qin.ah denotes ardent jealousy or zeal, expressed in divine action, human rivalry, marital suspicion, and designated offerings.

The predominant use presents ardent divine jealousy or zeal as connected with protection, wrath, judgment, and action for Jerusalem, Zion, or the land. Other occurrences describe human jealousy in rivalry and marriage, name offerings associated with a husband's suspicion, and use the term in the phrase “idol of the jealousy.”

1. Divine ardor expressed in action and judgment · dominant

   Construct forms repeatedly place the term in clauses concerning the LORD's action: in 2 Kings 19:31 the APB renders the clause “the zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this,” while Ezekiel 36:5 speaks of “the fire of my jealousy” against those who took the land. In Zephaniah 3:8, the same construction occurs with the gathering of nations and the pouring out of indignation.

   2 Kings 19:31Ezekiel 5:13Ezekiel 36:5Ezekiel 38:19Zephaniah 3:8Zechariah 8:2
2. Human jealousy in rivalry or marital suspicion · common

   In Numbers 5:14, the absolute singular occurs when a spirit comes over a husband and he becomes jealous of his wife, whether or not she has been defiled. Ecclesiastes 4:4 places it in a statement about work arising from one person's feeling toward a neighbor, and Proverbs 6:34 connects it with a husband's fury on a day of vengeance.

   Numbers 5:14Numbers 5:30Ecclesiastes 4:4Job 5:2Proverbs 6:34Song of Songs 8:6
3. Designation of offerings in a marital procedure · occasional

   The plural absolute form labels the offering brought when a husband suspects his wife: in Numbers 5:15 the APB calls it “a jealousy offering,” and Numbers 5:29 calls the procedure “the instruction concerning the jealousy offerings.” The term thus occurs as part of the offering's designation within this instruction.

   Numbers 5:15Numbers 5:18Numbers 5:25Numbers 5:29
4. Phrase naming an idol · rare

   In Ezekiel 8:3 and Ezekiel 8:5, the absolute singular occurs in the phrase that the APB renders “the idol of the jealousy,” identifying the object positioned at the entrance by the altar gate.

   Ezekiel 8:3Ezekiel 8:5

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly uses “jealousy” in these verses, while it uses “zeal” in clauses such as 2 Kings 19:31 and Numbers 25:11. It also renders the plural offering designation as “jealousy offering”; these are verse-level renderings rather than definitions.