Thursday, April 7, 2016

Deuteronomy 10 - Love

18 He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth (H157) the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. 19 Love (H157) ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Loveth – OT = 38 (34 verses).  Hebrew words for ‘love’ – H157, H158, H160

First occurrence:
Gen_27:9  Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:

Middle (or what I’m calling ‘middle’):
Psa_11:5  The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

Last:
Hos_12:7  He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.

Each reference above uses:
H157 - Love - A primitive root; to have affection for (sexually or otherwise).

Used: 212 x in 199 verses.  My…translated as love, loved, loveth, beloved, lovely, lovest, lover, friends, liketh.

The first usage is Genesis 22:2 – Abraham loving Isaac.

Deuteronomy 11:1 – Our instruction to ‘love’ the Lord our God.

1 Kings 5:1 – Hiram was a ‘lover’ of David…not in a sexual sense.

2 Samuel 13:4 – Amnon ‘loved’ his sister, Tamar (until he ‘hated’ her a few short verses later in 15).

Esther 5:10 – Haman called his ‘friends’ and his wife (interesting, she as counted as a ‘friend’?).

Psalm 88:18 – ‘Lover’ and friend (H7453) has thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance (H3045) into darkness.  (Word usage in Psalms - 39x)

Interesting lover, friend and acquaintance used all in this verse.

First usage in Proverbs:
Pro 1:22  How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

Only usage where H157 is translated ‘liketh’ (the word is only translated ‘liketh 3x in the OT):
Amo 4:5  And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

Loveth in the NT – 27 matches (23 verses):

G5368 – Phileo - From G5384; to be a friend to (fond of [an individual or an object]), that is, have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling; while G25 is wider, embracing especially the judgment and the deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty and propriety: the two thus stand related very much as G2309 and G1014, or as G2372 and G3563 respectively; the former being chiefly of the heart and the latter of the head); specifically to kiss (as a mark of tenderness).  25 matches (21 verses).

First usage is Matthew 6:5; I thought this one appropriate:

Mat 10:37  He that loveth (G5368) father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth (G5368) son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Interesting:

Mat 26:48  Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss (G5368), that same is he: hold him fast.

Joh 5:20  For the Father loveth (G5368) the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

G25 – Agapao -  Perhaps from ἄγαν agan (much; or compare [H5689]); to love (in a social or moral sense.  142 matches (109 verses).
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.


This study took a while for me to compile (since I’m now in 2 Samuel…that says it all!).  I simply amazed at the differences and usages between PHILEO and AGAPAO.

When you read the word of God and see the word ‘love’ translated do you pause and consider, which word is this really?

And how much do we L-O-V-E?  Enough to speak up?  Challenge current thought, patterns, behavior?

Postscript:
Here are a couple of links I found while browsing for Hebrew and Greek ‘love’ words.  Note, I have NOT vetted any of these sites and this reference is not necessarily an endorsement of such.




Greek Words For Love in Context – I didn’t fully browse this one, and want to go back and review it more.