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What does the Bible say about Jealousy? #BibleStudy


The Bible mentions jealousy in several passages, and generally presents it as a negative emotion. In the Ten Commandments, for example, it says "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (Exodus 20:17, NRSV).


Proverbs also warn against jealousy, stating that "jealousy is a rage, fury, it is cruel, like death, everyone who is jealous is a destroyer, he doesn't spare any flesh" (27:4)

On the New Testament, Jesus also mention about envy as one of the seven deadly sins in Mark 7:22 "For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness."


However, there are also passages that express positive forms of jealousy, such as the jealousy God feels for his people, as in the verse from Joel 2:18 "Then the Lord became jealous for his land and had pity on his people."

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