Envy is a certain grief of mind conceived upon the sight of another's felicity, whether real or supposed, so that we see that it consists partly of hatred, and partly of grief. The careless student usually thinks of envy and jealousy as virtually synonymous. It is our intention to make a proper distinction in them.
Envy is always sinful.
It proceeds from evil tendencies and produces evil consequences. Jealousy, which comes from the same word as zealous, may be either good or evil, depending upon its object. Jealousy is derived from zelotypia, a compound form consisting of zelos, and typia, to strike or fill. It means to be struck full of passion, or to be inflamed with intense desire or longing. God desires his people with just such a yearning.