I was reading Galatians 5, and wondered, what is the difference between envy and jealousy? -- James Daly
The terms and the ideas they connote are very similar, even overlapping a little. Zelos is the Greek for jealousy or zeal (a related word and concept). Phthonos is the usual Greek word for envy, jealousy, spite.
If I may generalize, when we envy, we want something someone else has; when we are jealous, we are unwilling to share that which is ours. Envy is a negative thing; jealousy may at times be positive. (E.g., when we are protecting our marriage commitment.)
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