2205. zelos
Strong's Concordance
zelos: eagerness, zeal, rivalry
Original Word: ζῆλος, ου, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine; Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: zelos
Phonetic Spelling: (dzay'-los)
Short Definition: eagerness, zeal, rivalry
Definition: (a) eagerness, zeal, enthusiasm, (b) jealousy, rivalry.
HELPS Word-studies

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).]

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2205: ζῆλος

ζῆλος, ζήλου, , 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,

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
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

Forms and Transliterations
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 zḗlou
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Englishman's Concordance
Strong's Greek 2205
16 Occurrences


ζήλῳ — 2 Occ.
ζῆλον — 4 Occ.
ζῆλος — 8 Occ.
ζήλου — 2 Occ.

John 2:17 N-NMS
GRK: ἐστίν Ὁ ζῆλος τοῦ οἴκου
NAS: that it was written, ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE
KJV: written, The zeal of thine
INT: it is The zeal of the house

Acts 5:17 N-GMS
GRK: Σαδδουκαίων ἐπλήσθησαν ζήλου
NAS: and they were filled with jealousy.
KJV: and were filled with indignation,
INT: Sadducees were filled with jealousy

Acts 13:45 N-GMS
GRK: ὄχλους ἐπλήσθησαν ζήλου καὶ ἀντέλεγον
NAS: they were filled with jealousy and [began] contradicting
KJV: they were filled with envy, and
INT: crowds were filled with envy and contradicted

Romans 10:2 N-AMS
GRK: αὐτοῖς ὅτι ζῆλον θεοῦ ἔχουσιν
NAS: about them that they have a zeal for God,
KJV: that they have a zeal of God, but
INT: to them that zeal for God they have

Romans 13:13 N-DMS
GRK: ἔριδι καὶ ζήλῳ
NAS: not in strife and jealousy.
KJV: in strife and envying.
INT: in strife and jealousy

1 Corinthians 3:3 N-NMS
GRK: ἐν ὑμῖν ζῆλος καὶ ἔρις
NAS: For since there is jealousy and strife
KJV: you envying, and
INT: among you jealousy and strife

2 Corinthians 7:7 N-AMS
GRK: τὸν ὑμῶν ζῆλον ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ
NAS: your mourning, your zeal for me; so
KJV: mourning, your fervent mind toward me;
INT: your zeal for me

2 Corinthians 7:11 N-AMS
GRK: ἐπιπόθησιν ἀλλὰ ζῆλον ἀλλὰ ἐκδίκησιν
NAS: what zeal, what
KJV: yea, [what] zeal, yea,
INT: longing but zeal but vengenace

2 Corinthians 9:2 N-NNS
GRK: τὸ ὑμῶν ζῆλος ἠρέθισεν τοὺς
NAS: last year, and your zeal has stirred
KJV: and your zeal hath provoked very many.
INT: your zeal provokes the

2 Corinthians 11:2 N-DMS
GRK: ὑμᾶς θεοῦ ζήλῳ ἡρμοσάμην γὰρ
NAS: for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed
KJV: with godly jealousy: for
INT: you of God with [the] jealousy I have espoused indeed

2 Corinthians 12:20 N-NMS
GRK: πως ἔρις ζῆλος θυμοί ἐριθείαι
NAS: [there will be] strife, jealousy, angry tempers,
KJV: [there be] debates, envyings, wraths,
INT: perhaps quarrels jealousies anger contentions

Galatians 5:20 N-NMS
GRK: ἔχθραι ἔρις ζῆλος θυμοί ἐριθείαι
NAS: strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger,
KJV: variance, emulations, wrath,
INT: enmities strife jealousy fits of rage contentions

Philippians 3:6 N-ANS
GRK: κατὰ ζῆλος διώκων τὴν
NAS: as to zeal, a persecutor
KJV: Concerning zeal, persecuting
INT: according to zeal persecuting the

Hebrews 10:27 N-NNS
GRK: καὶ πυρὸς ζῆλος ἐσθίειν μέλλοντος
NAS: of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE
KJV: fiery indignation, which shall
INT: and of fire fury to devour about

James 3:14 N-AMS
GRK: εἰ δὲ ζῆλον πικρὸν ἔχετε
NAS: bitter jealousy and selfish ambition
KJV: ye have bitter envying and strife
INT: if moreover jealousy bitter you have

James 3:16 N-NMS
GRK: ὅπου γὰρ ζῆλος καὶ ἐριθεία
NAS: For where jealousy and selfish ambition
KJV: For where envying and strife
INT: where indeed jealousy and self-interest [are]

16 Occurrences

2204
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