1. Song of Solomon 8:6 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

Why is jealousy as fierce as the grave?

Song of Solomon 8:6 (ESV)

6 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD.

Jealousy is generally seen as a negative and destructive emotion, but in the Bible, jealousy is often used positively to describe what we might call zeal or passion. It speaks of the assertion of rightful claims of possession against anyone and anything that might stand in our way. It is an attribute of God himself, who claims exclusive rights over his people and will not share them with other gods (Deuteronomy 4:24).1

In this context, the word jealousy does not include the sense that one is gripped by the suspicion that the beloved is faithless.2 Jealousy is rather the energy that propels a person to protect a relationship that is in danger. It is only appropriately expressed in an exclusive relationship that rightly has just one partner, like marriage. It should also only be expressed in positive, non-violent ways.3