The term "zealous jealousy" is redundant, or "overly redundant and repetitive". If you like that, you would like the "worldwide global pandemic that is everywhere" (the phraseology, not the actual situation).

More: Matthew 6:7-8 Vain repetitions of vain repetitions

A "seek" is not the same as a "search".

In Greek, the word for "search" is related to "research".

More: Seeking a research way to search

In Greek, the words for "seek", "zeal" and "damage" are related.

The Greek word for "zeal" went through the following historical stages.

• Seeking some goal.
• Competing with someone in seeking the same goal.
• An eager rivalry in that competition for the same goal.
• Damage that results from that eager rivalry - particularly in terms of warfare.

In winning at all costs, each step results in more competition, rivalry, damage, etc.

Within reason, there is nothing wrong with having goals and objects.

• "Person 1" make seek a "Goal".
• "Person 2" make seek the same "Goal".
• "Person 3" may have or possess an "Object".

Note that a "Goal", as with an "Object", can be concrete or abstract.

The word "eristic" in reasoning means a non-valid way of reasoning. This can create what is called "strife". Such reasoning is often associated with "zealous" competition for the same goal such that bad reasoning is used to sway others to one's point of view.

More: Eristic reasoning creates strife and contention

To be "zealous" or "jealous" is to have an eager rivalry with someone else for the same object or goal.

This is typically a zero-sum game in that when one side wins the other side loses. This is modeled in most sports competitions where even a tie score may result in one side winning something and the other side losing something. This is a win-lose situation.

Non-zero sum games are typical in business whereby both sides can win in what is called a win-win situation.

Zero-sum games are particularly competitive because of finite resources such as time, space, money, feelings, etc.

More: Game theory: Two player zero sum games

Let us now look at a few verses that the KJV (King James Version) translates the word for "zealous" as "jealous" or "envious", etc. For each, discuss the following question.

How does it change the meaning of the "jealous" or "envious", etc., is taken as an "eager competition" or "eager rivalry" to obtain the same object or goal in a zero-sum game - where one side wins and the other side loses (due to finite resources of that same object or goal)?

Many of the translations appear to be influenced by the Latin.

• The Latin word "zelus" ≈ "zeal, emulation" with a secondary meaning of "jealousy" and which comes from the ancient Greek word "ζῆλος" ≈ "eager rivalry".
• The Latin word "aemulor" ≈ "rival, emulate".

In these verses, the Greek word is translated as Latin zeal.

In these verses, the Greek word is translated as Latin rivalry or emulation.

The noun "zeal" will be used here for an eager rivalry and taken to be synonymous with the adjectives "zealous" and "jealous", ignoring other English meanings and connotations of "jealous".

The following verses use the Greek word for "zeal" which is sometimes translated as "jealous".

Note that Wictionary does not show a connection with "ζέω" nor a connection with "jealous" - which is part of Strongs concordance of definitions.

During the Jewish War from 66-70 AD, the Zealots were a political group that pushed the confrontation with Rome. Josephus lists them after the Pharisees, Sadducee and Essenes.

The name comes from the ancient Greek word "ζηλωτής" ≈ "emulator, zealous follower" which was used to translate the Hebrew.

• The Hebrew word "קנאי" (kanai) ≈ "zealot".

Some modern writers, for various reason, prefer to call them the "revolutionaries" rather than the "zealots".

Some think that the use of the word "zeal" by Paul indicates that he may have been associated with the movement of the Zealots.

Were all of these Jews "zealots"?

The English word "jealous" comes from the Old English word "jelous" ≈ "jealous" which comes, through Latin, from the ancient Greek word "ζῆλος" ≈ "zeal". Somewhere along the way the definition and connotation changed from "zealous" to "jealous".

Try making the following progression of sounds: "z", "tz", "j".

How might the following verses be interpreted with a more conventional Greek definition of "zealous"?

The "jealous" appears to have come through the Latin from the Greek where the words had some differences.

The following verses use the Greek word for "seek".

More: Matthew 6: Seek to eat , drink and be married to Jesus

In this verse, the "seek" appears to indicate that the goal is known to exist and is obtainable.

Have you ever heard or suspected that someone had interpreted the "seek" as a "search", as in "searching" one's soul or self to "find themselves" (as in a search)?

Does this make a difference?

Simon the Zealot was named as one of the 12 disciples of Jesus.


Luke labels Simon with "Zealot" in both Luke and Acts. In the other Gospels, the name is just "Simon".

The following words use the Greek word for "damage".

In this verse, Paul uses the Greek word for "damage" as "loss".

• To "covet" is to want some object.
• "Envy" is wanting on object that someone else has.
• To "seek" is to pursue a goal.
• "Zeal" is to compete with someone for the same goal.

"Zeal" can be destructive and lead to damage.

In Greek, the words for "seek", "zeal" and "damage" are related.