ζηλωτής

zhlwthv" zhlwthv",
zhlwtou,
oJ (
zhlovw), one burning with zeal; a zealot;1. absolutely, for the Hebrew aN:q', used of God as jealous of any rival and sternly vindicating his control: ; , etc. From the time of the Maccabees (105-63 B. C.) there existed among the Jews a class of men, called Zealots, who rigorously adhered to the Mosaic law and endeavored even by a resort to violence, after the example of Phinehas (,
zhlwthv"
Finh" ), to prevent religion from being violated by others; but in the latter days of the Jewish commonwealth they used their holy zeal as a pretext for the basest crimes, Josephus, b. j. 4, 3, 9; 4, 5, 1; 4, 6, 3; 7, 8; 1. To this class perhaps Simon the apostle had belonged, and hence, got the surname
oJ
zhlwthv": ; ; (cf. Sch?rer, Neutest. Zeitgesch., Index under the word Zeloten; Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah, i. 237ff).2. with the genitive of the object: with the genitive of the thing, most eagerly desirous of, zealous for, a thing; a. to acquire a thing (zealous of) (see
zhlovw, 2): ; ; L T Tr WH (
ajreth'", Philo, praem. et poen. sec. 2;
th'"
eujsebeiva", de monarch. , sec. 3;
eujsebeiva"
kaiv
dikaiosuvnh", de poenit. sec. 1;
tw'n
polemikwn
e[rgwn, Diodorus 1, 73;
periv
tw'n
ajnhkovntwn
eij"
swthrivan, Clement of Rome, ,). b. to defend and uphold a thing, vehemently contending for a thing (zealous for):
novmou, ();
tw'n
patrikw'n
paradovsewn, (
tw'n
aijguptiakwn
plasmatwn, Philo, vit. Moys. iii. sec. 19;
th'"
ajrcaiva"
kaiv
swvfrono"
ajgwgh", Diodorus excerpt., p. 611 (from , vol. Didot)); with the genitive of person:
Qeou', intent on protecting the majesty and authority of God by contending for the Mosaic law, . (In secular authors also an emulator, admirer, imitator, follower of anyone.)*