5354. phthoneó
Lexical Summary
phthoneó: To envy, to be jealous

Original Word: φθονέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: phthoneó
Pronunciation: fthon-eh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (fthon-eh'-o)
KJV: envy
NASB: envying
Word Origin: [from G5355 (φθόνος - envy)]

1. to be jealous of

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
envy.

From phthonos; to be jealous of -- envy.

see GREEK phthonos

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 5354 phthonéō (from 5355 /phthónos) – to envy, becoming bitter (sour) because of another person's success. 5354 /phthonéō is used only in Gal 5:26. See 5355 (phthonos).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from phthonos
Definition
to envy
NASB Translation
envying (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 5354: φθονέω

φθονέω, φθόνῳ; (φθόνος); from Homer down; to envy: τίνι, one, Galatians 5:26 (here L text Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading read the accusative; see Buttmann, § 132, 15 Rem.; Winer's Grammar, § 31, 1 b.).

Topical Lexicon
Definition and Linguistic Background

Strong’s Greek 5354 (phthoneó) denotes the active practice of envy—harboring resentful discontent that begrudges another’s blessings and seeks their diminution. While related to 5355 (phthonos, “envy”), the verb stresses an ongoing disposition or action rather than a settled noun-form state. In classical and Hellenistic Greek, phthoneó often carried the idea of malign jealousy that plots harm. The New Testament retains this ethical weight, viewing envy as a fracture of love and a work of the flesh incompatible with life in the Spirit.

Biblical Usage

Galatians 5:26 contains the sole canonical occurrence: “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another” (Berean Standard Bible). Paul places φθονοῦντες between provocation and self-conceit, illustrating how inflated self-regard breeds competition that blossoms into envy. Although 5354 appears only here, its noun cognate (5355) and synonymous terms reinforce the same moral prohibition (Romans 1:29; 1 Timothy 6:4; Titus 3:3; 1 Peter 2:1).

Context within Galatians

1. Contrast with the Spirit’s fruit (Galatians 5:22–23). Envy directly opposes love, joy, and peace.
2. Warning to the church community. Galatia’s doctrinal strife (circumcision controversy) produced rivalry; Paul identifies envy as a toxin that neutralizes Christian liberty.
3. Flesh versus Spirit motif. Phthoneó epitomizes “the works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19–21) and exemplifies how believers must “crucify the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).

Theological Significance

• Rooted in idolatry: Envy covets status or possessions, displacing satisfaction in God’s providence (Exodus 20:17; Colossians 3:5).
• Communal sin: Its primary victim is the fellowship of believers, breeding division (1 Corinthians 3:3).
• Antithesis of agapē: Love “does not envy” (1 Corinthians 13:4). The Spirit produces generosity, the flesh produces resentment.
• Preview of divine judgment: Persistent envy belongs to the catalogue of sins that “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21).

Historical and Cultural Background

Greco-Roman writers viewed phthonos as a destructive social force, feared even among friends. In popular religion the “evil eye” reflected envy’s perceived power. Paul’s Jewish heritage had long condemned envy (Proverbs 14:30; Wisdom of Solomon 2:24 links it to death’s entrance). Against this cultural backdrop, Paul calls the Galatians to a countercultural ethic of Spirit-led mutual service.

Related Biblical Themes and Texts

• Cases illustrating envy’s damage: Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:4–8), Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 37:11), Saul toward David (1 Samuel 18:8–9), the chief priests toward Jesus (Mark 15:10).
• Apostolic warnings: “Let us behave decently… not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy” (Romans 13:13).
• Positive alternative: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

1. Diagnostics: Envy often masquerades as righteous concern. Leaders should help believers identify subtle resentments toward others’ gifts, ministries, or blessings.
2. Cultivating contentment: Regular thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6) and meditation on God’s sovereignty undermine envy’s root.
3. Promoting honor culture: Churches that publicly celebrate others’ successes (Romans 12:10) dismantle comparison-based identities.
4. Conflict resolution: Where envy has produced strife, Galatians 6:1–2 directs Spirit-led restoration rather than concealment or dismissal.

Implications for Spiritual Formation

• Prayer: Confession of envy followed by intercession for the envied person transforms competitive impulses into charity.
• Service: Deliberate acts of kindness toward those envied reorient the heart from rivalry to partnership.
• Vision of glory: Fixing hope on the “unfading crown” (1 Peter 5:4) relativizes temporal distinctions that spark envy.

Homiletical Considerations

Preaching Galatians 5:26 can:
• Expose modern arenas of envy—social media, vocational advancement, ministry platforms.
• Contrast the sterile barrenness of envy with the flourishing of Spirit fruit.
• Offer Christ’s example: at the cross He absorbed the envy of rulers (Matthew 27:18) yet repaid with saving grace.

Conclusion

Phthoneó, though appearing only once in the Greek New Testament, distills a perennial human sin that corrodes Christian community. By walking in the Spirit, believers are empowered to replace envy with love, competition with cooperation, and resentment with rejoicing, thereby displaying the unity for which Christ prayed (John 17:21).

Forms and Transliterations
φθονουντες φθονούντες φθονοῦντες phthonountes phthonoûntes
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Galatians 5:26 V-PPA-NMP
GRK: προκαλούμενοι ἀλλήλοις φθονοῦντες
NAS: one another, envying one another.
KJV: one another, envying one another.
INT: provoking one another envying

Strong's Greek 5354
1 Occurrence


φθονοῦντες — 1 Occ.

5353
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