Philia Friendly Loveĭid you know that the city of Philadelphia is called "the city of brotherly love?" Why is that? It is because of this Greek word philia. It isn't based on emotions, person, or circumstances but upon choosing to love no matter what. No matter what happens in my life, I will love God. It is a choice that says no matter what that person does to me. And the second is like it: ' Love your neighbor as yourself’” ( Matthew 22:37-39). Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. This love is what Jesus commands us to have for God and one another. This is considered the highest form of love in the New Testament. 1 John 4:8 says that "God is love" and uses a sense of this word. Even when we hurt him, he still loves us. It is unconditional love, undeserved by the receiver.Īgape love is the love God has for us. It chooses to show love regardless of it is reciprocal or not. This word means to show honor, affection, kindness, and goodness, not because of a deep emotional connection but rather out of integrity. The word "love" used in this verse is "agapao" in Greek and comes from the word "agape." Agape love appears 142 times in the New Testament and is considered the best Greek word for God's love. Now we are in the New Testament, and the first time we see the word love is in Matthew 5:43, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy’” (ESV).
This truly is the love of God for his people. it's not about the thrill of romance but the security of faithfulness. Hesed is love that can be counted on, decade after decade. Hesed is an unsung pastor's wife whose long-suffering, tearful prayers keep her exhausted husband from falling apart at the seams. Hesed is a mom who spends day after thankless day spoon-feeding and wiping up after a disabled child. "Hesed is a bone-weary father who drives through the night to bail his drug-addict son out of jail. This word is often translated as mercy, faithfulness, and dedication to his people. Though emotion is in this word, it is more than that. Hesed is different from ahab in that it depends not on a deep emotional bond but faithfulness and covenant choice. The word "hesed," pronounced "kheh'-sed," appears 248 times in Scripture and is the predominant way God describes his love for us in the Old Testament. This is one of my favorite words in the entire Bible. Hesed Steadfast Loving Kindness and Mercy This is the word used when describing Abraham's love for his son Isaac ( Genesis 22:2) or Jacob's love for his wife Rachel ( Genesis 24:67). You are likely thinking of this word when you think of traditional love.Īhab is a connection between a husband and wife, parent, and child, two best friends, and even between a person and God. The ancient word "ahab," pronounced, aw-hab' appears 208 times in the Old Testament and describes a deep emotional bond. That is why other translations have different numbers when counting how many times the Bible mentions the word "love." Therefore, each word can be translated as "love" or a different word and both are correct. Greek, for example, has four different words for love depending on the situation. The original languages of the Bible, ancient Hebrew, and Greek are much more precise when describing their emotions of love. But I don't love my friend the same way I love my wife, and I definitely don’t love pizza as I love her!ĭo you see the problem? The English language uses the same word, "love," to describe a wide variety of different feelings. The English language is not very precise in its descriptions. How is that possible? Because of the English language and because of translations. The English Standard Version then came out claiming that love is mentioned 551 times! And then the New Living Translation mentions love 645 times!Īlmost every translation of the Bible has a different number for how many times love is mentioned. But then again, when the King James Bible was updated into the New King James Version, the number changed. According to the King James Version, the answer is 310 times.
When it comes to the Bible, the word "love" seems to be everywhere! But how many times is it exactly mentioned? Our loving God loves to love because He is love and loves all.
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