Greek Word Study · Strong’s G26
ἀγάπη
agapē · “love”
Used 116 times across 24 books
Definition
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).
SYN.: φιλία. ἀ., signifying properly (see: ἀγαπάω) love which chooses its object, is taken over from LXX, where its connotation is more general, into NT, and there used exclusively to express that spiritual bond of love between God and man and between man and man, in Christ, which is characteristic of Christianity. It is thusdistinct from φιλία, friendship (Jas.4:4 only), στοργή, natural affection (in NT only in compounds, see: ἄστοργος) and ἔρως, sexual love, which is not used in NT, its place being taken by ἐπιθυμία. (Cf. ἀγαπάω; and see Abbott, Essays, 70f.; DB, vol. i., 555; Cremer, 13, 593; MM, VGT, see word).
[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).
SYN.: φιλία. ἀ., signifying properly (see: ἀγαπάω) love which chooses its object, is taken over from LXX, where its connotation is more general, into NT, and there used exclusively to express that spiritual bond of love between God and man and between man and man, in Christ, which is characteristic of Christianity. It is thusdistinct from φιλία, friendship (Jas.4:4 only), στοργή, natural affection (in NT only in compounds, see: ἄστοργος) and ἔρως, sexual love, which is not used in NT, its place being taken by ἐπιθυμία. (Cf. ἀγαπάω; and see Abbott, Essays, 70f.; DB, vol. i., 555; Cremer, 13, 593; MM, VGT, see word).
Where it appears
Matthew1
Luke1
John7
Romans9
1 Corinthians14
2 Corinthians9
Galatians3
Ephesians10
Philippians4
Colossians5
1 Thessalonians5
2 Thessalonians3
1 Timothy5
2 Timothy4
Titus1
Philemon3
Hebrews2
1 Peter3
2 Peter1
1 John18
2 John2
3 John1
Jude3
Revelation2
In the text
Matthew 24:12And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.Luke 11:42But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.John 5:42But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.John 13:35By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.John 15:9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.John 15:10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.John 15:13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.John 17:26And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.Romans 5:5And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.Romans 5:8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Lexicon data from STEPBible.org · CC BY 4.0 · Verse text KJV