Love
ἀγάπηStrong’s G0026agapē
Appears in 104 verses of the New Testament
In short
The love God shows by giving, not by getting. John uses it to say who God is: "God is love" (1 John 4:8), and shows what it looks like: "he loved us, and sent his Son" (1 John 4:10).
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Meaning
Usually translated “love”, “beloved” and “love feasts”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.
How it's translated
- love 103
- of love 5
- in love 3
- beloved 1
- to love 1
- love feasts 1
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- 1 John 14
- 1 Corinthians 11
- Ephesians 10
- Romans 8
- 2 Corinthians 8
- John 6
24 books in all.
Explore in Scripture
- 2 Thessalonians 1:3In contextWe are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10In contextAnd with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:5In contextAnd the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
- 1 Timothy 1:5In contextNow the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
- 1 Timothy 1:14In contextAnd the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Timothy 2:15In contextNotwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
All 104 verses, by book
Greek dictionary
ἀγάπη agapē · love
ἀγάπη, -ης, ἡ [in LXX for אַהֲבָה, which is also rendered by ἀγάπησις and φιλία ;] love, goodwill, esteem. Outside of bibl. and eccl. books, there is no clear instance (with Deiss., LAE, 18:4, 70:2, cf. the same writer in Constr. Quar., ii, 4; and with MM, VGT, see word, cf. Dr. Moulton in Exp. Times, xxvi, 3, 139). In NT, like ἀγαπάω, -ῶ, 1. Of men's love: (a) to one another, Jhn.13:35; (b) to God, 1Jn.2:5. 2. Of divine love; (a) God's love: to men, Rom.5:8; to Christ, Jhn.17:26; (b) Christ's love to men: Rom.8:35. 3. In pl., love feasts: Ju 12 (DB, iii, 157). …
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.