Topical Bible: Jealousy: Figurative

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In the Bible, jealousy is often depicted not only as a human emotion but also as a figurative expression of God's relationship with His people. This figurative use of jealousy is primarily seen in the context of God's covenant with Israel and His desire for their exclusive devotion.

Divine Jealousy

The concept of divine jealousy is rooted in God's covenantal relationship with Israel. In Exodus 20:5, God declares, "You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God." Here, jealousy is portrayed as God's protective zeal for His people, desiring their undivided worship and allegiance. This divine jealousy is not petty or insecure but is a righteous demand for faithfulness, akin to the exclusivity expected in a marriage covenant.

In Deuteronomy 4:24, the nature of God's jealousy is further emphasized: "For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." This imagery of a consuming fire underscores the intensity and purity of God's desire for His people's loyalty, highlighting the seriousness of idolatry and spiritual adultery.

Jealousy as a Metaphor for Idolatry

The prophets frequently use the metaphor of jealousy to describe Israel's unfaithfulness through idolatry. In Ezekiel 8:3-5, the prophet is shown a vision of the "idol that provokes to jealousy," symbolizing the abominations that Israel committed, which stirred God's jealous anger. This figurative use of jealousy illustrates the deep betrayal felt by God when His people turn to other gods, violating the covenant relationship.

Similarly, in Hosea 2:19-20, God speaks of betrothing Israel to Himself in faithfulness, using marital imagery to convey His jealous love. The metaphor of marriage serves to illustrate the depth of God's commitment and the pain of Israel's infidelity.

Jealousy in the New Testament

In the New Testament, the theme of divine jealousy continues, particularly in the context of the church as the bride of Christ. In 2 Corinthians 11:2, Paul expresses a godly jealousy for the Corinthian believers: "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him." Here, Paul's jealousy reflects his concern for the spiritual purity and fidelity of the church to Christ, echoing the Old Testament theme of God's jealous love for His people.

Jealousy and Human Relationships

While divine jealousy is portrayed positively as a righteous attribute of God, human jealousy is often depicted negatively in Scripture. James 3:14-16 warns against bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, describing them as earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. This contrast highlights the difference between God's holy jealousy and the destructive nature of human jealousy when it is rooted in sin and self-interest.

In summary, the figurative use of jealousy in the Bible serves as a powerful metaphor for God's passionate commitment to His people and His desire for their exclusive devotion. It underscores the seriousness of idolatry and spiritual unfaithfulness while also providing a framework for understanding the depth of God's love and the call to holiness.

Nave's Topical Index

2 Corinthians 11:2
For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Second Commandment
... to signify his power, yet it is absurd, from such metaphors and figurative expressions,
to ... Jealousy is taken, [1] In a good sense, as God is jealous for his ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 2 the second commandment.htm

Jesus and the Disciples
... apparently supposed the cross of their Lord to be such a figurative one as ... Estrangement,
jealousy and ambition, the passions of the world heaving in the bosom ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 9 28-37 jesus and the.htm

Exposition of the Present State of the Churches.
... Jealousy of authority and the lust of individual mastery splits the sailors into ...
77. Turn now I beg you from this figurative description to the unhappy reality ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/chapter xxx exposition of the.htm

Divine Things Wrapped up in Figures Both in the Sacred and in ...
... But in using the figurative style, by transposing and transferring, by changing
and by ... and signs are all more or less obscure to men, not from jealousy (for it ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter iv divine things wrapped up.htm

The Early Ministry in Judea
... He clothed his reply in a figurative dress, as he was often wont to do ... disciples
administered baptism in connection with his work roused the jealousy of some ...
/.../rhees/the life of jesus of nazareth/ii the early ministry in.htm

Of the Parables of the Lost Ewe and the Lost Drachma.
... your cups come forward to show whether even in them the figurative meaning of ... the
flock; or even himself, perhaps, by anger, by pride, by jealousy, (or)"as ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/on modesty/chapter vii of the parables of.htm

Whether a Suitable Cause Can be Assigned for the Ceremonies which ...
... The figurative cause is that the bread signifies Christ Who is the "living bread ...
And since the sacrifice "of jealousy" did not proceed from devotion, but rather ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether a suitable cause can.htm

Chapter xxxvi
... be "satire" (Spitznamen), some a "boast" (Prahlnamen), some merely "figurative,"
as found ... The resulting jealousy of the native inhabitants will have made their ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxvi.htm

CHAPTER III.
... to anger with their vanities; and I will move them to jealousy with those ... 5 must
be considered as an appendix, in which, without any figurative covering, the ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chapter iii.htm

The Eternity of God
... In the sacrifice of jealousy, Numbers 5:55, no oil was put to it; so, in the ... There
is a figurative description of God in Daniel 7:7. The Ancient of Days did sit ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/3 the eternity of god.htm