Is God Jealous?

Introduction

Welcome to Torah Today Ministries in our continuing series The Hebrew Key, where we take some complex idea or problem in scripture and we find the Hebrew word or phrase or idiom that unlocks it and helps it to make sense to us.

And one of these issues that’s often been confusing to people is: is God a jealous God? Is he really jealous? I mean, after all, we tend to think of jealousy as being a very negative character trait. And yet throughout the scriptures, God is called a jealous God. How do we reconcile this?

And you may know as well that this word that’s translated “jealous” is also the word that is translated “zealous.” Jealousy and zeal share the same Hebrew word.

Qana (קָנָא) – Jealousy and Zeal

So how do we reconcile it? What do we do with this? Well, let’s take a look at the word that is at the root of the issue. And here we see the Hebrew verb qana (קָנָא) — qof, nun, aleph. And sometimes it is translated “to be zealous,” sometimes “to be jealous.”

Now again, try to think — how does zeal and jealousy correspond to one another? And just working with English definitions and connotations makes it almost impossible to fit these two together. So what we’re going to have to do, as we look at the word qana (קָנָא), is temper our idea of what zeal is and what jealousy is. Because we’re going to find that qana (קָנָא) is something that lands somewhere in between the two, and we have to temper our definitions of these — and then they will blend together. So just stick with me and you’ll see what I mean.

Psalm 69:9; John 2:17 – Zeal for Your House

Well, let’s take some examples of how this word is translated “zealous” and also translated “jealous.” The first one is in Psalm 69:9, where it says:

For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.— Psalm 69:9

This, of course, is a prophecy of the Messiah. And in John’s Gospel, chapter 2, verse 17, when Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) drove the money changers out of the Temple, John quotes this passage. This is how it reads:

His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” — John 2:17

So here we see the word “zeal” translating the Hebrew word qana (קָנָא).

Genesis 30:1 – Rachel’s Jealousy

But in Genesis chapter 30, verse 1, it says:

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister. — Genesis 30:1

Same word — qana (קָנָא). So it’s obvious that we can’t translate “zeal” in the first verse as “jealousy,” and we can’t translate the word “jealous” in the second verse as “zealous.” It just doesn’t work. These are translated appropriately, yet they both come from the same Hebrew word qana (קָנָא).

Numbers 25:11–13 – Phinehas (פִּינְחָס)

Now, sometimes it’s not obvious which way to translate the word qana (קָנָא). Here’s one of them — it comes from this week’s Torah (תּוֹרָה) portion, in fact. And that’s what gave me the idea to do a teaching on this word qana (קָנָא), because as I record this, it’s the first week of July, and the Torah (תּוֹרָה) portion is Pinchas (פִּינְחָס) — Phinehas. And Phinehas was a person who’s very zealous for God — or jealous for God — depends on how you want to translate the word.

The English Standard Version translates these verses — Numbers 25, verses 11 to 13 — in this way:

“Phinehas (פִּינְחָס) the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy.” — Numbers 25:11

Other translations will have “that he was zealous with my zeal… and that I did not consume the people of Israel in my zeal.” And then the word is used a fourth time down in verse 13.

So which is the right way to translate this? Can we even know the right way to translate this? Well, I wish we had an exact English word that captures the essence of the word qana (קָנָא).

The Emotion of Ownership

But here’s the thing to remember: when you read the word qana (קָנָא), which we translate “jealous” or “zealous,” it has to do with the emotion that surrounds ownership. Better yet — it describes the attachment between an owner and what is owned. It describes that attachment between an owner and what is owned.

Qanah (קָנָה) – To Purchase, To Acquire

A homophone of the word qana (קָנָא) — which is also pronounced qanah (קָנָה), which is what makes it a homophone, two words that sound alike — is the word qanah (קָנָה), spelled qof, nun, hey. The last letter is different. And it means “to purchase” or “to legally acquire.” So if you purchase something at the store, or you inherit something, you have qanah’d (קָנָה) that thing — with a hey.

This word is first found in Genesis chapter 4, verse 1:

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain (קַיִן), saying, “I have qanah (קָנָה) — I have acquired — a man with the help of Adonai (אֲדֹנָי).” — Genesis 4:1

So since she qanah’d (קָנָה) — she acquired — a man with the help of Adonai (אֲדֹנָי), she named him Cain (קַיִן), after the word qanah (קָנָה).

Qin’ah (קִנְאָה) – The Noun

So let’s put all these together, because at this point I can almost feel you becoming confused. Here we see the verb qana (קָנָא) with an aleph (א), which means “to be jealous” or “zealous” — at least, that’s how it’s translated, one of those two ways. Here’s qanah (קָנָה) with a hey (ה), which means “to purchase” or “acquire.”

But what’s really interesting is when you combine these last two letters — the aleph (א) and the hey (ה) — you get the word qin’ah (קִנְאָה), qof-nun-aleph-hey, which is the noun for “zeal” or “jealousy.” So the noun of the word “to be jealous” or “to be zealous” is hearkening back to this word “to purchase, to own.”

So again, we see that this word qana (קָנָא) has to do with the relationship between an owner and what is owned.

The Parking Lot Analogy

Now let’s take an example here, an analogy. Let’s say you had to run into the store. You’re a husband, and you left your wife in the car in the parking lot. You go into the store to pick up whatever it is you’re getting. You come back out of the store, and when you see your car in the parking lot, you see your wife in the car — you see a man trying to pick the lock to get into your car.

Now, the scriptures will use the word qana (קָנָא) to describe this man’s emotions and your emotions as well. Because qana (קָנָא) has to do with the relationship between an owner and what is owned.

So the feeling you have about your wife and your car and the things in your car — that is qana (קָנָא) as zeal. Because you own that car. That wife is your wife. That man has no business coming near your possession, and more importantly, your own wife. So you feel this feeling of anger — “That is mine. She is my wife. Get away from her.” And so that’s qana (קָנָא).

And so when you go back to the passage in Numbers, when it describes Phinehas’ (פִּינְחָס) jealousy for God — because God is jealous, and he was jealous for me — you can understand a little bit why this word is used that way. Because God’s people are God’s people. And they’d begun to worship idols and involve themselves in very immoral behavior. And Phinehas (פִּינְחָס) took action because he recognized God as the owner of his people, the one who loves his people. They are his. And Phinehas (פִּינְחָס) acted on behalf of God because he recognized proper ownership.

But now let’s go back to the parking lot example. That thief — the feeling he has, the drive he has — is also described with the same Hebrew word, the word qana (קָנָא). It’s not that he owns the car, or that he’s married to the woman in it. But he wants ownership of the car and/or its contents, including your wife. And that action he’s taking based on his desire for ownership — that’s also called qana (קָנָא).

Two Sides of Qana (קָנָא)

So we see qana (קָנָא) can have a very positive foundation. You could have also a very negative foundation. You can be the feelings you have as the owner, or the craving you have to be the owner.

You might be saying, “Well, what’s the difference between this and covetousness?” Well, we’re commanded not to covet — it is, after all, in one of the Ten Commandments. To covet is strictly desire. But when you take actions upon that desire — based on that desire, you begin to act — then you’ve moved from covetousness to qana (קָנָא). You’re trying to change the order and relationship of things to where you become the owner.

Now, in Rachel’s case, her action was simply to really get angry and frustrated and chew out her husband Jacob — “Give me children, or I’ll die.” And that was an inappropriate way to approach this. It wasn’t Jacob’s fault that she could not have children. But she took action — in her case, the action was simply speech — and so it was an inappropriate action.

Song of Solomon – Mutual Belonging

You know, I was discussing this with Robin yesterday, and she says, “Well, I don’t like the wife analogy because it sounds like the man owns the wife.” And I thought for a moment, and I thought — she’s right. But then I thought of the passage in Song of Solomon:

Ani l’dodi v’dodi li (אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי לִי) — I am my beloved’s and he is mine. — Song of Solomon 6:3

And in a loving marriage relationship, the wife belongs to the husband, the husband belongs to the wife. And they both experience zeal to protect that relationship between the owner and the owned. Both of them are property to the other. Both of them are owners of the other. And it’s a beautiful thing if it’s kept healthy and alive and strong.

So with that in mind, the two sides of qana (קָנָא): the positive side is zeal — to protect what is rightfully owned. That’s that recognition of the proper relationship I have with what I have legally acquired. But the negative side is jealousy — which is the desire to own something that belongs to another, and to take action upon that. But in both cases, we have the word “own” involved.

Exodus 34:14 – El Qanna (אֵל קַנָּא)

Now let’s look at this verse — Exodus 34:14:

For you shall worship no other god, for Adonai (אֲדֹנָי), whose name is Qanna (קַנָּא) — Jealous — is his name. He is a jealous God (El Qanna / אֵל קַנָּא). — Exodus 34:14

Here it is in Hebrew: ki Adonai Qanna shemo, El Qanna hu (כִּי אֲדֹנָי קַנָּא שְׁמוֹ אֵל קַנָּא הוּא) — “For Adonai (אֲדֹנָי), Jealous is his name; he is a jealous God, an El Qanna (אֵל קַנָּא).”

So how do we translate this word “jealous”? It’s not the jealousy of one young girl who’s jealous of another young girl’s looks, or a guy who’s jealous of another guy’s athletic ability. It’s simply this: God is jealous because he knows what is his. We are not our own. We’ve been bought with a price. God’s people were his people. They were in a covenant relationship together, like a husband and wife. And they were being lured away purposely by idolatry and by wickedness.

And he had this emotion arise in him — both of desire for what is his and anger against the one who’s intruding into this relationship he has with his redeemed, covenant people.

Conclusion

So hopefully in this mess of explanation and Hebrew words and English words, something begins to arise — an image in your mind of what qana (קָנָא) is. And if we can begin to visualize in our minds what qana (קָנָא) is, we see that jealousy and zeal — though each one captures a part of what the word means — they both fall a little bit short. But we have to take the two of them together, temper them a bit, sand off the rough edges. When we do, we come up with a somewhat accurate idea of what qana (קָנָא) means in Scripture.

So — is God a jealous God? Yes, but in a very good way. Is he a zealous God? Yes. He loves us with a passion, and he wants to protect and take care of what he owns, what he’s purchased, because he loves it so very, very much.

So hopefully this will be helpful to you as you encounter these difficult concepts that arise in our translations of the Hebrew scriptures. So till next time, I wish you shalom (שָׁלוֹם) and may God bless.

Teaching Material

Hebrew Word Studies

• Qana (קָנָא) — “To be jealous, to be zealous”; the verb at the heart of this teaching, spelled qof-nun-aleph. It describes the emotion surrounding ownership — both the protective zeal of a rightful owner and the grasping jealousy of one who desires what belongs to another. God is called El Qanna (אֵל קַנָּא) — not petty jealousy, but the fierce love of an owner who has purchased his people and will not let them be stolen. — Strong’s H7065
• Qanah (קָנָה) — “To purchase, to acquire, to legally obtain”; spelled qof-nun-hey. The homophone of qana (קָנָא) with a different final letter. First used in Genesis 4:1 when Eve says “I have acquired (qanah / קָנָה) a man with the help of Adonai (אֲדֹנָי)” — and names her son Cain (קַיִן) after this word. The connection between qana (קָנָא) and qanah (קָנָה) reveals that jealousy/zeal is rooted in the concept of ownership. — Strong’s H7069
• Qin’ah (קִנְאָה) — “Zeal, jealousy” (noun); spelled qof-nun-aleph-hey. Combines the aleph (א) ending of qana (קָנָא) with the hey (ה) ending of qanah (קָנָה), linking the emotion to the concept of purchase and ownership. Used four times in Numbers 25:11–13 to describe both God’s jealousy and Phinehas’ (פִּינְחָס) matching zeal. — Strong’s H7068
• El Qanna (אֵל קַנָּא) — “A jealous God”; the divine title in Exodus 34:14. God’s name is Qanna (קַנָּא) — Jealous — because he is the rightful owner of his covenant people. His jealousy is the zeal of a husband whose wife is being lured away, not petty envy. — Strong’s H7067
• Cain / Qayin (קַיִן) — The first son of Adam and Eve, named after the verb qanah (קָנָה) — “I have acquired a man.” His name is built from the same root as the jealousy/zeal word family. — Strong’s H7014
• Pinchas (פִּינְחָס) — “Phinehas”; the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest. He turned back God’s wrath because “he was jealous/zealous with my jealousy/zeal” (Numbers 25:11). He recognized God’s rightful ownership of his people and acted on God’s behalf. The Torah (תּוֹרָה) portion bearing his name prompted this teaching. — Strong’s H6372 · Sefaria: Pinchas
• Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) — “Salvation”; fulfilled Psalm 69:9 when he drove the money changers from the Temple — “Zeal (qin’ah / קִנְאָה) for your house will consume me” (John 2:17). His zeal was the protective passion of the owner’s son for his Father’s house. — Strong’s H3442
• Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) — “Lord, Master”; Adonai Qanna shemo (אֲדֹנָי קַנָּא שְׁמוֹ) — “the Lord, Jealous is his name” (Exodus 34:14). — Strong’s H136
• Shalom (שָׁלוֹם) — “Peace, wholeness, completeness.” — Strong’s H7965

Scripture References

Open All Scripture in Bible Gateway

• Psalm 69:9 — “Zeal (qin’ah / קִנְאָה) for your house has consumed me” — a messianic prophecy fulfilled by Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) at the Temple
• John 2:17 — “His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me’” — Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) driving out the money changers
• Genesis 30:1 — “Rachel became jealous (qana / קָנָא) of her sister” — the same word used negatively, as desire for what another possesses leading to inappropriate action
• Numbers 25:11–13 — Phinehas (פִּינְחָס) “was jealous/zealous with my jealousy/zeal” — the word qana (קָנָא) used four times, describing rightful protective ownership
• Genesis 4:1 — Eve names her son Cain (קַיִן): “I have acquired (qanah / קָנָה) a man with the help of Adonai” — the homophone connecting ownership to jealousy/zeal
• Exodus 34:14 — “Adonai (אֲדֹנָי), whose name is Qanna (קַנָּא) — Jealous — is his name. He is a jealous God (El Qanna / אֵל קַנָּא)”
• Song of Solomon 6:3 — “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li (אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי לִי) — I am my beloved’s and he is mine” — mutual ownership in a loving covenant, the proper context for qana (קָנָא)
• 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 — “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price” — the New Testament expression of qanah (קָנָה), God’s purchase of his people

External References & Further Study

• Numbers 25: Phinehas’ Zeal — Sefaria — Hebrew and English text with rabbinic commentary on the relationship between jealousy, zeal, and righteous action
• Song of Solomon 6:3 — Sefaria — “I am my beloved’s and he is mine” — mutual belonging as the model for understanding qana (קָנָא) in covenant relationship
• Torah Today Ministries — Home of The Hebrew Key and other Torah-centered teachings