Greek word · G5355

φθόνος

phthonos

envy

Envy: being pained by another person's good fortune and wishing they did not have it. It differs from zēlos, which can be positive zeal or rivalry. Phthonos was almost always counted as a vice.

Appears 9 times in 9 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 24, 2026

What it means

φθόνος, -ου, ὁ

[in LXX: Wisdom of Solomon 2:24 6:23, 1Ma.8:16, 3Ma.6:7 * ;]

envy: Romans 1:29, Galatians 5:21, 1 Timothy 6:4, Titus 3:3, 1 Peter 2:1; διὰ φθόνον, Matthew 27:18, Mark 15:10, Philippians 1:15; πρὸς φθόνον ἐπιποθεῖ τ. πνεῦμα (on the meaning, see R, txt., mg. 1, 2; Hort, Ja., 93 f.), James 4:5.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 1 Peter 2:1

Range of meaning: Envy: being pained by another person's good fortune and wishing they did not have it. It differs from zēlos, which can be positive zeal or rivalry. Phthonos was almost always counted as a vice.
Against the English: Most versions have 'envy' or 'envies'. NLT uses 'jealousy', which in modern English often means fear of losing what one has rather than resentment of what someone else has.
Used elsewhere in the period: Aristotle (Rhetoric 2.10) defines it as pain at the good fortune of one's equals. Wisdom 2:24: 'through the devil's envy death entered the world.' Mark 15:10 says the chief priests handed Jesus over 'out of envy'. 1 Clement 3–6 traces the deaths of Peter and Paul to 'jealousy and envy'.

From the study of Matthew 27:18

Range of meaning: Envy: pain or resentment at another person's good fortune, honour or success, usually joined to a wish to take it away or harm them. Greek moral writers set it apart from zēlos ("zeal, emulation, jealousy"), which could be good or bad. Zēlos might mean wanting what another has, or burning for a good cause. Phthonos was almost always a vice, because it wants the other person to lose.
Against the English: Most versions say "envy" (KJV, ESV, NASB, BSB, WEB, YLT), which is accurate. NIV (2011) says "self-interest." That rightly points to the leaders' stake in their own position, but it drops the emotional, personal resentment the word carries.
How it drifted: Modern English often uses "envy" lightly, as in "I'm so envious of your holiday," or treats it as a private feeling. To an ancient reader phthonos was a dangerous social force, linked to the 'evil eye' and known to lead to murder. The English word is right but has lost much of its weight.
Used elsewhere in the period: Aristotle (Rhetoric 2.10) defines envy as pain at the good fortune of one's equals, felt not because one wants the good thing but because the other has it. Wisdom of Solomon 2:24: "through the envy (phthonos) of the devil death entered the world." 1 Maccabees 8:16 praises the Romans because there is "no envy or jealousy" among them. Josephus (Antiquities 2) and Philo (On Joseph) both describe Joseph's brothers as moved by phthonos. The Testament of Simeon in the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs makes "the spirit of envy" the cause of the plot against Joseph. In the NT it appears in vice lists (Rom 1:29; Gal 5:21; 1 Pet 2:1). 1 Clement 3–6 (c. 96 AD) gives a whole list of deaths caused by "jealousy and envy," from Abel to Peter and Paul. Latin invidia (Vulgate here) comes from in-videre, "to look against," the evil eye.

From the study of James 4:5

Range of meaning: Envy: grudging resentment at another's good fortune, usually wanting to take it away. In Greek moral writing it is one of the ugliest passions. In a few texts it overlaps with ζῆλος (zēlos, 'zeal, jealousy'), and the two can be paired as near-synonyms (1 Macc 8:16: 'there is no envy or jealousy among them').
Against the English: Translations that make God the subject render it 'jealously' (NIV, ESV, NRSV, NASB). That borrows the honourable sense of the Old Testament's 'jealous God', but that biblical idea is normally expressed with zēlos, not phthonos. BSB's 'with envy' and KJV's 'to envy' keep the word's normal meaning.
How it drifted: English 'jealous' can be noble (a husband's rightful jealousy, God's jealousy) or petty. Greek phthonos was almost never noble, so rendering it 'jealously' quietly changes its usual colour.
Used elsewhere in the period: Every other New Testament use is negative: the envy that handed Jesus over (Matt 27:18; Mark 15:10), vice lists (Rom 1:29; Gal 5:21; 1 Tim 6:4; Titus 3:3; 1 Pet 2:1). Wisdom 2:24: 'through the devil's envy death entered the world.' Greek thinkers insisted the divine has no phthonos: Plato says the creator was good 'and in the good no envy ever arises' (Timaeus 29e), and 'envy stands outside the divine chorus' (Phaedrus 247a). Philo repeatedly calls God free of envy. The Testament of Simeon in the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs is a whole sermon against envy as a spirit that takes over a person.

Similar words

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

Matthew 27:18 φθόνον envy

For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.

Here: Envy in the full ancient sense: resentment at someone else's success or standing, with a wish to see them brought down. It was counted among the most destructive passions. Here it is the real motive behind what had been presented as a legal charge.

Mark · 1

Mark 15:10 φθόνον envy

For he knew it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over.

Romans · 1

Romans 1:29 φθόνου, of envy,

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,

Here: Begrudging resentment at another's good, the wish that they did not have it. It is set next to phonou in a sound-play: phthonou phonou, 'envy, murder.'

Galatians · 1

Galatians 5:21 φθόνοι, envyings,

and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Here: Plural: 'envyings', meaning outbreaks of envy. This is the resentment that someone else has something good and the wish that they lose it. It ends the long run of community-wrecking attitudes that began in verse 20 (hatred, strife, jealousy, rage, rivalries, divisions, factions).

Philippians · 1

Philippians 1:15 φθόνον envy

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.

Here: Resentment at someone else's standing or success, together with a wish to see it reduced. Here it is aimed at Paul: his prominence, even in chains, bothers these preachers.

1 Timothy · 1

1 Timothy 6:4 φθόνος, envy,

he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and disputes about words, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions,

Here: "Envy": resentment at another's standing or success. In a contest of teachers, this is envy of a rival's following or reputation.

Titus · 1

Titus 3:3 φθόνῳ envy

For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

Here: Resentment at someone else's good fortune, and the wish to see them lose it. It destroys community.

James · 1

James 4:5 φθόνον envy

Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?

Here: In Greek this almost always means bad envy: resentment at what someone else has. It is the word in New Testament vice lists. Whether James can use it for God's jealous love is the crux of the verse.

1 Peter · 1

1 Peter 2:1 φθόνους envies

Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.

Here: Plural: outbreaks of envy, the pain of seeing someone else do well and the wish that they hadn't.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.