from thee what
thou lovest, because He will not have His honour given to another....
What Doest Thou Here?
... be that in such an hour we may be able to answer our Heavenly Father when He questions
us, as Elijah was able to answer: "I have been veryjealous for the Lord...
Thesaurus
Jealous (43 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Jealous (43 Occurrences).
... (Root in WEY NAS RSV). 2
Corinthians 11:2 For I am
jealous over you with a godly jealousy.
...Envy (56 Occurrences)
... Testament. It is to be distinguished from jealousy. "We arejealous of our
own; we are envious of another man's possessions. Jealousy...
Suspects (2 Occurrences)
... Numbers 5:14 and the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he isjealous of his wife,
and she is defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is...
Jealousy (54 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. (n.) The quality of beingjealous; earnest concern or...
(WEY). 2 Corinthians 11:2 For I amjealous over you with a godly jealousy....
Visiting (10 Occurrences)
... Exodus 20:5 you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh
your God, am ajealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the...
Zealot (4 Occurrences)
... SIMON THE CANAANITE; SIMON THE CANANAEAN; SIMON THE ZEALOT. (Simon Kananaios;
kanna'i, "theJealous (or Zealous) One"): One of the Twelve Apostles....
Feelings (26 Occurrences)
... Numbers 5:14 and the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he isjealous of his wife,
and she is defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is...
Emulation (5 Occurrences)
... or excel another; rivalry. 2. (n.)Jealous rivalry; envy; envious contention.
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. EMULATION. em-u-la...
Altars (55 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 19:10 He said, "I have been veryjealous for Yahweh, the God of Armies;
for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars...
Impure (28 Occurrences)
... Numbers 5:14 and the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he isjealous of his wife,
and she is defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is...
Resources
Why is God a jealous God? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the difference between envy and jealousy, biblically speaking? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is godly jealousy? | GotQuestions.orgJealous: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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