King James Bible Dictionary

JEALOUS, adjective 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 Suspicious; apprehensive of rivalship; uneasy through fear that another has withdrawn or may withdraw from one the affections of a person he loves, or enjoy some good which he desires to obtain; followed by of, and applied both to the object of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 Kings 19:10.

5. Suspiciously vigilant; anxiously careful and concerned for.

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

6. Suspiciously fearful.

'Tis doing wrong creates such doubts as these,

Renders us jealous and destroys our peace.

JEALOUSLY, adverb jel'usly. With jealousy or suspicion; emulously; with suspicious fear, vigilance or caution.

JEALOUSNESS, noun jel'usness. The state of being jealous; suspicion; suspicious vigilance.

Suspicion of a wife's purity, one of the strongest passions (Numbers 5:14; Proverbs 6:34; Song of Solomon 8:6); also an intense interest for another's honour or prosperity (Psalms 79:5; 1 Corinthians 10:22; Zechariah 1:14).

General references
Proverbs 6:34; Proverbs 27:4; Ecclesiastes 4:4; Song of Solomon 8:6

Law concerning, when husband is jealous of his wife
Numbers 5:12-31

Image of
Ezekiel 8:3-4

Attributed to God

General references
Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:13-14; Numbers 25:11; Deuteronomy 29:20; Deuteronomy 32:16; Deuteronomy 32:21; 1 Kings 14:22; Psalms 78:58; Psalms 79:5; Isaiah 30:1-2; Isaiah 31:1; Isaiah 31:3; Ezekiel 16:42; Ezekiel 23:25; Ezekiel 36:5-6; Ezekiel 38:19; Zephaniah 1:18; Zephaniah 3:8; Zech 1:14; Zech 8:2; 1 Corinthians 10:22
Anthropomorphisms

A spirit of emulation
Romans 10:19; Romans 11:11
Emulation; Envy

Figurative
2 Corinthians 11:2

Instances of:

Cain, of Abel
Genesis 4:5-6; Genesis 4:8

Sarah, of Hagar
Genesis 16:5

Joseph's brethren, of Joseph
Genesis 37:4-11; Genesis 37:18-28

Saul, of David
1 Samuel 18:8-30; 1 Samuel 19:8-24; 1 Samuel 20:24-34

Joab, of Abner
2 Samuel 3:24-27

Nathan, of Adonijah
1 Kings 1:24-26

Ephraimites, of Gideon
Judges 8:1

Ephraimites, of Jephthah
Judges 12:1

The brother, of the prodigal son
Luke 15:25-32

Sectional, between Israel and the tribe of Judah
2 Samuel 19:41-43

JEALOUSY, noun 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. Psalms 79:5.

The name of the offering the husband was to bring when he charged his wife with adultery (Numbers 5:11-15).

An idolatrous object, seen in vision by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 8:3, 5), which stood in the priests' or inner court of the temple. Probably identical with the statue of Astarte (2 Kings 21:7).

Water which the suspected wife was required to drink, so that the result might prove her guilt or innocence (Numbers 5:12-17, 27). We have no record of this form of trial having been actually resorted to.