ἀγάπη
agapē
Modern Summary of Abbott-Smith’s Lexicon (1922)
The word "ἀγάπη" (agapē) primarily means love, goodwill, or esteem. In the New Testament, it refers to love between people, love for God, and divine love from God to humanity, as well as Christ's love for people. It is distinct from other types of love, such as friendship, natural affection, or sexual love, and is specifically used to describe the spiritual bond characteristic of Christianity.
love; selfless, unconditional love
The Greek word agapē means "love; selfless, unconditional love," derived from agapaō ("to love (in a social or moral sense)"). In the KJV, it is translated as "charity", "dear", "love".
Derives from ἀγαπάω (agapaō), meaning "to love (in a social or moral sense)." This root connection shapes its semantic range.
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
In the New Testament, agapē appears in passages such as 1 Corinthians 13:13. The variety of contexts in which agapē appears reveals that its meaning is not confined to a single usage but expands across different literary and theological settings.
agapē derives from ἀγαπάω (agapaō, G25), meaning "to love (in a social or moral sense)." Its Hebrew parallel is אַהֲבָה (ahăbâh), revealing shared conceptual ground across the biblical languages. Thematically connected words include χάρις (charis), ζωή (zōē), חֵסֵד (chêçêd).
The semantic range of agapē — spanning meanings like charity, dear, love — suggests a word whose full significance cannot be captured by a single English term. As part of the "from G25 (ἀγαπάω);" word family, this term connects to a broader network of related concepts in biblical thought.
Compare with ahăbâh
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Lexical data derived from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. See full disclaimer
Word DNA
Word Family
from G25 (ἀγαπάω);Key Connections
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Meaning Layers
This word carries distinct senses across different contexts.
How This Word Behaves
Selected distinct patterns of usage found in Scripture.
Scripture Occurrences
Selected verses where this word appears in the KJV.
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."
Connection Map
Nearest neighbors in the lexical network.
Compare This Word
Explore how agapē relates to similar or contrasting biblical words.
אַהֲבָה
ahăbâh
{affection (in a good or a bad sense)}
חֵסֵד
chêçêd
kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty
χάρις
charis
graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude)
Love, Grace & Mercy Cluster
Words that share the same theological orbit.
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Follow the thread — discover connected words and concepts.
חֵסֵד
chêçêd
kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty
χάρις
charis
graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude)
ζωή
zōē
life (literally or figuratively)
אַהֲבָה
ahăbâh
{affection (in a good or a bad sense)}
ἀγαπάω
agapaō
to love (in a social or moral sense)
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