φθονέω
phthonéō
G5354 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To feel or harbor envy; to bear a grudge or resentment toward another due to their perceived advantage, success, or possession. The verb entails the sense of experiencing or expressing ill will or discontent prompted by another's good fortune. In some contexts, it may also involve acting upon hostile feeling or rivalry arising from envy.
Semantic Range
to feel envy, to show jealousy or resentment, to begrudge, to act with ill will prompted by rivalry or envy, to be hostile due to envy
Root / Etymology
From the noun φθόνος (envy, jealousy, ill will), which is of uncertain etymology but appears in classical and later Greek; the verb form is a denominative derived from this noun.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, φθονέω is regularly used in the sense of begrudging or envying someone else's good, often with an implication of hostile or resentful feeling. The concept carried moral and social weight, often condemned as divisive and destructive of communal harmony. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, including the Septuagint and New Testament, the verb continues to denote the act of feeling or displaying envy, though it can also carry nuances of rivalry or resentment that lead to hostile action. In the New Testament, it commonly appears in lists of vices or as an attitude opposing love and unity within the community. English translations usually render it as 'envy' or 'be jealous of', but the Greek nuance often includes the aspect of ill will or antagonism implied in the action. Compared to related terms such as ζηλόω (to be jealous, zealous), φθονέω is more negative, as ζηλόω can denote positive emulation. Φθονέω is absent from early Homeric Greek, but well attested in later prose and poetry, including the Septuagint translations of Hebrew terms for envy and resenting another's good.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from φθόνος; to be jealous of:--envy.
Root Family
φθον- (phthonéō) — to envy, to resent, to bear ill will
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5354-01 |
φθονοῦντες | phthonountes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
envying | those envying | envying | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5354-01 |
Galatians 5:26 | φθονοῦντες | phthonountes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
envying | those envying | envying |