ζῆλος
zēlos · G2205 · Greek · 16 occurrences
Meanings
-
devotion to, earnest concern
Having a deep concern for or devotion to someone or something
ExamplesJohn 2:17 His disciples remembered that it was written: “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.”
Romans 10:2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.
2 Corinthians 7:7 and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted among you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more.
-
envy, jealousy, resentment
A particularly strong feeling of resentment and jealousy against someone
ExamplesActs 5:17 But the high priest stood up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.
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 13:13 Let’s behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and debauchery, not in strife and jealousy.
-
extremely, intensely, fierce
A high point on a scale of extent and implying intensity of involvement
ExamplesHebrews 10:27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.
How it’s used In 6 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
6 occurrences in 4 groups
- θεόςGod 2
- σύyou 2
- οἶκοςhouse, household 1
- πῦρfire 1
Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- πικρόςbitter 1
- πόσοςhow much, how many 1
What it doesIt is the subject
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- ἐρεθίζωto make resentful 1
- κατεσθίωto eat up 1
What is done to itIt is the object
3 occurrences in 2 groups
- ἔχωto have 2
- κατεργάζομαιto work out, to produce 1
What it is said to bePredicate
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- ὅπουwhere, wherever, in which 1
- σύyou 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- κατάaccording to, against, down 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
In the other Testament 1 word
- קִנְאָה qinʼâh · H7068 · zeal, passion, rage
- Greek ζῆλος directly renders Hebrew קִנְאָה across its full semantic range, covering both positive zeal/ardor and negative jealousy/envy in contexts including divine jealousy.
Semantic domains 3 entries
- Devotion to, earnest concern25.46
- In Romans 10:2, Paul testifies of his kinsmen, “they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge,” naming their earnest devotion and concern.
- Extremely, intensely, fierce78.25
- In John 2:17, the disciples recalled what was written of Jesus, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME,” using this word for an intense, consuming fervor.
- Envy, jealousy, resentment88.162
- In James 3:14, believers are warned, “if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth,” naming this resentful envy.
Word family 7 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon ζήλου, ὁ, and (in Phm 3:6 L T Tr WH; (2 Cor 9:2 T Tr WH)) τό ζῆλος (Ignatius ad Trall. 4…
1. zeal, ardor in embracing, pursuing, defending anything: 2 Cor 12:11; 2 Cor 9:2; κατά ζῆλος, as respects zeal (in maintaining religion), Phm 3:6; with the genitive of the object, zeal in behalf of, for a person or thing, Jn 2:17 from Ps 68:10; Rom 10:2 (1 Macc. 2:58; Sophocles O. C. 943); ὑπέρ τίνος, genitive of person, 2 Cor 7:7; Col 4:13 Rec. with subject. genitive ζήλῳ Θεοῦ, with a jealousy such as God has, hence, most pure and solicitous for their salvation, 2 Cor 11:2; the fierceness of indignation, punitive zeal, πυρός (of penal fire, which is personified (see πῦρ, at the end)), Heb 10:27 (Isa 26:11; Wis. 5:18).
2. an envious and contentious rivalry, jealousy: Rom 13:13; 1 Cor 3:3; Jas 3:14, Jas 3:16; ἐπλήσθησαν ζήλου, Acts 5:17; Acts 13:45; plural ζῆλοι, now the stirrings or motions of ζῆλος, now its outbursts and manifestations: 2 Cor 12:20; Gal 5:20; but in both passages L T Tr (WH, yet in Galatians, the passage cited WH only in text) have adopted ζῆλος (ζῆλοι τέ καί φθόνοι, Plato, legg. 3, p. 679 c.). (On the distinction between ζῆλος (which may be used in a good sense) and φθόνος (used only in a bad sense) cf. Trench, Synonyms, § xxvi.; Cope on Aristotle, rhet. 2, 11,
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889), public domain
Topical studies with this word 3 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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