What Is Love in the Bible?
Quick Summary
Love in the Bible isn’t just a feeling or a romantic ideal. Love, in Scripture and life, is a choice, an action, and a way of being. From the covenantal love of God for his people to Jesus’ call to love our enemies, the Bible presents love as foundational to faith, justice, mercy, and community.
Introduction: We Throw the Word Around
We love pizza. We love sunsets. We love our kids. We love our favorite chair.
That’s the trouble with English—we use one word for everything.
But the Bible speaks of love with a range of language. Some loves are tender and intimate. Others are sacrificial, fierce, or faithful. The biblical witness is expansive. And when it comes to love, it doesn’t start with romance—it starts with God.
“We love because he first loved us.” — 1 John 4:19 (NRSV)
Love in the Old Testament: Hesed and Beyond
One of the most important Hebrew words for love is hesed. It’s hard to translate in a single English word. Hesed means steadfast love, mercy, loyalty, faithfulness, and kindness all wrapped together.
God’s hesed is often what holds the covenant together. When God reveals the divine name to Moses, love is at the center:
“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” — Exodus 34:6
Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, we also see other words for love:
Ahavah – a broad term for love, used for friendship, parental love, romantic love, and God's love for humanity.
Dod – used in romantic or erotic contexts, especially in Song of Songs.
Rechem – related to the word for womb, it often carries a meaning of compassion and tenderness.
In the story of Ruth, for example, love is not an emotion but a choice. Ruth says to Naomi:
“Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge.” — Ruth 1:16
This is hesed in action—faithful, loyal, and self-giving.
Love in the New Testament: Agape and More
The New Testament is written in Greek, and here the distinctions between different kinds of love become even clearer.
Agape – Unconditional, Sacrificial Love
Agape is the kind of love most often used to describe God’s love for the world, and the love Jesus calls his followers to practice. It’s the kind of love that gives without demanding return. It is love as a verb.
“For God so loved (agapēsen) the world that he gave his only Son.” — John 3:16
Agape is what Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13. It is patient. It is kind. It does not insist on its own way. It rejoices in the truth. It never ends.
Agape isn’t based on attraction or agreement. It’s a choice. It’s the love Jesus shows in washing his disciples’ feet and dying on the cross. It is the love he commands in return:
“Love one another as I have loved you.” — John 15:12
Phileo – Brotherly or Friendly Love
This is the warm affection you have for a friend. It’s the kind of love that binds people together in community. Think of the early church in Acts, sharing possessions and meals.
Phileo love also shows up in moments of vulnerability. In John 21, when Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” he shifts from agape to phileo—meeting Peter where he is after denial and grief.
Storge – Family Love
This word is rarely used explicitly in the New Testament, but the concept is everywhere. It's the natural affection between parent and child, siblings, and close kin. Paul uses a compound version of the word in Romans:
“Love one another with mutual affection (philostorgoi); outdo one another in showing honor.” — Romans 12:10
Storge is often seen in the way early believers are described as the “family of God.”
Eros – Romantic and Sexual Love
While eros isn’t named directly in the New Testament, the Bible does not shy away from romantic love. The Song of Songs is poetic, sensual, and celebratory. Marriage is honored as a reflection of covenant faithfulness (see Ephesians 5).
But even here, the Bible resists idealizing eros. It must be shaped by commitment, mutuality, and respect.
Love as Command and Calling
From beginning to end, love is not just a feeling—it is the central ethic of God’s people.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” — Deuteronomy 6:5
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” — Leviticus 19:18
When Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is, he doesn’t invent something new. He quotes those two verses. And then he lives them.
Love of God and love of neighbor are inseparable. If one is missing, the other is hollow.
“Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars.” — 1 John 4:20
The Love Jesus Models
Jesus does not just talk about love—he shows it.
He touches lepers.
He welcomes children.
He forgives sinners.
He washes feet.
He feeds the hungry.
He speaks truth with compassion.
He dies for enemies.
In Jesus, love looks like action. It isn’t passive or sentimental. It doesn’t wait to be deserved. It takes the first step. It crosses boundaries. It sacrifices.
This love is not always soft. It can challenge, confront, and disrupt. But it always seeks the good of the other, sometimes at the cost of self.
Love in the Early Church
The earliest Christians were known for their love. Tertullian famously imagined non-believers saying, “See how they love one another!”
Love was their witness. It showed up in generosity, hospitality, service, and even martyrdom. Love wasn’t a footnote to theology—it was the way theology walked around in the world.
Paul, in his letters, pleads for the church to be a people of love:
“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” — Colossians 3:14
Meaning for Today
In a culture that often reduces love to a feeling—or twists it into a transaction—the Bible gives us a better way.
Love is covenant. Love is action. Love is sacrifice. Love is loyalty. Love is justice. Love is tenderness.
To follow Jesus is to be shaped by love. Not just the love we receive, but the love we extend.
And love isn’t something we master. It’s something we grow in. It is the soil of every spiritual gift and the measure of every Christian life.
“Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” — 1 Corinthians 13:13
FAQ
Is all love in the Bible the same?
No. The Bible speaks of several kinds of love—covenantal, familial, romantic, and self-giving. Each plays a role, and all are meant to be shaped by God's own love.
Does God love everyone?
Yes. The Bible affirms that God’s love extends to the whole world (John 3:16). But it also speaks of God’s particular covenant love for his people.
How can we grow in love?
Through prayer, practice, community, and the work of the Spirit. Love isn’t just something we feel—it’s something we learn to do.
Is love just being nice?
No. Biblical love tells the truth, stands up for justice, and sometimes says hard things. But it always seeks the good of the other.
