ἐρῑθ-εία G2052
Selfish ambition or factional rivalry; self-seeking partisanship that fractures community for personal gain.
Derived from a root meaning 'labor for hire,' eritheia came to denote the mercenary canvassing of political office-seekers and eventually any self-promoting factionalism. Paul pairs it repeatedly with jealousy (zēlos) as twin destroyers of fellowship. In Philippians 2:3 it stands as the precise opposite of the humble, other-regarding mind of Christ. The multilingual renderings—Spanish ambición egoísta, German Eigennutz ('self-interest')—capture the core idea: gain pursued at the community's expense.
Senses
1. selfish ambition, rivalry — Selfish ambition, factional rivalry, or partisan self-seeking. Originally denoting mercenary labor-for-wages, the word shifted to political canvassing and then to any disposition that advances oneself through party strife. Paul lists it among works of the flesh (Gal 5:20) and warns against it in Philippians 1:17 and 2:3. Spanish ambiciones egoístas and German Eigennutz both highlight the self-interested core. In Romans 2:8 it describes those who obey unrighteousness rather than truth—ambition turned against God. 7×
AR["الأَنانِيَّةِ", "التَّحَزُّبُ", "تَحَزُّباتٌ", "تَحَزُّبًا", "تَحَزُّبٍ"]·ben["স্বার্থপরতা", "স্বার্থপরতা,", "স্বার্থপরতার"]·DE["Eigennutz"]·EN["rivalries", "selfish-ambition", "selfish-ambitions"]·FR["Eigennutz", "ambition-égoïste"]·heb["יְצִירוֹת-לֵב", "יְרִיבוּת", "מַחֲלֹקֶת", "תַּחְבּוּלוֹת"]·HI["झगड़ालूपन", "सवरथिक्त", "सवरथिक्त,", "स्वार्थ"]·ID["ambisi egois", "ambisi-egois", "ambisi-egois,", "kepentingan-diri", "kepentingan-diri,"]·IT["ambizione", "contesa"]·jav["ambisi", "ambisi-piyambak,", "padu", "padu,", "pambèla-piyambak,", "pamrih-dhiri"]·KO["다툼을", "다툼이,", "이기심", "이기심,", "이기심들과"]·PT["ambição-egoísta", "contenda", "facções", "intrigas"]·RU["корысти", "распри", "распри,", "себялюбия"]·ES["ambiciones-egoístas", "ambición-egoísta", "rivalidad", "rivalidades"]·SW["ubinafsi", "ubinafsi,"]·TR["bencil-hirs'tan", "bencil-hirsla", "bencil-hırs", "bencil-hırslar", "bencillik,", "çekememezlikler"]·urd["خود-غرضی", "خود-غرضیاں", "خود-غرضی٬", "فریقبندی-سے", "فریقبندی-کے"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐρῑθ-εία, ἡ, labour for wages, Refs 5th c.AD+ __II canvassing for public office, intriguing, Refs 4th c.BC+ __II.2 selfish or factious ambition, ζῆλος καὶ ἐ. NT; plural, intrigues, party squabbles, NT