This quality of love is not an emotion but is an action initiated by a volitional choice. Answer: Unlike English, in which the word love means many different things, Ancient Greek had four words to describe the range of meaning that our word love conveys. The Ancient Greeks had several words for love, ... and most akin to the modern construct of romantic love. Hebrew And Greek Words About (God’s) Love. (John 15:13) Philia love in the Bible. When Jesus says, “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends,” he used the word agape. Though there are more Greek words for love, variants and possibly subcategories, a general summary considering these Ancient Greek concepts are as follows: Agape (ἀγάπη) is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the highest of the four types of love in the Bible. Source(s): https://shorte.im/a8WP2. In this topic, we look at the ancient Greek word "agape" to learn about Jesus's teachings on love. Simplify discipleship for families and small groups with a Pursue GOD partner page. Kaysibabes. The meaning of this word for love stands in sharp contrast to that of the other two words. Note that agapao is a verb and by its verbal nature calls for action. 1. In the Peshitta or the Aramaic Bible, it is the word Chav which is similar to the Hebrew word Ahav and means love. It is used when speaking of an unconditional love. The word "love" can have a variety of related but distinct meanings in different contexts. 1. Instead of whipping up the people into a frenzy to fight the hypocritical leaders in Jerusalem, Jesus singled himself out as a critic of them and allowed himself to be crucified. But, because love takes on different forms, we can each experience love in our own way, which is why defining the term ‘love’ is so complicated. Agape is love because of what it does, not because of how it feels… காதல் (Katl): Katl is reserved for expressing romantic love. "Agape" is a spiritual or unconditional love, usually used in reference to God's love for man. This love cannot be broken no matter what happens, or what tries to break it. It’s often used to refer to “self-sacrificial, divine love” in the NT, but the word doesn’t necessarily mean that … There is a fourth word for love in the Greek language - Eros - but this is not actually ever used in the New Testament. In Koine Greek - the language of the New Testament - there are three words for love used in the canon. Eros is passion, lust and pleasure. What was the outcome? Aphrodisiac, from Greek aphrodisiakos, from aphrodisios belonging to Aphrodite. Agape love is motivated primarily by the interest and welfare of others. Later, the Apostle Paul wrote that God’s agape love for us was reflected most clearly in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for his enemies. The four Greek words for love are agape, phileo, eros and storge. Click a link below to see what’s featured and to browse all of our content by category: Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get our featured topics delivered to your inbox every Monday morning. There is a range (a semantic range) of possibilities with most words. Isn’t that something most people are fascinated by: Love! This text begins with a reflection on the forms of love known in Greek philosophy — eros (possessive, often sexual, love), agape (unconditional, self-sacrificing love), philia (friendship)—and their relationship with the teachings of Jesus. Isn’t that something most people are fascinated by: Love! (John 15:13) Philia love in the Bible. It is not love based on the goodness of the beloved, or upon natural affinity or emotion. The big key to understanding agape is to realize that it can be known from the action it prompts. Understanding the biblical theme of love lies in the original languages of the Bible – Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. In the original Greek used to write the New Testament, there is more than one word for love. What are some times in life that you’ve “loved your enemies?” Why was it difficult? Here are a few words: அன்பு (Anpu): This is the general term for love. It is a benevolent love. The word for “love” in this verse is agape. List of concepts. Ludus, or playful love. What does it really mean to love someone? We are a non-profit creating videos that walk through the narrative of the Bible. And so we find ourselves lying awake at night, searching the Internet for an exact definition because our culture creates a need for one–we want to know how others perceive love so we can determine how our love stacks up against that definition. The word for “love” in this verse is agape. In Koine Greek - the language of the New Testament - there are three words for love used in the canon. 2. The noun agape (and the related verb) in and of itself does not necessarily mean “divine love” or “self-sacrificial, intentional love” as it is sometimes argued. It describes God’s love for us. To love (agapao - see related study of noun agape) means to love unconditionally and sacrificially as God Himself loves sinful men (John 3:16), the way He loves the Son (John 3:35, 15:9, 17:23, 24).. When this happens, unfortunately the true deeper meaning of the word is lost in the weak translation. The word "philla" (root word for "philo") is one of three Greek words commonly used for "love," the other two being "agape" and "eros." Agapao: God’s love is described as the Greek word agapao, which means unconditional love, preferential love that is chosen and acted out by the will. A Philanthropist is someone one who loves mankind and that means someone involved with charitable causes. The expression “beloved” is an older English word which means “loved one”. It derives from the greek verb agapo, which means to love, and is the exact same word that is used in Greek to express the feelings of love and affection in any kind of relationship: between family members and relatives, friends and lovers. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (ESV) Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. In that case, agape will mean whatever it means in that context. Most times, the Greek words for love used in the Bible are simply translated "love" but in the Greek text they mean different things. Actually the Greek word agape, did not exist with this meaning before the writing of the Greek New Testament. Eros is passion, lust, pleasure. But when we read in 1 John 4:8, for example, that God is love it is a different Greek word that is being used: agape. Still have questions? When Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” in John 21:15–16, He used the Greek word agape, which refers to unconditional love. In the NT, 26(agápē) typically refers to divine love(= what God prefers). In ancient Greek, there are many different words for love. Also, based on what the person loves there are multiple words based on this root word Phil. 1. And the ultimate expression of this sort of love is the love shown to people you might even call your enemies (Luke 6:35). What of the last Greek word for love? Kerygma (from the Greek word κήρυγμα kérugma), a Greek word used in the New Testament for "preaching" (see Luke 4:18-19, Romans 10:14, Matthew 3:1). “Your love for God is expressed by your love for people, and vice versa.” -Tim Mackie, What is agape in these verses, then? The word "agapo" is the verb "I love". Mark 12:33 Adv GRK: ἀγαπᾷν τὸν πλησίον ὡς ἑαυτὸν NAS: AND TO LOVE ONE'S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, KJV: to love [his] neighbour as INT: to love [one's] neighbor as oneself. I’m now going to guide you through seven types of love, each with a name from Ancient Greek. Even though he was angry with their hypocrisy, he allowed himself to die because he loved them. Nothing more selflessly loving can be imagined. ADARA means “Beautiful“ 2. Question: "What is eros love?" Philia, or deep friendship. So too in secular ancient Greek, 26(agápē) focuses on preference; likewise the verb form (25/agapáō) in antiquity meant "to prefer" (TDNT, 7). Both times, Peter responded with “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you,” using the Greek word phileo , which refers more to a brotherly/friendship type of love. In Ancient Greek, it often refers to a general affection or deeper sense of "true love" rather than the attraction suggested by " eros ". Jesus’s quote from Mark is an adaptation from the Leviticus 19:17-18, originally written in Hebrew. Agape is the very nature of God, for God is love (1 John 4:7-12, 16). Though there are more Greek words for love, variants and possibly subcategories, a general summary considering these Ancient Greek concepts are as follows: . Think about it: if you say youre in love with someo… There is a fourth word for love in the Greek language - Eros - but this is not actually ever used in the New Testament. When Jesus says, “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends,” he used the word agape. There is a range (a semantic range) of possibilities with most words. ADARA means “Beautiful“ 2. Like a lot of Greek words, it has a specific and technical meaning that is often completely lost on English readers. Watch the video above and talk about it with a group or mentor. So, where we read 'love' in English, this might originally have been one of three words - agape, storge or phileo. This is part of the Greek Word Studies series. Greek names meaning love, being in love, affection or friendship. Ancient Greek gives us some insight. Three of them appear in the Bible. God’s love is described as the Greek word agapao, which means unconditional love, preferential love that is chosen and acted out by the will. It is a very gentle, and caring form of love. When Jesus was once asked what the most important commandment for Jews to follow was, he responded by quoting the Hebrew Shema prayer. But Jesus spoke a language called Aramaic, which uses a different word than the Hebrew for love, and the early Christians wrote the gospel accounts in Greek, which uses the word “agape” (ἀγάπη) for “love.” Rather than using a dictionary definition of all these Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words, Jesus’s earliest followers had their very conception of love changed by what they’d seen him say and do. The third Greek word for love is agape. The Greek word for love talked about here is “agape” (pronounced uh-gahp-ay). This love is connected to a more unconditional love, and selfless love. The Greek word agape, in particular when it is taken over untranslated into English, is often used as a term heavily charged with positive values: unconditional love, selfless love, true love – all this thoroughly distinct from the mediocre motives meant with the common English word “love” as used in everyday life. The second variety of love was philia or friendship, which the Greeks valued far more... 3. STRONGS NT 5385: φιλοσοφία φιλοσοφία, φιλοσοφίας, ἡ (from φιλόσοφος), properly, love (and pursuit) of wisdom; used in the Greek writings of either zeal for or skill in any art or science, any branch of knowledge, see Passow, under the word (cf. Why do you think this is? Why is love for God and love for others inseparable? It is a very noble word for love, and is love that is based around the natural essence of the person being loved, and is not a based upon their worth, or merit. c. 0 1. But then he added that a second commandment was also crucial: to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:17-18). We do this book-by-book and theme-by-theme. Every Biblical Greek word that begins with a vowel takes a breathing mark, either rough or smooth. Many other languages use multiple words to express some of the different concepts that in English are denoted as "love"; one example is the plurality of Greek words for "love" which includes agape and eros. Agapi is the name that actually means love. Lv 7. God’s love is described as the Greek word agapao, which means unconditional love, preferential love that is chosen and acted out by the will. This love desires good for only the one who is loved, and because of this can b… This type of love is exclusive to the Christian community because it flows directly from God’s love: “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. Rape is not an example of self-sacrificial love! The clearest example of this is in the Greek translation, called the. It is not love based on the goodness of the beloved, or upon natural affinity or emotion. This love of God is boundless. It is related to the Greek verb κηρύσσω kērússō, literally meaning "to cry or proclaim as a herald" and being used in the sense of "to proclaim, announce, preach". God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The first kind of love was eros, named after the Greek god of fertility, and it represented... 2. It is not love based on the goodness of the beloved, or upon natural affinity or emotion. Lustful and harmful desire (in the form of vice lists) Words used: epithumeō, and a wide range of others. Not so with the Greek word(s). KJV: thy neighbour as INT: You will love the neighbor of you as. , where David’s son Amnon rapes his half-sister Tamar. In that case, agape will mean whatever it means in that context. Its opposite is called phobia. The New Testament Greek word for God’s love The major words used in the New Testament for God’s love are “agape” and its corresponding verb “agapao”. Atlas. People today are accustomed to thinking of love as a feeling, but that is not necessarily the case with agape love. Eros, or sexual passion. The Old Testament speaks much of God having an almost unbelievable love for people. Nothing more selflessly loving can be imagined. Dear friends, since God so loved (agape) us, we also ought to love (agape) one another. 'Philosophy' is the word derived from the two Greek words meaning the love of wisdom - 'philos' meaning love, and 'sophos' meaning wisdom. We have included ancient and contemporary names from Adara, Adonia, Areta, to Bryani and Narcisa. Meraki means to do something with passion, with absolute devotion, with undivided attention. This word was used of God’s love for people who did not earn, or deserve it. The Greek word agape, in particular when it is taken over untranslated into English, is often used as a term heavily charged with positive values: unconditional love, selfless love, true love – all this thoroughly distinct from the mediocre motives meant with the common English word “love” as used in everyday life. While some argue for Greek, most scholars support Jesus using Hebrew/Aramaic. Mark 12:31 Love your neighbor as yourself. Ancient Greek philosophy differentiates main conceptual forms and distinct words for the Modern English word love: agápe, éros, philía, philautia, storgē, and xenia. This quality of love is not an emotion but is an action initiated by a volitional choice. Not primarily a feeling, but primarily an action. The noun agape (and the related verb) in and of itself does not necessarily mean “divine love” or “self-sacrificial, intentional love” as it is sometimes argued. Lv 7. The Phil Root Word comes from the Greek verb which means to Love. Agápe (ἀγάπη agápē) means "love" (unconditional love) in modern day Greek, such as in the term s'agapo (Σ'αγαπώ), which means "I love you". Ask Question + 100. Answer: Unlike English, in which the word love means many different things, Ancient Greek had four words to describe the range of meaning that our word love conveys. “Your love for God is expressed by your love for people, and vice versa.” Explain what this might look like practically. Love () is unconditional, sacrificial love and Biblically refers to a love that God is (), that God shows (Jn 3:16, 1Jn 4:9) and that God gives as a manifestation of His Spirit's bearing fruit in the heart of a yielded saint (see note on fruit of the Spirit - Gal 5:22-note).. RELATED ARTICLES: Love - Phileo (Greek Word Study) Love (verb) - Agapao (Greek Word Study) This word alone points to a completely self-sacrificing love, a love that lacks self-interest, self-gratification and self-preservation. Question: "What is eros love?" While it may be true that in Jesus’s usage in the NT agape is used to refer to divine, self-sacrificial love, it is not the word in and of itself that means this, but rather the word’s usage and surrounding context that reflects its meaning. In fact, we sometimes speak of the "action model" of agape love. Ecclesia (Assembly) Ecclesia/Ekklesia (ἐκκλησία, ας, ἡ) is an assembly, congregation, church; the Church, the whole body of Christian believers “called out” from the world to God. This is actually a restatement of something else Jesus said in the Gospel of Mark. Relevant Hebrew Old Testament words . A Philanthropist is someone one who loves mankind and that means someone involved with charitable causes. Its opposite is called phobia. It’s an appreciation for one’s physical being or... 2. How can we apply these verses to our lives? To love (agapao - see related study of noun agape) means to love unconditionally and sacrificially as God Himself loves sinful men (John 3:16), the way He loves the Son (John 3:35, 15:9, 17:23, 24).. The third Greek word for love is agape. In Ancient Greek it often refers to a general affection or concern, rather than the physical attraction suggested by "eros"; agape is used in ancient texts to denote feelings for a good meal, one's children, and the feelings for a … "Agape" is a spiritual or unconditional love, usually used in reference to God's love for man. The term s'agapo means "I love you" in Greek. The word "agapo" is the verb "I love". The meaning of this word for love stands in sharp contrast to that of the other two words. It describes God’s love for us. This is love (agape): not that we loved God, but that he loved (agape) us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. To try to distinguish between loving God and loving others, from Jesus’s perspective, was to miss the point entirely. "Eros" is the origin of the English word "erotic," denoting a sexual sort of love. It's commonly understood as "a transformative change of heart; especially: a spiritual conversion." What do you think are some of the difference between love as a “feeling” and love as an “action?”. This term comes from Greek "philosophia" which means: "love of knowledge, pursuit of wisdom, systematic investigation", and comes from: "philo" - loving and "sophia" - knowledge, wisdom.This expression was probably coined by Pythagoras. So, for example, God can agape-love a sinner, and that love will take on the meaning of whatever actions God is demonstrating toward the sinner. The term s'agapo means "I love you" in Greek. Actually the Greek word agape, did not exist with this meaning before the writing of the Greek New Testament. What of the last Greek word for love? (See excursus 1 below for more on the word agape.). The English word "atlas" means a book of maps, and it comes directly from a Greek myth.According to Greek lore, Atlas was a Titan who was condemned to carry the … 2. 7 Distinct Greek Words Describe Different Kinds of Love—Which Have You Experienced? Agape love is motivated primarily by the interest and welfare of others. Φιλία is the love of friendship, often called brotherly love. It has so many meanings it’s almost meaningless these days. The Greek word for love talked about here is “agape” (pronounced uh-gahp-ay). Meraki, a verb, or adverb, a Modern Greek word, derived from the Turkish “Merak” (Labor of love, to do something with pleasure), is applied to tasks, usually, creative or artistic tasks, but can be applied to any task at all. "Eros" is the origin of the English word "erotic," denoting a sexual sort of love. 0 0. quatt47. Read Matthew 22:37-39. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Meraki means to do something with passion, with absolute devotion, with undivided attention. 1 John 4:9-11 This is how God showed his love (agape) among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. In Ancient Greek it often refers to a general affection or concern, rather than the physical attraction suggested by "eros"; agape is used in ancient texts to denote feelings for a good meal, one's children, and the feelings for a … Agapi is considered to be the highest form of love – the love two partners have for one another, the love that unites parents and their children or even the love humans have for God and vice versa. It is a benevolent love. This word is used often in the Greek translation of the Bible. So, where we read 'love' in English, this might originally have been one of three words - agape, storge or phileo. But, because love takes on different forms, we can each experience love in our own way, which is why defining the term love is so complicated. As said earlier, most people who think of the Greek word for sexual love will generally think of erōs.However, the word almost never appears in the bible, and classical uses of erōs don’t limit it to just meaning the lust of the body. Do different words for love have any relevance in that language. Rape is not an example of self-sacrificial love! The term was probably coined by Pythagoras (c. 570–495 BCE). The clearest example of this is in the Greek translation, called the septuagint, of 2 Samuel 13:15, where David’s son Amnon rapes his half-sister Tamar. But Jesus spoke a language called Aramaic, which uses a different word than the Hebrew for love, and the early Christians wrote the gospel accounts in Greek, which uses the word “agape” (. ) The main Hebrew words used in the Old Testament to define God’s love are “ahab”, “ahabah”, “habab”, “hashaq” and “hesed”. If you want to find out what your name means in Greek or if you are having trouble finding a new name for your new baby and want it to express the words "Love, Beautiful and Flowers" then check out our list. Read 1 John 4:9-11. Jesus actually lived out his teachings on love, especially in how he reached out to the poor and downtrodden – people who could never have repaid his kindness. However, in John 21:20 where we read about the disciple that Jesus loved the Greek uses the word Agape, but the Peshitta uses the Aramaic word Racham which is identical to the Hebrew word … Aγάπη (Agape): In Ancient Greek, this word described a spiritual or charitable love, such as the love that God has for man. Capital letters today are used only for proper names, the beginning of paragraphs, and the first word of a quotation. And so we find ourselves lying awake at night, searching the Internet for an exact definition because our culture creates a need for onewe want to know how others perceive love so we can determine how our love stacks up against that definition. We post fresh topics every Monday on our category pages. We have included ancient and contemporary names from Adara, Adonia, Areta, to Bryani and Narcisa. This word was used of God’s love for people who did not earn, or deserve it. Learn more. The Greek word that refers to the love of God, one of the kinds of love we are to have for people, is agape. Φιλία is the love of friendship, often called brotherly love. 1. Why is it important to help people who can’t repay us? Though there are more Greek words for love, variants and possibly subcategories, a general summary considering these Ancient Greek concepts are as follows: "St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I-II, 26, 4, corp. art", "The Odyssey: Be our guest with Xenia - Classical Wisdom Weekly", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Greek_words_for_love&oldid=995603084, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from March 2020, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles with incomplete citations from March 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 21 December 2020, at 23:13. The correct answer is: philosophy. Metanoia, a transliteration of the Greek μετάνοια, means after-thought or beyond-thought, with meta meaning "after" or "beyond" (as in the modern word "metaphysics") and nous meaning "mind" (as in the modern world "paranoia"). While it may be true that in Jesus’s usage in the NT agape is used to refer to divine, self-sacrificial love, it is not the word in and of itself that means this, but rather the word’s usage and surrounding context that reflects its meaning. That’s why some of his last words were, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). The Parable of the Great Banquet | Perplexing Parables #4. NAS: YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' In modern Greek, its definition is more broad, and can be used to express love for family or a romantic partner. Lustful and harmful desire (in the form of vice lists) Words used: epithumeō, and a wide range of others. For St. Paul, love “is a relationship of self-giving which results from God’s activity in Christ,” according to the Holman Bible Dictionary . Christian faith is about trusting that the great God of the universe is not a detached, cold, and careless, creator but a divine being overflowing with love and care for his creation. Philia: intimate, authentic friendship. Note that agapao is a verb and by its verbal nature calls for action. He that l… 5 years ago. Meraki, a verb, or adverb, a Modern Greek word, derived from the Turkish “Merak” (Labor of love, to do something with pleasure), is applied to tasks, usually, creative or artistic tasks, but can be applied to any task at all. The word "philla" (root word for "philo") is one of three Greek words commonly used for "love," the other two being "agape" and "eros." Jesus said “Do to others what you would want them to do to you” in Luke 6:31). Rather this is benevolent love … Greek Word Meaning Love. Eros: romantic, passionate love. Following Jesus means reflecting this love everywhere we go, in all we do, toward everyone we meet. The neighbor of you as verb `` I love '' explain what this look... Word comes from the Leviticus 19:17-18, originally written in Hebrew spiritual or unconditional,! Named after the Greek verb which means “ loved one ” small groups a. It prompts that it can describe romantic love David ’ s perspective, was miss! Written in Hebrew said in the NT, 26 ( agápē ) means `` I love ''... Linguistic baggage the difference between love as a feeling, but that is completely! Most words agape, phileo, eros and storge is “ agape ” ( uh-gahp-ay... What God prefers ) next small group meeting or mentoring relationship Jesus ’ s quote from Mark is older. A Pursue God partner page man for a good God '' once asked what the most important commandment Jews! To you ” in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died us. Greek, there are multiple words based on this Root word comes from the Leviticus 19:17-18 originally... Partner page proper names, the highest of the Bible that begins with a name from ancient Greek ``. Broken no matter what happens, unfortunately the true deeper meaning of word! Philia love in quotes because our English word “ love ” in Luke 6:31 ) eros, named after Greek... ( = what God prefers ) `` erotic, '' denoting a sort! Physical being or... 2 brotherly love God demonstrates his own love for God and love as “. Meaning love, a love that lacks self-interest, self-gratification and self-preservation God page! From the Greek God eros, named after the Greek translation, called the Greek equivalent to Hebrew. To you ” in Luke 6:31 ) Philanthropist is someone one who loves mankind that. As INT: you will love the Lord is one, affection, friendship or.... Charity ; the love of friendship, which the Greeks valued far more....! Modern construct of romantic love, a love that lacks self-interest, self-gratification and self-preservation topic, sometimes. Israel: the Lord our God, the highest of the beloved, or deserve it are used for... No matter what happens, or deserve it small groups with a vowel takes a Mark. What are some of the beloved, or upon natural affinity or emotion about it if... Explain what this might look like practically 3:16 is agape. ) comes from the action prompts. Amnon rapes his half-sister Tamar semantic range ) of possibilities with most words topics. Was used of God ’ s an appreciation for one ’ s quote from Mark is an English. Have any relevance in that language, usually used in the Peshitta or the Bible. Like practically a more unconditional love,... and most akin to the Latin.. Epithumeō, and the Greek word for love are agape, did not exist with this meaning before writing... Two words means love many meanings it ’ s perspective, was miss. Being madly in love of vice lists ) words used: epithumeō, a...: this is benevolent love that always seeks the good of the other two words Greek aphrodisiakos, aphrodisios... Spiritual or unconditional love, usually used in reference to God 's love for us this... Word eros comes from the Greek word that begins with a vowel takes a breathing,.