Covet

Covet - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

COVET, v.t.

1. To desire or wish for, with eagerness; to desire earnestly to obtain or possess; in a good sense.

Covet earnestly the best gifts. 1 Cor 12.

2. To desire inordinately; to desire that which it is unlawful to obtain or possess; in a bad sense.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors house, wife or servant. Exo 20.

COVET, v.i. To have an earnest desire. 1 Tim 6.

Envy - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

EN'VY, v.t. [L. invideo, in and video, to see against, that is, to look with enmity.]

1. To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another's prosperity; to fret or grieve one's self at the real or supposed superiority of another, and to hate him on that account.

Envy not thou the oppressor. Prov 3.

Whoever envies another, confesses his superiority.

2. To grudge; to withhold maliciously.

To envy at, used by authors formerly, is now obsolete.

Who would envy at the prosperity of the wicked?

EN'VY, n. Pain, uneasiness, mortification or discontent excited by the sight of another's superiority or success, accompanied with some degree of hatred or malignity, and often or usually with a desire or an effort to depreciate the person, and with pleasure in seeing him depressed. Envy springs from pride, ambition or love, mortified that another has obtained what one has a strong desire to possess.

Envy and admiration are the Scylla and Charybdis of authors.

All human virtue, to its latest breath,

Finds envy never conquered, but by death.

Emulation differs from envy, in not being accompanied with hatred and a desire to depress a more fortunate person.

Envy, to which th' ignoble mind's a slave,

Is emulation in the learn'd or brave.

It is followed by of or to. They did this in envy of Caesar, or in envy to his genius. The former seems to be preferable.

1. Rivalry; competition. [Little used.]

2. Malice; malignity.

You turn the good we offer into envy.

3. Public odium; ill repute; invidiousness.

To discharge the king of the envy of that opinion.

Jealous - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

JEALOUS, a. jel'us.

1. Suspicious; apprehensive of rivalship; uneasy through fear that another has withdrawn or may withdraw from one the affections of a person he loves, or enjoy some good which he desires to obtain; followed by of, and applied both to the object of love and to the rival. We say, a young man is jealous of the woman he loves, or jealous of his rival. A man is jealous of his wife,and the wife of her husband.

2. Suspicious that we do not enjoy the affection or respect of others, or that another is more loved and respected than ourselves.

3. Emulous; full of competition.

4. Solicitous to defend the honor of; concerned for the character of.

I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts.

1 Ki 19.

5. Suspiciously vigilant; anxiously careful and concerned for.

I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. 2 Cor 11.

6. Suspiciously fearful.

'Tis doing wrong creates such doubts as these,

Renders us jealous and destroys our peace.

Jealousy - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

Suspicion of a wife's purity, one of the strongest passions (Num. 5:14; Prov. 6:34; Cant. 8:6); also an intense interest for another's honour or prosperity (Ps. 79:5; 1 Cor. 10:22; Zech. 1:14).

Jealousy - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

JEALOUSY, n. jel'usy.

1. That passion of peculiar uneasiness which arises from the fear that a rival may rob us of the affection of one whom we love, or the suspicion that he has already done it; or it is the uneasiness which arises from the fear that another does or will enjoy some advantage which we desire for ourselves. A man's jealousy is excited by the attentions of a rival to his favorite lady. A woman's jealousy is roused by her husband's attentions to another woman. The candidate for office manifests a jealousy of others who seek the same office. The jealousy of a student is awakened by the apprehension that his fellow will bear away the palm of praise. In short,jealousy is awakened by whatever may exalt others, or give them pleasures and advantages which we desire for ourselves. Jealousy is nearly allied to envy, for jealousy, before a good is lost by ourselves, is converted into envy, after it is obtained by others.

Jealousy is the apprehension of superiority.

Whoever had qualities to alarm our jealousy, had excellence to deserve our fondness.

2. Suspicious fear or apprehension.

3. Suspicious caution or vigilance, an earnest concern or solicitude for the welfare or honor of others. Such was Paul's godly jealousy for the Corinthians.

4. Indignation. God's jealousy signifies his concern for his own character and government, with a holy indignation against those who violate his laws, and offend against his majesty. Psa 79.

kuv'-et ('awah; zeloo, "to desire earnestly," "to set the heart and mind upon anything"): Used in two senses: good, simply to desire earnestly but legitimately. e.g. the King James Version 1Co 12:31; 14:39; bad, to desire unlawfully, or to secure illegitimately (batsa`; epithumeo, Ro 7:7; 13:9, etc.); hence, called "lust" (Mt 5:28; 1Co 10:6), "concupiscence" (the King James Version Ro 7:8; Col 3:5).

en'-vi (qin'ah; zelos, phthonos):

"Envy," from Latin in, "against," and video, "to look," "to look with ill-will," etc., toward another, is an evil strongly condemned in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is to be distinguished from jealousy. "We are jealous of our own; we are envious of another man's possessions. Jealousy fears to lose what it has; envy is pained at seeing another have" (Crabb's English Synonyms). In the Old Testament it is the translation of qin'ah from kana', "to redden," "to glow" (Job 5:2, the Revised Version (British and American) "jealousy," margin "indignation"; in Isa 26:11 the Revised Version (British and American) renders "see thy zeal for the people"; Pr 27:4, etc.); the verb occurs in Ge 26:14, etc.; Nu 11:29 the King James Version; Ps 106:16; Pr 3:31, etc.; in the New Testament it is the translation of phthonos, "envy" (Mt 27:18; Ro 1:29; Ga 5:21, "envyings," etc.); of zelos, "zeal", "jealousy," "envy" (Ac 13:45), translated "envying," the Revised Version (British and American) "jealousy" (Ro 13:13; 1Co 3:3; 2Co 12:20; Jas 3:14,16); the verb phthoneo occurs in Ga 5:26; zeloo in Ac 7:9; 17:5, the Revised Version (British and American) "moved with jealousy"; 1Co 13:4, "charity (the Revised Version (British and American) "love") envieth not."

The power of envy is stated in Pr 27:4: "Who is able to stand before envy?" (the Revised Version (British and American) "jealousy"); its evil effects are depicted in Job 5:2 (the Revised Version (British and American) "jealousy"), in Pr 14:30 (the Revised Version, margin "jealousy"); it led to the crucifixion of Christ (Mt 27:18; Mr 15:10); it is one of "the works of the flesh" (Ga 5:21; compare Ro 1:29; 1Ti 6:4); Christian believers are earnestly warned against it (Ro 13:13 the King James Version; 1Co 3:3 the King James Version; Ga 5:26; 1Pe 2:1). In Jas 4:5 "envy" is used in a good sense, akin to the jealousy ascribed to God. Where the King James Version has "The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy," the Revised Version (British and American) reads "Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?"; the American Revised Version, margin "The spirit which he made to dwell in us he yearneth for even unto jealous envy"; compare Jer 3:14; Ho 2:19 f; or the English Revised Version, margin "That spirit which he made to dwell in us yearneth (for us) even unto jealous envy." This last seems to give the sense; compare "Ye adulteresses" (Ho 2:4), the American Revised Version, margin "That is, who break your marriage vow to God."

W. L. Walker

jel'-us-i (qin'ah; zelos): Doubtless, the root idea of both the Greek and the Hob translated "jealousy" is "warmth," "heat." Both are used in a good and a bad sense--to represent right and wrong passion.

When jealousy is attributed to God, the word is used in a good sense. The language is, of course, anthropomorphic; and it is based upon the feeling in a husband of exclusive right in his wife. God is conceived as having wedded Israel to Himself, and as claiming, therefore, exclusive devotion. Disloyalty on the part of Israel is represented as adultery, and as provoking God to jealousy. See, e.g., De 32:16,21; 1Ki 14:22; Ps 78:58; Eze 8:3; 16:38,42; 23:25; 36:5; 38:19.

When jealousy is attributed to men, the sense is sometimes good, and sometimes bad. In the good sense, it refers to an ardent concern for God's honor. See, e.g., Nu 25:11 (compare 1Ki 19:10; 2Ki 10:16); 2Co 11:2 (compare Ro 10:2). In the bad sense it is found in Ac 7:9; Ro 13:13; 1Co 3:3; 2Co 12:20; Jas 3:14,16.

The "law of jealousy" is given in Nu 5:11-31. It provided that, when a man suspected his wife of conjugal infidelity, an offering should be brought to the priest, and the question of her guilt or innocence should be subjected to a test there carefully prescribed. The test was intended to be an appeal to God to decide the question at issue.

See ADULTERY; SACRIFICE.

E. J. Forrester

Definition

The terms “envy” and “envious” refer to being jealous of someone because of what that person possesses or because of that person’s admirable qualities or abilities. The term “covet” means to strongly desire to have something.

• Envy is normally a negative feeling of resentment because of another person’s success, good fortune, possessions, or abilities.
• Coveting is a strong desire to have someone else’s property, or even someone else’s spouse.
• In some contexts the terms “jealous” and “jealousy” can mean “envy.”

Translation Suggestions

• When the terms “jealous” and “jealousy” refer to being wrongfully “envious” of someone the terms “envious” or “envy” could be used if the context permits.

(See also: jealous)

Bible References

• 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
• 1 Peter 2:1
• Exodus 20:17
• Mark 7:20-23
• Proverbs 3:31-32
• Romans 1:29

Word Data

• Strong’s: H0183, H1214, H1215, H2530, H3415, H5869, H7065, H7068, G08660, G19370, G22050, G22060, G37130, G37880, G41230, G41240, G41900, G53540, G53550, G53660

Definition

The terms “jealous” and “jealousy” in this sense refer to a strong desire to protect the purity of a relationship. They can also refer to a strong desire to keep possession of something or someone (See Numbers 11:29).

• The term “jealous” is used to describe the angry feeling that a person has toward their spouse when they suspect that their spouse has been unfaithful in their marriage (See Numbers 5:14).
• The terms “jealous” and “jealousy” are often used to describe God’s strong desire that his covenant people love him, remain spiritually faithful to him, and keep him foremost in their affections.
• When used in the Bible, these terms often refer to God’s strong desire for his people to remain pure and unstained by sin.
• God is “jealous” for his glory, desiring that he be treated with honor and reverence.

Translation Suggestions

• Ways to translate “jealous” could include “strong protective desire” or “possessive desire.”
• The term “jealousy” could be translated as “strong protective feeling” or “possessive feeling.”
• When talking about God, make sure the translation of these terms does not give a negative meaning of being resentful or envious of someone else.

(See also: envy)

Bible References

Word Data

• Strong’s: H7065, H7067, H7068, H7072, G22050, G22060, G38630