To love
ἀγαπάωStrong’s G0025agapaō
Appears in 110 verses of the New Testament
In short
Agapaō is the Greek word usually translated “loving”, “loved” and “love”. It appears in 110 verses of the New Testament.
“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:”
Meaning
Usually translated “loving”, “loved” and “love”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.
How it's translated
- loving 21
- loved 13
- you will love 10
- do love 8
- to love 8
- loves 6
- we may love 6
- having loved 5
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- John 27
- 1 John 17
- Luke 9
- Matthew 7
- Ephesians 7
- Romans 6
22 books in all.
Related words
Explore in Scripture
- 2 Thessalonians 2:16In contextNow our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
- 2 Peter 2:15In contextWhich have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
- 2 John 1:1In contextThe elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;
- 2 John 1:5In contextAnd now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
- 3 John 1:1In contextThe elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
- Jude 1:1In contextJude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
All 110 verses, by book
Greek dictionary
ἀγαπάω agapaō · to love
ἀγαπάω, -ῶ, [in LXX chiefly for אהב ;] to love, to feel and exhibit esteem and goodwill to a person, to prize and delight in a thing. 1. Of human affection, to men: τ. πλησίον, Mat.5:43; τ. ἐχθρούς, ib. 44; to Christ, Jhn.8:42; to God, Mat.22:37; with accusative of thing(s), Luk.11:43, Jhn.12:43, Eph.5:25, II Tim 4:8, 10, Heb.1:9, 1Pe.2:17, 3:10, 2Pe.2:15, 1Jn.2:15, Rev.12:11. 2. Of divine love; (a) God's love: to men, Rom.8:37; to Christ, Jhn.3:35; (b) Christ's love: to men, Mrk.10:21; to God, Jhn.14:31; with cogn. accusative, Jhn.17:26, Eph.2:4. …
From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
How the English word “love” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.
LOVE, verb transitive
luv. [Latin libeo, lubeo. See Lief. The sense is probably to be prompt, free, willing, from leaning, advancing, or drawing forward.]
- In a general sense to be pleased with; to regard with affection, on account of some qualities which excite pleasing sensations or desire of gratification.“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” Matthew 19:19
- To have benevolence or good will for. John 3:16
All definitions and other forms of “love”
LOVE, noun
- An affection of the mind excited by beauty and worth of any kind, or by the qualities of an object which communicate pleasure, sensual or intellectual.
- Courtship; chiefly in the phrase, to make love that is, to court; to woo; to solicit union in marriage.
- Patriotism; the attachment one has to his native land; as the love of country.
- Benevolence; good will.“God is love” 1 John 4:8
- The object beloved.
- A word of endearment.
- Picturesque representation of love
- Lewdness.
- A thin silk stuff. obsolete
Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.
Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.