Zeal, Religious

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

General scriptures concerning

• Joshua 24:15–16 But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!” The people replied…
• 2 Samuel 24:24–25 “No,” replied the king, “I insist on paying a price, for I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
• 1 Kings 9:4 And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances,
• 1 Kings 15:14 The high places were not removed, but Asa’s heart was fully devoted to the LORD all his days.
• 1 Chronicles 29:17 I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to You.
• 2 Chronicles 15:15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it with all their heart. They had sought Him earnestly, and He was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.
• 2 Chronicles 19:3 However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God.”
• Ezra 7:23 Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for His house. For why should wrath fall on the realm of the king and his sons?
• Job 16:19 Even now my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high.
• Psalm 42:1–2 For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God’s presence?

Exemplified

• Exodus 32:31–32 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made gods of gold for themselves. Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.”
• Numbers 10:29 Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of Moses’ father-in-law Reuel the Midianite, “We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said: ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.”
• Numbers 11:29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous on my account? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would place His Spirit on them!”
• Deuteronomy 9:18–19 Then I fell down before the LORD for forty days and forty nights, as I had done the first time. I did not eat bread or drink water because of all the sin you had committed in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD and provoking Him to anger. For I was afraid of the anger and wrath that the LO…
• Joshua 24:14–16 Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your…
• 1 Samuel 17:26 David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
• 1 Kings 8:42–43 for they will hear of Your great name and mighty hand and outstretched arm— when he comes and prays toward this temple, then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You. Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear Yo…
• 1 Kings 22:14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever the LORD tells me.”
• 2 Chronicles 6:33 then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You. Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and they will know that this house I have built is called by Your Name.
• Job 6:10 It still brings me comfort, and joy through unrelenting pain, that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

Instances of

Moses

• Exodus 2:12 After looking this way and that and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.
• Exodus 11:8 And all these officials of yours will come and bow before me, saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that, I will depart.” And hot with anger, Moses left Pharaoh’s presence.
• Exodus 32:19–20 As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he burned with anger and threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the base of the mountain. Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the wat…

Phinehas

• Numbers 25:7–13 On seeing this, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand, followed the Israelite into the tent, and drove the spear through both of them— through the Israelite and on through the belly of the woman. So the plague against the Israelites…
• Psalm 106:30 But Phinehas stood and intervened, and the plague was restrained.

Joshua

• Numbers 11:27–29 A young man ran and reported to Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” Joshua son of Nun, the attendant to Moses since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” But Moses replied, “Are you jealous on my account? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that th…
• Joshua 7:6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
• Joshua 8:28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day.

Gideon

• Judges 6:11–32 Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” “P…

Jephthah

• Judges 11:30–31 Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out the door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
• Judges 11:34–39 And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her. As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You…

Samuel

• 1 Samuel 12:23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way.
• 1 Samuel 15:11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all that night.
• 1 Samuel 15:35 And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
• 1 Samuel 16:1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.”

King Saul

• 1 Samuel 14:38–44 Therefore Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the troops, and let us investigate how this sin has occurred today. As surely as the LORD who saves Israel lives, even if it is my son Jonathan, he must die!” But not one of the troops said a word. Then Saul said to all Israel, “You stand on one s…

King David

• 2 Samuel 6 David again assembled the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand in all. And he and all his troops set out for Baale of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name— the name of the LORD of Hosts, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on it. They set the ark of G… (whole chapter)
• 2 Samuel 7:2 he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”
• 2 Samuel 8:11–12 and King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued— from Edom and Moab, from the Ammonites and Philistines and Amalekites, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

Elijah

• 1 Kings 19:10 “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.”

Obadiah

• 1 Kings 18:3–4 and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD, for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)

Jehoash

• 2 Kings 12:2–16 And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days he was instructed by Jehoiada the priest. Nevertheless, the high places were not removed; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there. Then Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money brought as sacred gifts into…

Jehu

• 2 Kings 9 Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner… (whole chapter)
• 2 Kings 10 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying: “When this letter arrives, since your master’s sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and… (whole chapter)

Jehoiada

• 2 Kings 11:4–17 Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards, and had them brought into the house of the LORD. There he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king’s son and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of…
• 2 Chronicles 23:1–17 Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada strengthened himself and made a covenant with the commanders of hundreds — with Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. So they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from…

Asa

• 1 Kings 15:11–15 And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done. He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. He also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Ash…
• 2 Chronicles 14:1–5 Then Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Asa reigned in his place, and in his days the land was at peace for ten years. And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. He removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacre…
• 2 Chronicles 14:15 They also attacked the tents of the herdsmen and carried off many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

Josiah

• 2 Kings 22 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right… (whole chapter)
• 2 Kings 23 Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And he went up to the house of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the prophets— all the people small and great— and in their hearing he read all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had… (whole chapter)
• 2 Chronicles 34:3–7 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his father David, and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images. Then in his presence the altars of the Baals wer…
• 2 Chronicles 34:29–33 Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And he went up to the house of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the Levites— all the people great and small— and in their hearing he read all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had b…

Priests

• 1 Chronicles 9:13 and 1,760 of their relatives, the heads of their families, able men for the work of the service of the house of God.
• Ezra 8:17–18 And I sent them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, with a message for him and his kinsmen, the temple servants at Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God. And since the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us Sherebiah— a man of insight from the descend…

Ezra

• Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.
• Ezra 9 After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moa… (whole chapter)
• Ezra 10 While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites — men, women, and children — gathered around him, and the people wept bitterly as well. Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, an Elamite, said to Ezra: “We have been unfaith… (whole chapter)

Nehemiah

• Nehemiah 4:5 Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.
• Nehemiah 8 At that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and… (whole chapter)
• Nehemiah 13:7–9 to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God. And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the a…
• Nehemiah 13:15–28 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day. Additionally, men o…

Jeremiah

• Jeremiah 25:3–4 “From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day— twenty-three years— the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. And the LORD has sent all His servants the prophets to you again and again, but you have n…

Shepherds

• Luke 2:17–18 After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Anna

• Luke 2:38 Coming forward at that moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the Child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Andrew and Philip

• John 1:41–46 He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ). Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter). The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galil…

Two blind men proclaiming the miracle of healing, contrary to the injunction of Jesus

• Matthew 9:30–31 And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one finds out about this!” But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout the land.

The restored leper

• Mark 1:44–45 “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” But the man went out and openly began to proclaim and spread the news. Consequently, Jesus could no longer enter a town in plain view, but He s…

The healed deaf-mute man

• Mark 7:36 Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more He ordered them, the more widely they proclaimed it.

Peter rebuking Jesus

• Matthew 16:22 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. “Far be it from You, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to You!”

Peter

• Acts 2:14–40 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice, and addressed the crowd: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen carefully to my words. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It is only the third hour of the day! No, this is what was spoken by…
• Acts 3:12–26 And when Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you surprised by this? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over a…

John

See JOHN THE BAPTIST

Paul and Barnabas

• Acts 11:22–26 When news of this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to abide in the Lord with all their hearts. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of p…
• Acts 14:14–15 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul found out about this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting, “Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made he…

Phoebe

• Romans 16:1–2 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. Welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her with anything she may need from you. For she has been a great help to many people, including me.

Ephesians

• Revelation 2:2–3 I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles. Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of My name.
• Revelation 2:6 But you have this to your credit: You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

See JESUS, ZEAL OF

See also, EXEMPLIFIED BY PAUL, below

Exemplified by Paul

• Acts 9:20–29 Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring , “He is the Son of God.” All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”
• Acts 13:16–52 Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me! The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during their stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of that land. He endured th…
• Acts 14:1–28 At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue, where they spoke so well that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaki…
• Acts 15:26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Acts 15:30–36 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they assembled the congregation and delivered the letter. When the people read it, they rejoiced at its encouraging message. Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers. After spending som…
• Acts 15:41 And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
• Acts 16:10 As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
• Acts 16:13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there.
• Acts 16:17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”
• Acts 16:31–32 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.

Without Knowledge

• Ecclesiastes 7:16 Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
• Matthew 8:19–20 And one of the scribes came to Him and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
• Luke 9:57–58 As they were walking along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever You go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
• John 16:2 They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.
• Acts 21:20 When they heard this, they glorified God. Then they said to Paul, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.
• Romans 10:2–3 For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge. Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
• Galatians 1:13–14 For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
• Galatians 4:17 Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.
• Philippians 1:15–18 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. The former, however, preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can add to the distress of my c…

In Punishing Evil People

Moses and Levites

• Exodus 32:20 Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it.
• Exodus 32:26–29 So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him. He told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you men is to fasten his sword to his side, go back and forth through the camp from gate to ga…

Phinehas

• Numbers 25:11–13 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the Israelites; for he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My zeal. Declare, therefore, that I am granting him My covenant of peace. It will be a covenant of permanent pr…
• Psalm 106:30–31 But Phinehas stood and intervened, and the plague was restrained. It was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.

Israelites

• Joshua 22:11–20 Then the Israelites received the report: “Behold, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the border of the land of Canaan, at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side.” And when they heard this, the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh t…
• Judges 20 Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah. The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people: 400,000 men on foot, armed with s… (whole chapter)

Samuel

• 1 Samuel 15:33 But Samuel declared: “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

David

• 2 Samuel 1:14 So David asked him, “Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?”
• 2 Samuel 4:9–12 But David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, when someone told me, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was a bearer of good news, I seized him and put him to death at Ziklag. That was…

Elijah

• 1 Kings 18:40 Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.

Jehu

• 2 Kings 10:15–28 When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab, who was coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him and asked, “Is your heart as true to mine as my heart is to yours?” “It is!” Jehonadab replied. “If it is,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand, and Jehu helped him into his chario…

Jehoiada

• 2 Kings 11:18 So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. And Jehoiada the priest posted guards for the house of the LORD.

Josiah

• 2 Kings 23:20 On the altars he slaughtered all the priests of the high places, and he burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

In Reproving Iniquity

See REPROOF, FAITHFULNESS IN