ἀγαπάω

ἀγαπάω — agapáō

ἀγαπάω, (ῶ; (imperfect ἠγάπων); future ἀγαπήσω; 1 aorist ἠγάπησα; perfect active (1 person plural ἠγαπήκαμεν, 1Jn 4:10 WH text), participle ἠγαπηκῶς (2Ti 4:8); passive (present ἀγαπῶμαι); perfect participle ἠγαπημένος; 1 future ἀγαπηθήσομαι; (akin to ἄγαμαι (Fick, Part 4:12; see ἀγαθός, at the beginning)); to love, to be full of good-will and exhibit the same: Luk 7:47; 1Jn 4:7 f; with the accusative of the person, to have a preference for, wish well to, regard the welfare of: Mat 5:43 ff; Mat 19:19; Luk 7:5; Joh 11:5; Rom 13:8; 2Co 11:11; 2Co 12:15; Gal 5:14; Eph 5:25; Eph 5:28; 1Pe 1:22, and elsewhere; used often in the First Epistle of John of the love of Christians toward one another; of the benevolence which god, in providing salvation for men, has exhibited by sending his Son to them and giving him up to death, Joh 3:16; Rom 8:37; 2Th 2:16; 1Jn 4:11; 1Jn 4:19; (noteworthy is Jud 1:1 L T Tr WH τοῖς ἐν Θεῷ πατρί ἠγαπημένοις; see ἐν, I. 4, and cf. Lightfoot on Col 3:12); of the love which led Christ, in procuring human salvation, to undergo sufferings and death, Gal 2:20; Eph 5:2; of the love with which god regards Christ, Joh 3:35; (v. L marginal reading);; Eph 1:6. When used of love to a master, god or Christ, the word involves the idea of affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, grateful recognition of benefits received: Mat 6:24; Mat 22:37; Rom 8:28; 1Co 2:9; 1Co 8:3; Jas 1:12; 1Pe 1:8; 1Jn 4:10; 1Jn 4:20, and elsewhere. With an accusative of the thing ἀγαπάω denotes "to take pleasure in the thing, prize it above other things, be unwilling to abandon it or do without it": δικαιοσύνην, Heb 1:9 (i. e. steadfastly to cleave to); τήν δόξαν, Joh 12:43; τήν πρωτοκαθεδρίαν, Luk 11:43; τό σκότος; and τό φῶς, Joh 3:19; τόν κόσμον. 1Jn 2:15; τόν νῦν αἰῶνα, 2Ti 4:10, — both which last phrases signify to set the heart on earthly advantages and joys; τήν ψυχήν αὐτῶν, Rev 12:11; ζωήν, 1Pe 3:10 (to derive pleasure from life, render it agreeable to himself); to welcome with desire, long for: τήν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ, 2Ti 4:8 (Wis 1:1 Wis 6:13; Sir 4:12, etc.; so of a person: ἠγαπήθη, Wis 4:10, cf. grimm at the passage). Concerning the unique proof of love which Jesus gave the apostles by washing their feet, it is said ἠγάπησεν αὐτούς, Joh 13:1, cf. Lücke or Meyer at the passage (but others take ἀγαπήσας here more comprehensively, see Weiss's Meyer, godet, Westcott, Keil). The combination ἀγάπην ἀγαπᾶν τινα occurs, when a relative intervenes, in Joh 17:26; Eph 2:4 (2Sa 13:15 where τό μῖσος ὁ ἐμίσησεν αὐτήν is contrasted; cf. Gen 49:25 εὐλόγησε σε εὐλογίαν; Ps. Sal. (in manuscript Pseudepig. Vet. Test. edition Fabric. i., p. 966; Libri Apocr. etc., edition Fritzsche, p. 588) δόξαν ἥν ἐδόξασεν αὐτήν); cf. Winers grammar, § 32, 2; (Buttmann, 148f (129)); grimm on 1Ma 2:54. On the difference between ἀγαπάω and φιλέω, see φιλέω. Cf. ἀγάπη, 1 at the end