# love, loves, loving, loved

## Definition:

To love another person is to care for that person and do things that will benefit him. There are different meanings for "love"  some languages may express using different words:

1. The kind of love that comes from God is focused on having good things happen to others even when those good things do not happen to the one who loves. This kind of love cares for others, no matter what they do. God himself is love and is the source of true love.

    * Jesus showed this kind of love by sacrificing his life in order to rescue us from sin and death. He also taught his followers to love others sacrificially.
    * When people love others with this kind of love, they act in ways that show they are thinking of what will cause the others to thrive. This kind of love especially includes forgiving others.
    * In the ULB, the word "love" refers to this kind of sacrificial love, unless a Translation Note indicates a different meaning.

2. Another word in the New Testament refers to brotherly love, or love for a friend or family member.

    * This term refers to natural human love between friends or relatives.
    * The term can also be used in such contexts as, "They love to sit in the most important seats at a banquet." This means that they "like very much" or "greatly desire" to do that.

3. The word "love" can also refer to romantic love between a man and a woman.

4. In the figurative expression "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated," the term "loved" refers to God's choosing of Jacob to be in a covenant relationship with him. This could also be translated as "chosen." Although Esau was also blessed by God, he wasn't given the privilege of being in the covenant. The term "hated" is used figuratively here to mean "rejected" or "not chosen."

## Translation Suggestions:

* Unless indicated otherwise in a Translation Note, the word "love" in the ULB refers to the kind of sacrificial love that comes from God.
* Some languages may have a special word for the kind of unselfish, sacrificial love that God has. Ways to translate this might include, "devoted, faithful caring" or "care for unselfishly" or "love from God." Make sure that the word used to translate God's love can include giving up one's own interests to benefit others and loving others no matter what they do.
* Sometimes the English word "love" describes the deep caring that people have for friends and family members. Some languages might translate this with a word or phrase that means, "like very much" or "care for" or "have strong affection for."
* In contexts where the word "love" is used to express a strong preference for something, this could be translated by "strongly prefer" or "like very much" or "greatly desire."
* Some languages may also have a separate word that refers to romantic or sexual love between a husband and wife.
* Many languages must express "love" as an action. So for example, they might translate "love is patient, love is kind" as, "when a person loves someone, he is patient with him and kind to him."

(See also: [covenant](../kt/covenant.md), [death](../other/death.md), [sacrifice](../other/sacrifice.md), [save](../kt/save.md), [sin](../kt/sin.md))

## Bible References:

* [1 Corinthians 13:07](rc://en/tn/help/1co/13/07)
* [1 John 03:02](rc://en/tn/help/1jn/03/02)
* [1 Thessalonians 04:10](rc://en/tn/help/1th/04/10)
* [Galatians 05:23](rc://en/tn/help/gal/05/23)
* [Genesis 29:18](rc://en/tn/help/gen/29/18)
* [Isaiah 56:06](rc://en/tn/help/isa/56/06)
* [Jeremiah 02:02](rc://en/tn/help/jer/02/02)
* [John 03:16](rc://en/tn/help/jhn/03/16)
* [Matthew 10:37](rc://en/tn/help/mat/10/37)
* [Nehemiah 09:32-34](rc://en/tn/help/neh/09/32)
* [Philippians 01:09](rc://en/tn/help/php/01/09)
* [Song of Solomon 01:02](rc://en/tn/help/sng/01/02)

## Examples from the Bible stories:

* __[27:02](rc://en/tn/help/obs/27/02)__ The law expert replied that God's law says, "__Love__  the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. And __love__  your neighbor as yourself."
* __[33:08](rc://en/tn/help/obs/33/08)__ "The thorny ground is a person who hears God's word, but, as time passes, the cares, riches, and pleasures of life choke out his __love__  for God."
* __[36:05](rc://en/tn/help/obs/36/05)__ As Peter was talking, a bright cloud came down on top of them and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son whom I __love__."
* __[39:10](rc://en/tn/help/obs/39/10)__ "Everyone who __loves__  the truth listens to me."
* __[47:01](rc://en/tn/help/obs/47/01)__ She (Lydia) __loved__  and worshiped God.
* __[48:01](rc://en/tn/help/obs/48/01)__ When God created the world, everything was perfect. There was no sin. Adam and Eve __loved__  each other, and they __loved__  God.
* __[49:03](rc://en/tn/help/obs/49/03)__ He (Jesus) taught that you need to __love__  other people the same way you love yourself.
* __[49:04](rc://en/tn/help/obs/49/04)__ He (Jesus) also taught that you need to __love__  God more than you __love__  anything else, including your wealth.
* __[49:07](rc://en/tn/help/obs/49/07)__ Jesus taught that God __loves__  sinners very much.
* __[49:09](rc://en/tn/help/obs/49/09)__ But God __loved__  everyone in the world so much that he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in Jesus will not be punished for his sins, but will live with God forever.
* __[49:13](rc://en/tn/help/obs/49/13)__ God __loves__  you and wants you to believe in Jesus so he can have a close relationship with you.

## Word Data:

* Strong's: H157, H158, H159, H160, H1730, H2245, H2532, H2617, H2836, H3039, H4261, H5689, H5690, H7355, H7356, H7453, H7474, G25, G26, G5360, G5361, G5362, G5363, G5365, G5367, G5368, G5369, G5377, G5383, G5388