1, zelos
denotes “zeal” in the following passages: John 2:17, with objective genitive,
i.e., “zeal for Thine house;” so in Rom. 10:2, “a zeal for God;” in 2 Cor. 7:7,
RV, “(your) zeal (for me),” AV, “(your) fervent mind (toward me);” used absolutely
in 2 Cor. 7:11; 9:2; Phil. 3:6 (in Col. 4:13 in some texts; the best have
ponos, “labor,” RV). See ENVY, Note, FERVENT, C, Note (2), INDIGNATION, A, Note
(3), JEALOUSY.
A-1,Noun, zelotes
is used adjectivally, of “being zealous” (a) “of the Law,” Acts 21:20; (b)
“toward God,” lit., “of God,” Acts 22:3, RV, “for God;” (c) “of spiritual
gifts,” 1 Cor. 14:12, i.e., for exercise of spiritual gifts (lit., “of
spirits,” but not to be interpreted literally); (d) “for (AV, 'of') the
traditions of my fathers,” Gal. 1:14, of Paul's loyalty to Judaism before his
conversion; (e) “of good works,” Titus 2:14.
The word
is, lit., “a zealot,” i.e., “an uncompromising partisan.” The “Zealots” was a
name applied to an extreme section of the Pharisees, bitterly antagonistic to
the Romans. Josephus (Antiq. xviii. 1. 1, 6; B.J. ii. 8. 1) refers to them as
the “fourth sect of Jewish philosphy” (i.e., in addition to the Pharisees,
Sadducees, and Essenes), founded by Judas of Galilee (cp. Acts 5:37). After his
rebellion in A.D. 6, the Zealots nursed the fires of revolt, which, bursting
out afresh in A.D. 66, led to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70. To this sect
Simon, one of the Apostles, had belonged, Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13. The equivalent
Hebrew and Aramaic term was “Cananean” (Matt. 10:4); this is not connected with
Canaan, as the AV “Canaanite” would suggest, but is derived from Heb. quanna,
“jealous.”
B-1,Verb,
zeloo
“to be jealous,” also signifies “to seek or desire eagerly;” in Gal. 4:17, RV,
“they zealously seek (you),” in the sense of taking a very warm interest in; so
in Gal. 4:18, Passive Voice, “to be zealously sought” (AV, “to be zealously
affected”), i.e., to be the object of warm interest on the part of others; some
texts have this verb in Rev. 3:19 (see No. 2). See AFFECT, Note, COVET, DESIRE,
ENVY, JEALOUS.
B-2,Verb,
zeleuo
a late and rare form of No. 1, is found in the best texts in Rev. 3:19, “be
zealous.”
Note:
For spoudazo, Gal. 2:10, RV, see DILIGENT, B, No. 1.