Original Word: ζῆλος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine; Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: zelos
Pronunciation: ZAY-los
Phonetic Spelling: (dzay'-los)
Definition: Zeal, jealousy, ardor, fervor
Meaning: (a) eagerness, zeal, enthusiasm, (b) jealousy, rivalry.

2205 zḗlos (an omamopoeic term that mimics the sound of water bubbling over from heat and perhaps derived from 2204 /zéō, "to boil") – properly, burning emotion (inner feeling boiling over, "boiling from heat," J. Thayer); (figuratively) something very fervent ("red-hot") as with Spirit-fueled zeal to serve the Lord. This root (zē-) is used both negatively ("jealousy") and positively ("zeal") depending on the context.

[The root (zē-, "zeal") literally means "hot enough to boil." It is metaphorically used of "burning anger, love, zeal" (A-S) – i.e. to burn (in spirit). It can refer to "boiling anger, love, zeal, for what is good or bad" (J. Thayer).]

STRONGS NT 2205: ζῆλος

ζῆλος, ζήλου, ὁ, and (in Philippians 3:6 L T Tr WH; (2 Corinthians 9:2 T Tr WH)) τό ζῆλος (Ignatius ad Trall. 4 [ET]; διά ζῆλος, Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 4, 8 [ET] ("in Clement of Rome, §§ 3, 4, 5, 6 the masculine and neuter seem to be interchanged without any law" (Lightfoot). For facts see especially Clement of Rome, edition 2 Hilgenfeld (1876), p. 7; cf. Wit. Appendix, p. 158; Winers Grammar, § 9, N. 2; Buttmann, 23 (20)); (from ζέω (Curtius, § 567; Vanicek, p. 757)); the Sept. for קִנְאָה; excitement of mind, ardor, fervor of spirit;

1. zeal, ardor in embracing, pursuing, defending anything: 2 Corinthians 12:11; 2 Corinthians 9:2; κατά ζῆλος, as respects zeal (in maintaining religion), Philippians 3:6; with the genitive of the object, zeal in behalf of, for a person or thing, John 2:17 from Psalm 68:10 (); Romans 10:2 (1 Macc. 2:58; Sophocles O. C. 943); ὑπέρ τίνος, genitive of person, 2 Corinthians 7:7; Colossians 4:13 Rec. with subject. genitive ζήλῳ Θεοῦ, with a jealousy such as God has, hence, most pure and solicitous for their salvation, 2 Corinthians 11:2; the fierceness of indignation, punitive zeal, πυρός (of penal fire, which is personified (see πῦρ, at the end)), Hebrews 10:27 (Isaiah 26:11; Wis. 5:18).

2. an envious and contentious rivalry, jealousy: Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 3:3; James 3:14, 16; ἐπλήσθησαν ζήλου, Acts 5:17; Acts 13:45; plural ζῆλοι, now the stirrings or motions of ζῆλος, now its outbursts and manifestations: 2 Corinthians 12:20; Galatians 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,

emulation, jealousy, zeal.

From zeo; properly, heat, i.e. (figuratively) "zeal" (in a favorable sense, ardor; in an unfavorable one, jealousy, as of a husband (figuratively, of God), or an enemy, malice) -- emulation, envy(-ing), fervent mind, indignation, jealousy, zeal.

see GREEK zeo

ζήλοι ζηλον ζηλόν ζήλον ζήλόν ζῆλον ζηλος ζηλός ζήλος ζήλός ζῆλος ζηλοτυπίας ζηλου ζήλου ζηλω ζηλώ ζήλω ζήλῳ zelo zēlō zḗloi zḗlōi zelon zêlon zēlon zē̂lon zelos zêlos zēlos zē̂los zelou zēlou zḗlouInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts