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Love
Excerpt from the Lexham Bible Dictionary, the most advanced Bible dictionary.
A feeling of deep affection. A central theme in Scripture and Christian theology and ethics. Defines our relationship with God and dictates how we should treat others.
Lexham Bible Dictionary
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The Lexham Bible Dictionary
Love
Love A feeling of deep affection. A central theme in Scripture and Christian theology and ethics. Defines our relationship with God and dictates how we should treat others.
The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary
Love
LOVE. This entry consists of two articles, one covering “love” as it is used in the Hebrew Bible, and the other covering “love” as it is used in the New Testament.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible
Love
Love. First and last word in Christian theology and ethics. It is therefore important to understand clearly this exceedingly ambiguous term.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised
Love
Love I. In the OTA. VocabularyB. Human LoveC. Divine LoveD. Human Love for God II. Intertestamental DevelopmentA. Greek EmphasisB. Influence of the LXXC. Extrabiblical Jewish LiteratureD. Rabbinic Emphasis III. In the NTA. VocabularyB. Synoptic Gospels and ActsC. Pauline EmphasisD. Johannine
Loves
Loves[Heb yeḏîḏôṯ]. The AV’s literal translation of part of the title of Ps. 45 (MT v 1). Although the form is plural in Hebrew, it may be understood as a singular (GKC, § 124e). Hence the RSV “love song” is quite appropriate; Ps. 45 is generally recognized as an epithalamium or wedding song
Charity
Charity The AV rendering of Gk. agápē in 1 Cor. 8:1 and twenty-six times thereafter, including “feasts of charity” in Jude 12. See Love III.A.; Agape I.
Tyndale Bible Dictionary
Love
LOVE Prominent virtue in Christian theology and ethics. It is therefore important to understand clearly this exceedingly important term.In the Old Testament Sexual love (ahabah and dod) is spoken of in the stories of Adam and Eve and of Jacob and Rachel, as well as in the Song of Songs. A higher form
The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated)
Love
love, usually an inner quality that expresses itself through unselfish behavior. The word, however, has a wide range of meanings that must be determined from context.In the Hebrew Bible: The verb “to love” (Heb. ’ahab) and its cognates cover the full range of meanings of the English word “love.” It
Charity
charity.1 Acts of kindness typically (but not necessarily) performed on behalf of the poor. In the nrsv, the term is not used in the Hebrew Bible and it occurs only once in the nt, where Tabitha (Dorcas) is said to have been devoted to “acts of charity” (Acts 9:36). In the apocryphal/deuterocanonical
The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia
Love
LOVE. In KJV the noun is often “charity” (q.v.). The principal Heb. verb for love is ˒āhēb (c. 225 times in OT), though some 18 other words of similar meaning occur (less than 30 total occurrences). The usual LXX rendering of ˒āhēb is agapaō (195 times). Classical Gr. words for love varied: (1)
Charity
CHARITY. Used 27 times in KJV, including eight times in 1 Cor 13 for agapē, to signify human love for another person, often in the sense of benevolence. It is not used for the Gr. charis, which indicates grace, favor, goodwill. The Gr. agapē goes far deeper than the modern concept of charity, welfare
Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible
Love
LoveAn inner quality expressed outwardly as a commitment to seek the well-being of the other through concrete acts of service. Love is a central biblical concept for defining the relationship between God and humans.Several words are used in the OT to describe various aspects of love. Most common is
Eerdmans Bible Dictionary
Love
Love (Heb. ˒āhaḇ, ḥeseḏ; Gk. agapáō [verb], agápē [noun], Philós).† The basic aspect of relationships between humans and between God and humans, encompassing affection, loyalty, and responsibility. In biblical usage the emphasis is on the quality of the relationship.
Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible
Eros
EROS ἜρωςI. Eros is passionate love or desire and also the Greek god of love (frequently but not always the son or companion of →Aphrodite, other candidate mothers including Eileithyia, Iris and Nyx). As so often in Greek (and Roman) religion, in this case as well, the deity and his domain coincide
Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels
Love
LoveJesus brought into the world* a new emphasis on love which he demonstrated in his own life and which he made clear he expected his disciples* to produce too. For him love depends on the nature of the lover rather than that of the beloved. Jesus loved because he was a loving person, not because he
Key passages
Mt 5:43–45

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, because he causes his sun to rise …

Mt 22:37–39

And he said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Jn 13:34–35

“A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

1 Co 13:1–13

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a ringing brass gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and I know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but …

1 Jn 4:7–12

Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God sent his one and only Son into …

See also
Ge 29:1–14; Ge 34:1–31; Ge 50:15–21; Le 19:9–37; Dt 5:1–22; Dt 6:1–9; Dt 10:12–11:32; Dt 21:22–22:12; Dt 30:1–20; Jos 22:1–9; Jos 23:1–16; 1 Sa 1:1–7; 1 Sa 20:1–23; 2 Sa 9:1–13; 1 Ki 5:1–18; Job 42:1–17; Ps 18:1–24; Ps 133:1–3; Pr 3:1–12; Pr 10:12; Pr 13:24; Pr 14:22; Pr 15:17; Pr 16:6; Pr 17:9; Pr 17:17; Pr 19:22; Pr 20:6; Pr 20:28; Pr 27:5; Ec 3:1–8; So 1:1–8:14; Da 9:1–19; Ho 4:1–10; Ho 6:4–7:10; Ho 10:1–15; Ho 11:12–12:14; Mal 2:10–17; Mt 1:18–25; Mt 5:43–48; Mt 10:34–39; Mt 19:1–26; Mt 22:34–40; Mt 24:4–26; Mt 25:31–46; Mt 26:6–13; Mt 27:51–66; Mt 28:9–10; Mk 12:28–34; Mk 14:3–9; Lk 6:27–38; Lk 7:1–10; Lk 7:40–50; Lk 10:25–37; Lk 11:37–44; Jn 5:39–47; Jn 8:39–47; Jn 11:1–16; Jn 13:31–35; Jn 14:8–31; Jn 15:12–17; Jn 16:16–33; Jn 21:15–23; Ac 4:32–37; Ac 7:54–60; Ac 15:22–29; Ac 20:17–38; Ro 8:18–30; Ro 12:9–21; Ro 13:8–10; Ro 14:14–23; Ro 16:3–16; 1 Co 2:6–16; 1 Co 4:14–21; 1 Co 8:1–13; 1 Co 13:1–14:5; 1 Co 16:13–24; 2 Co 2:3–11; 2 Co 5:12–7:1; 2 Co 8:1–24; 2 Co 11:5–15; 2 Co 12:14–21; Ga 4:8–20; Ga 5:1–6:5; Eph 1:15–23; Eph 3:14–4:16; Eph 4:25–5:7; Eph 5:22–33; Eph 6:21–24; Php 1:3–18; Php 2:1–4; Php 2:12–18; Php 3:17–4:1; Php 4:10–20; Col 1:3–8; Col 2:1–10; Col 3:12–4:1; Col 4:7–15; 1 Th 2:1–12; 1 Th 2:17–20; 1 Th 3:6–13; 1 Th 4:9–12; 1 Th 5:1–22; 2 Th 1:3–12; 1 Ti 1:3–11; 1 Ti 2:8–15; 1 Ti 4:12–16; 1 Ti 6:1–2; 1 Ti 6:11–16; 2 Ti 1:1–7; 2 Ti 1:13–18; 2 Ti 2:14–3:17; Tt 2:1–10; Phm 1–16; Heb 6:9–12; Heb 10:19–25; Heb 13:1–6; Jas 1:12–20; Jas 2:1–13; 1 Pe 1:3–12; 1 Pe 1:22–2:3; 1 Pe 2:11–17; 1 Pe 3:8–12; 1 Pe 4:7–19; 1 Pe 5:12–14; 2 Pe 1:5–11; 2 Pe 3:1–9; 2 Pe 3:14–18; 1 Jn 2:3–11; 1 Jn 2:15–17; 1 Jn 2:28–3:3; 1 Jn 3:10–23; 1 Jn 4:7–5:5; 2 Jn 1–6; 3 Jn 1–12; Jud 1–4; Jud 16–23; Re 2:1–7; Re 2:18–29;
See also
Topics & Themes
Beloved
Brotherly Love