Acts 5:17

Further Trouble for the Apostles

5:17 Now the high priest rose up, and all those with him (that is, the religious party of the Sadducees ¹ ), ²  and they were filled with jealousy. ³ 

Acts 17:5

17:5 But the Jews became jealous, ⁴  and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, ⁵  they formed a mob ⁶  and set the city in an uproar. ⁷  They attacked Jason’s house, ⁸  trying to find Paul and Silas ⁹  to bring them out to the assembly. ¹⁰ 

Genesis 37:11

37:11 His brothers were jealous ¹¹  of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said. ¹² 

Numbers 11:29

11:29 Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for me? ¹³  I wish that ¹⁴  all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

Ecclesiastes 4:4

Labor Motivated by Envy

4:4 Then I considered ¹⁵  all the skillful work ¹⁶  that is done:

Surely it is nothing more than ¹⁷  competition ¹⁸  between one person and another. ¹⁹ 

This also is profitless – like ²⁰  chasing the wind.

Isaiah 26:11

26:11 O Lord, you are ready to act, ²¹ 

but they don’t even notice.

They will see and be put to shame by your angry judgment against humankind, ²² 

yes, fire will consume your enemies. ²³ 

Matthew 27:18

27:18 (For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy.) ²⁴ 

Luke 15:25-30

15:25 “Now his older son was in the field. As ²⁵  he came and approached the house, he heard music ²⁶  and dancing. 15:26 So ²⁷  he called one of the slaves ²⁸  and asked what was happening. 15:27 The slave replied, ²⁹  ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf ³⁰  because he got his son ³¹  back safe and sound.’ 15:28 But the older son ³²  became angry ³³  and refused ³⁴  to go in. His father came out and appealed to him, 15:29 but he answered ³⁵  his father, ‘Look! These many years I have worked like a slave ³⁶  for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet ³⁷  you never gave me even a goat ³⁸  so that I could celebrate with my friends! 15:30 But when this son of yours ³⁹  came back, who has devoured ⁴⁰  your assets with prostitutes, ⁴¹  you killed the fattened calf ⁴²  for him!’

Romans 1:29

1:29 They are filled ⁴³  with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with ⁴⁴  envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips,

Romans 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁴⁵  a slave ⁴⁶  of Christ Jesus, ⁴⁷  called to be an apostle, ⁴⁸  set apart for the gospel of God. ⁴⁹ 

Colossians 3:3

3:3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Galatians 5:21

5:21 envying, ⁵⁰  murder, ⁵¹  drunkenness, carousing, ⁵²  and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

James 3:14-16

3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. 3:15 Such ⁵³  wisdom does not come ⁵⁴  from above but is earthly, natural, ⁵⁵  demonic. 3:16 For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice.

James 4:5

4:5 Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, ⁵⁶  “The spirit that God ⁵⁷  caused ⁵⁸  to live within us has an envious yearning”? ⁵⁹ 

[5:17]  ¹ sn See the note on Sadducees in 4:1.

[5:17]  ² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[5:17]  ³ sn Filled with jealousy. In Acts, the term “jealousy” (ζήλος, zhlos) occurs only here and in Acts 13:45. It is a key term in Judaism for religiously motivated rage (1 Macc 2:24; 1QH 14:13-15; m. Sanhedrin 9:5). It was a zeal motivated by a desire to maintain the purity of the faith.

[17:5]  ⁴ tn Grk “becoming jealous.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. So elsewhere in Acts (5:17; 7:9; 13:45).

[17:5]  ⁵ tn Literally ἀγοραῖος (agoraio") refers to the crowd in the marketplace, although BDAG 14-15 s.v. ἀγοραῖος 1 gives the meaning, by extension, as “rabble.” Such a description is certainly appropriate in this context. L&N 15.127 translates the phrase “worthless men from the streets.”

[17:5]  ⁶ tn On this term, which is a NT hapax legomenon, see BDAG 745 s.v. ὀχλοποιέω.

[17:5]  ⁷ tn BDAG 458 s.v. θορυβέω 1 has “set the city in an uproar, start a riot in the city” for the meaning of ἐθορύβουν (eqoruboun) in this verse.

[17:5]  ⁸ sn The attack took place at Jason’s house because this was probably the location of the new house church.

[17:5]  ⁹ tn Grk “them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:5]  ¹⁰ tn BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2 has “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly προάγειν εἰς τὸν δ. Ac 17:5.”

[37:11]  ¹¹ sn Joseph’s brothers were already jealous of him, but this made it even worse. Such jealousy easily leads to action, as the next episode in the story shows. Yet dreams were considered a form of revelation, and their jealousy was not only of the favoritism of their father, but of the dreams. This is why Jacob kept the matter in mind.

[37:11]  ¹² tn Heb “kept the word.” The referent of the Hebrew term “word” has been specified as “what Joseph said” in the translation for clarity, and the words “in mind” have been supplied for stylistic reasons.

[11:29]  ¹³ tn The Piel participle מְקַנֵּא (mÿqanne’) serves as a verb here in this interrogative sentence. The word means “to be jealous; to be envious.” That can be in a good sense, such as with the translation “zeal,” or it can be in a negative sense as here. Joshua’s apparent “zeal” is questioned by Moses – was he zealous/envious for Moses sake, or for some other reason?

[11:29]  ¹⁴ tn The optative is expressed by the interrogative clause in Hebrew, “who will give….” Moses expresses here the wish that the whole nation would have that portion of the Spirit. The new covenant, of course, would turn Moses’ wish into a certainty.

[4:4]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “saw.”

[4:4]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “all the toil and all the skill.” This Hebrew clause (אֶת־כָּל־עָמָל וְאֵת כָּל־כִּשְׁרוֹן, ’et-kol-’amal vÿ’et kol-kishron) is a nominal hendiadys (a figurative expression in which two independent phrases are used to connote the same thing). The second functions adverbially, modifying the first, which retains its full nominal function: “all the skillful work.”

[4:4]  ¹⁷ tn The phrase “nothing more than” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[4:4]  ¹⁸ tn The noun קִנְאַה (qin’ah, “competition”) has a wide range of meanings: “zeal; jealousy; envy; rivalry; competition; suffering; animosity; anger; wrath” (HALOT 1110 s.v.; BDB 888 s.v.). Here, as in 9:6, it denotes “rivalry” (BDB 888 s.v. 1) or “competitive spirit” (HALOT 1110 s.v. 1.b). The LXX rendered it ζῆλος (zhlos, “envy; jealousy”). The English versions reflect this broad range: “rivalry” (NEB, NAB, NASB), “envy” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NRSV, MLB, NIV, NJPS), and “jealousy” (Moffatt).

[4:4]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “a man and his neighbor.”

[4:4]  ²⁰ tn The word “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[26:11]  ²¹ tn Heb “O Lord, your hand is lifted up.”

[26:11]  ²² tn Heb “They will see and be ashamed of zeal of people.” Some take the prefixed verbs as jussives and translate the statement as a prayer, “Let them see and be put to shame.” The meaning of the phrase קִנְאַת־עָם (qin’at-’am, “zeal of people”) is unclear. The translation assumes that this refers to God’s angry judgment upon people. Another option is to understand the phrase as referring to God’s zealous, protective love of his covenant people. In this case one might translate, “by your zealous devotion to your people.”

[26:11]  ²³ tn Heb “yes, fire, your enemies, will consume them.” Many understand the prefixed verb form to be jussive and translate, “let [fire] consume” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The mem suffixed to the verb may be enclitic; if a pronominal suffix, it refers back to “your enemies.”

[27:18]  ²⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[15:25]  ²⁵ tn Grk “And as.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[15:25]  ²⁶ sn This would have been primarily instrumental music, but might include singing as well.

[15:26]  ²⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the older son hearing the noise of the celebration in progress.

[15:26]  ²⁸ tn The Greek term here, παῖς (pais), describes a slave, possibly a household servant regarded with some affection (L&N 87.77).

[15:27]  ²⁹ tn Grk “And he said to him.” Here δέ (de) has not been translated. The rest of the phrase has been simplified to “the slave replied,” with the referent (the slave) specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:27]  ³⁰ tn See note on the phrase “fattened calf” in v. 23.

[15:27]  ³¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the younger son) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:28]  ³² tn Grk “he”; the referent (the older son, v. 25) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:28]  ³³ tn The aorist verb ὠργίσθη (wrgisqh) has been translated as an ingressive aorist, reflecting entry into a state or condition.

[15:28]  ³⁴ sn Ironically the attitude of the older son has left him outside and without joy.

[15:29]  ³⁵ tn Grk “but answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “but he answered.”

[15:29]  ³⁶ tn Or simply, “have served,” but in the emotional context of the older son’s outburst the translation given is closer to the point.

[15:29]  ³⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to bring out the contrast indicated by the context.

[15:29]  ³⁸ sn You never gave me even a goat. The older son’s complaint was that the generous treatment of the younger son was not fair: “I can’t get even a little celebration with a basic food staple like a goat!”

[15:30]  ³⁹ sn Note the younger son is not “my brother” but this son of yours (an expression with a distinctly pejorative nuance).

[15:30]  ⁴⁰ sn This is another graphic description. The younger son’s consumption had been like a glutton. He had both figuratively and literally devoured the assets which were given to him.

[15:30]  ⁴¹ sn The charge concerning the prostitutes is unproven, but essentially the older brother accuses the father of committing an injustice by rewarding his younger son’s unrighteous behavior.

[15:30]  ⁴² sn See note on the phrase “fattened calf” in v. 23.

[1:29]  ⁴³ tn Grk “being filled” or “having been filled,” referring to those described in v. 28. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:29]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “malice, full of,” continuing the description. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:1]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ⁴⁶ tn Traditionally, “servant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ⁴⁷ tc Many important mss, as well as several others (̲⁶ א A G Ψ 33 1739 1881 Ï), have a reversed order of these words and read “Jesus Christ” rather than “Christ Jesus” (̹⁰ B 81 pc). The meaning is not affected in either case, but the reading “Christ Jesus” is preferred as slightly more difficult and thus more likely the original (a scribe who found it would be prone to change it to the more common expression). At the same time, Paul is fond of the order “Christ Jesus,” especially in certain letters such as Romans, Galatians, and Philippians. As well, the later Pauline letters almost uniformly use this order in the salutations. A decision is difficult, but “Christ Jesus” is slightly preferred.

[1:1]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “a called apostle.”

[1:1]  ⁴⁹ tn The genitive in the phrase εὐαγγέλιον θεοῦ (euangelion qeou, “the gospel of God”) could be translated as (1) a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or (2) an objective genitive (“the gospel about God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which God brings is in fact the gospel about himself. However, in view of God’s action in v. 2 concerning this gospel, a subjective genitive notion (“the gospel which God brings”) is slightly preferred.

[5:21]  ⁵⁰ tn This term is plural in Greek (as is “murder” and “carousing”), but for clarity these abstract nouns have been translated as singular.

[5:21]  ⁵¹ tc ‡ φόνοι (fonoi, “murders”) is absent in such important mss as Ì⁴⁶ א B 33 81 323 945 pc sa, while the majority of mss (A C D F G Ψ 0122 0278 1739 1881 Ï lat) have the word. Although the pedigree of the mss which lack the term is of the highest degree, homoioteleuton may well explain the shorter reading. The preceding word has merely one letter difference, making it quite possible to overlook this term (φθόνοι φόνοι, fqonoi fonoi).

[5:21]  ⁵² tn Or “revelings,” “orgies” (L&N 88.287).

[3:15]  ⁵³ tn Grk “This.”

[3:15]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “come down”; “descend.”

[3:15]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “soulish,” which describes life apart from God, characteristic of earthly human life as opposed to what is spiritual. Cf. 1 Cor 2:14; 15:44-46; Jude 19.

[4:5]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “vainly says.”

[4:5]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:5]  ⁵⁸ tc The Byzantine text and a few other mss (P 33 Ï) have the intransitive κατῴκησεν (katwkhsen) here, which turns τὸ πνεῦμα (to pneuma) into the subject of the verb: “The spirit which lives within us.” But the more reliable and older witnesses (Ì⁷⁴ א B Ψ 049 1241 1739 al) have the causative verb, κατῴκισεν (katwkisen), which implies a different subject and τὸ πνεῦμα as the object: “The spirit that he causes to live within us.” Both because of the absence of an explicit subject and the relative scarcity of the causative κατοικίζω (katoikizw, “cause to dwell”) compared to the intransitive κατοικέω (katoikew, “live, dwell”) in biblical Greek (κατοικίζω does not occur in the NT at all, and occurs one twelfth as frequently as κατοικέω in the LXX), it is easy to see why scribes would replace κατῴκισεν with κατῴκησεν. Thus, on internal and external grounds, κατῴκισεν is the preferred reading.

[4:5]  ⁵⁹ tn Interpreters debate the referent of the word “spirit” in this verse: (1) The translation takes “spirit” to be the lustful capacity within people that produces a divided mind (1:8, 14) and inward conflicts regarding God (4:1-4). God has allowed it to be in man since the fall, and he provides his grace (v. 6) and the new birth through the gospel message (1:18-25) to counteract its evil effects. (2) On the other hand the word “spirit” may be taken positively as the Holy Spirit and the sense would be, “God yearns jealously for the Spirit he caused to live within us.” But the word for “envious” or “jealous” is generally negative in biblical usage and the context before and after seems to favor the negative interpretation.