STRONGS G2207:
ζηλωτής,
ζηλωτου,
ὁ (
ζηλόω),
one burning with zeal; a zealot;
1. absolutely, for the Hebrew
קַנָּא, used of God as jealous of any rival and sternly vindicating his control:
Exodus 20:5;
Deuteronomy 4:24, etc. From the time of the Maccabees () there existed among the Jews a class of men, called
Zealots, who rigorously adhered to the Mosaic law and endeavored even by a resort to violence, after the example of Phinehas (
Numbers 25:11,
ζηλωτής Φινης 4 Macc. 18:12), to prevent religion from being violated by others; but in the latter days of the Jewish commonwealth they used their holy zeal as a pretext for the basest crimes,
Josephus,
b. j. 4, 3, 9; 4, 5, 1; 4, 6, 3; 7, 8, 1. To this class perhaps Simon the apostle had belonged, and hence, got the surname
ὁ ζηλωτής:
Luke 6:15;
Acts 1:13; (cf.
Schürer, Neutest. Zeitgesch., Index under the word Zeloten; Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah, i. 237ff).
2. with the genitive of the object: with the genitive of the thing,
most eagerly desirous of, zealous for, a thing;
a. to acquire a thing (zealous of) (see
ζηλόω, 2):
1 Corinthians 14:12;
Titus 2:14;
1 Peter 3:13 L T Tr WH (
ἀρετῆς,
Philo, praem. et poen. § 2;
τῆς εὐσεβείας, de monarch. 50:1, § 3;
εὐσεβείας καί δικαιοσύνης, de poenit. § 1;
τῶν πολεμικων ἔργων,
Diodorus 1, 73;
περί τῶν ἀνηκόντων εἰς σωτηρίαν,
Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 45, 1 [ET]).
b. to defend and uphold a thing, vehemently contending for a thing (zealous for):
νόμου,
Acts 21:20 (2 Macc. 4:2);
τῶν πατρικῶν παραδόσεων,
Galatians 1:14 (
τῶν αἰγυπτιακων πλασματων,
Philo, vit. Moys. iii. § 19;
τῆς ἀρχαίας καί σώφρονος ἀγωγης,
Diodorus excerpt., p. 611 (from 50:37, vol. 2:564 Didot)); with the genitive of person:
Θεοῦ, intent on protecting the majesty and authority of God by contending for the Mosaic law,
Acts 22:3. (In secular authors also
an emulator, admirer, imitator, follower of anyone.)
THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
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All rights reserved. Used by permission. BibleSoft.com
BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's
- Exodus
-
20:5
- Numbers
-
25:11
- Deuteronomy
-
4:24
- Luke
-
6:15
- Acts
-
1:13; 21:20; 22:3
- 1 Corinthians
-
14:12
- Galatians
-
1:14
- Titus
-
2:14
- 1 Peter
-
3:13