Original Word: παραζηλόω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: parazéloó
Pronunciation: pah-rah-zay-LOH-oh
Phonetic Spelling: (par-ad-zay-lo'-o)
KJV: provoke to emulation (jealousy)
NASB: make jealous, move to jealousy, provoke to jealousy
Word Origin: [from G3844 (παρά - than) and G2206 (ζηλόω - desire earnestly)]

1. to stimulate alongside, i.e. excite to rivalry

provoke to jealousy.

From para and zeloo; to stimulate alongside, i.e. Excite to rivalry -- provoke to emulation (jealousy).

see GREEK para

see GREEK zeloo

3863 parazēlóō (from 3844 /pará, "from close beside" and 2206 /zēlóō, "boil over with desire") – properly, to apply heavy ("hot") pressure to provoke change, especially in an "up-close-and-personal" way (note the force of para).

Word Origin
from para and zéloó
Definition
to provoke to jealousy
NASB Translation
make...jealous (2), move to jealousy (1), provoke...to jealousy (1).

STRONGS NT 3863: παραζηλόω

παραζηλόω, παραζήλω; future παραζηλώσω; 1 aorist παρεζηλωσα; to provoke to ζῆλος (see παρά, IV. 3);

a. to provoke to jealousy or rivalry: τινα, Romans 11:11, 14 (1 Kings 14:22; Sir. 30:3); ἐπί τίνι (see ἐπί, B. 2 a. δ. at the end), Romans 10:19 (Deuteronomy 32:21).

b. to provoke to anger: 1 Corinthians 10:22 (on this see Prof. Hort in WH's Appendix, p. 167) (Psalm 36:1, 7f (f)).

Conceptual Background

Parazēloō (Strong’s 3863) describes the deliberate stirring of another to jealousy or emulation. In Scripture it carries the weight of covenant relationship: the One provoked is either Israel, called to respond to God’s saving work among the Gentiles, or God Himself, whose exclusive right to worship is challenged by idolatry.

Old Testament Roots

Paul’s use of the term echoes Deuteronomy 32:21, where the LORD warns Israel, “They have made Me jealous by what is no god… so I will make them jealous by those who are not a nation.” This Mosaic song supplies the theological groundwork: jealousy is not petty envy but the righteous passion of a covenant partner who demands fidelity.

Occurrences in the New Testament

• Romans 10:19 – “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation without understanding.”
• Romans 11:11 – Gentile salvation is “to make Israel jealous,” a strategic move in God’s redemptive plan.
• Romans 11:14 – Paul personalizes the divine strategy, hoping “that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them.”
• 1 Corinthians 10:22 – A severe warning: “Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?”

Theological Significance

1. Divine Strategy for Israel

Gentile inclusion is not an afterthought but a means to rekindle Israel’s desire for her Messiah. Jealousy becomes a gracious spur, leading to eventual national restoration (Romans 11:26).
2. Covenant Jealousy of God

The same verb warns believers against idolatry. To flirt with pagan worship is to affront the Lord’s exclusive claim (1 Corinthians 10:22).
3. Human Agency in Salvation History

Paul’s missionary ambition shows that provoking jealousy can be an evangelistic tool, pressing Israel to reconsider Christ through the vibrant faith of Gentile believers.

Practical Ministry Implications

• Church witness among Jewish communities should be marked by holiness and mercy, showcasing covenant blessings that rightly belong to Israel.
• Idolatry—whether literal or the modern substitutes of materialism and syncretism—still provokes the Lord. Pastors must guard congregations against divided loyalties.
• Healthy emulation within the body of Christ is encouraged: believers stir one another “to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24), a positive counterpart to parazēloō’s negative sense.

Historical Application in the Church

Throughout missions history, testimonies of transformed Gentile lives have often awakened Jewish interest in Jesus of Nazareth. Conversely, periods when the Church compromised with worldly idols invited divine discipline, echoing 1 Corinthians 10:22.

Related Terms and Themes

Jealousy (zēlos), Zeal (zelos), Idolatry, Covenant Fidelity, Remnant, Gentile Inclusion, Missions Strategy.

Key Questions for Reflection

• Does my life create a godly appeal that might draw others—Jew or Gentile—to Christ?
• Are there practices in my worship that risk provoking the Lord’s jealousy?
• How can the Church embody the riches of the New Covenant in a way that fulfills God’s purpose of making Israel desirous of her Messiah?

παραζήλου παραζηλουμεν παραζηλούμεν παραζηλοῦμεν παραζηλωσαι παραζηλώσαι παραζηλῶσαι παραζηλωσω παραζηλώσω παραζώνην παρεζήλωσαν παρεζήλωσάν παρεζήλωσεν parazelosai parazelôsai parazēlōsai parazēlō̂sai parazeloso parazelṓso parazēlōsō parazēlṓsō parazeloumen parazeloûmen parazēloumen parazēloûmenInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts