'Love' in the Bible

“Take your son,” He said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

Then make me a delicious meal that I love and bring it to me to eat, so that I can bless you before I die.”

So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

Leah conceived, gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has seen my affliction; surely my husband will love me now.”

When the time drew near for him to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise me that you will deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt.

You will lead the peopleYou have redeemedwith Your faithful love;You will guide them to Your holy dwellingwith Your strength.

but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.

“But if the slave declares: ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I do not want to leave as a free man,’

Then the Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed:Yahweh—Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth,

maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ wrongdoing on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.

Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.

You must regard the foreigner who lives with you as the native-born among you. You are to love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt; I am Yahweh your God.

The Lord is slow to anger and rich in faithful love, forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ wrongdoing on the children to the third and fourth generation.

Please pardon the wrongdoing of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your faithful love, just as You have forgiven them from Egypt until now.”

but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commands.

He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will bless your descendants, and the produce of your land—your grain, new wine, and oil—the young of your herds, and the newborn of your flocks, in the land He swore to your fathers that He would give you.

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you except to fear the Lord your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul?

You also must love the foreigner, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

“Therefore, love the Lord your God and always keep His mandate and His statutes, ordinances, and commands.

“If you carefully obey my commands I am giving you today, to love the Lord your God and worship Him with all your heart and all your soul,

For if you carefully observe every one of these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, walk in all His ways, and remain faithful to Him—

do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul.

The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and all your soul so that you will live.

For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

love the Lord your God, obey Him, and remain faithful to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land the Lord swore to give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Only carefully obey the command and instruction that Moses the Lord’s servant gave you: to love the Lord your God, walk in all His ways, keep His commands, remain faithful to Him, and serve Him with all your heart and all your soul.”

So be very diligent to love the Lord your God for your own well-being.

Lord, may all your enemies perish as Sisera did.But may those who love Himbe like the rising of the sun in its strength.And the land was peaceful 40 years.

So Samson’s wife came to him, weeping, and said, “You hate me and don’t love me! You told my people the riddle, but haven’t explained it to me.”“Look,” he said, “I haven’t even explained it to my father or mother, so why should I explain it to you?”

Some time later, he fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the Sorek Valley.

“How can you say, ‘I love you,’” she told him, “when your heart is not with me? This is the third time you have mocked me and not told me what makes your strength so great!”

She said to them, “Each of you go back to your mother’s home. May the Lord show faithful love to you as you have shown to the dead and to me.

Saul then ordered his servants, “Speak to David in private and tell him, ‘Look, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Therefore, you should become the king’s son-in-law.’”

If I continue to live, treat me with the Lord’s faithful love, but if I die,

don’t ever withdraw your faithful love from my household—not even when the Lord cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

Jonathan once again swore to David in his love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother.You were such a friend to me.Your love for me was more wonderfulthan the love of women.

But My faithful love will never leave him as I removed it from Saul; I removed him from your way.

and he asked Amnon, “Why are you, the king’s son, so miserable every morning? Won’t you tell me?”Amnon replied, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”

After this, Amnon hated Tamar with such intensity that the hatred he hated her with was greater than the love he had loved her with. “Get out of here!” he said.

You love your enemies and hate those who love you! Today you have made it clear that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. In fact, today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would be fine with you!

And Solomon replied, “You have shown great and faithful love to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and integrity. You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today.

May Yahweh your God be praised! He delighted in you and put you on the throne of Israel, because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel. He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.”

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;His faithful love endures forever.

With them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord—for His faithful love endures forever.

I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me. I will not take away My faithful love from him as I took it from the one who was before you.

And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great and faithful love to my father David, and You have made me king in his place.

The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the Lord with one voice. They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the Lord:For He is good;His faithful love endures forever.The temple, the Lord’s temple, was filled with a cloud.

All the Israelites were watching when the fire descended and the glory of the Lord came on the temple. They bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground. They worshiped and praised the Lord:For He is good,for His faithful love endures forever.

The priests and the Levites were standing at their stations. The Levites had the musical instruments of the Lord, which King David had made to praise the Lord—“for His faithful love endures forever”—when he offered praise with them. Across from the Levites, the priests were blowing trumpets, and all the people were standing.

Then Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Do you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the Lord’s wrath is on you.

Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of His holiness. When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing:Give thanks to the Lord,for His faithful love endures forever.

As for the rest of the events of Hezekiah’s reign and his deeds of faithful love, note that they are written in the Visions of the Prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, and in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign, along with his deeds of faithful love according to what is written in the law of the Lord,

They sang with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord: “For He is good; His faithful love to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s house had been laid.

I said,Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commands,

They refused to listenand did not remember Your wondersYou performed among them.They became stiff-necked and appointed a leaderto return to their slavery in Egypt.But You are a forgiving God,gracious and compassionate,slow to anger and rich in faithful love,and You did not abandon them.

Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.Remember me for this also, my God, and look on me with compassion in keeping with Your abundant, faithful love.

You gave me life and faithful love,and Your care has guarded my life.

All of my best friends despise me,and those I love have turned against me.

He causes this to happen for punishment,for His land, or for His faithful love.

How long, exalted men, will my honor be insulted?How long will you love what is worthlessand pursue a lie?Selah

But I enter Your houseby the abundance of Your faithful love;I bow down toward Your holy templein reverential awe of You.

But let all who take refuge in You rejoice;let them shout for joy forever.May You shelter them,and may those who love Your name boast about You.

Turn, Lord! Rescue me;save me because of Your faithful love.

But I have trusted in Your faithful love;my heart will rejoice in Your deliverance.

Display the wonders of Your faithful love,Savior of all who seek refugefrom those who rebel against Your right hand.

For the choir director. Of the servant of the Lord, David, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:I love You, Lord, my strength.

For the king relies on the Lord;through the faithful love of the Most Highhe is not shaken.

Only goodness and faithful love will pursue meall the days of my life,and I will dwell in the house of the Lordas long as I live.

Remember, Lord, Your compassionand Your faithful love,for they have existed from antiquity.

Do not remember the sins of my youthor my acts of rebellion;in keeping with Your faithful love, remember mebecause of Your goodness, Lord.

All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truthto those who keep His covenant and decrees.

For Your faithful love is before my eyes,and I live by Your truth.

Lord, I love the house where You dwell,the place where Your glory resides.

I will rejoice and be glad in Your faithful lovebecause You have seen my affliction.You have known the troubles of my life

Show Your favor to Your servant;save me by Your faithful love.

May the Lord be praised,for He has wonderfully shown His faithful love to mein a city under siege.

Love the Lord, all His faithful ones.The Lord protects the loyal,but fully repays the arrogant.

Many pains come to the wicked,but the one who trusts in the Lordwill have faithful love surrounding him.

He loves righteousness and justice;the earth is full of the Lord’s unfailing love.

Now the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him—those who depend on His faithful love

May Your faithful love rest on us, Yahweh,for we put our hope in You.

Lord, Your faithful love reaches to heaven,Your faithfulness to the clouds.

God, Your faithful love is so valuablethat people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

Spread Your faithful love over those who know You,and Your righteousness over the upright in heart.

I did not hide Your righteousness in my heart;I spoke about Your faithfulness and salvation;I did not conceal Your constant love and truthfrom the great assembly.

Lord, do not withhold Your compassion from me;Your constant love and truth will always guard me.

Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;let those who love Your salvation continually say,“The Lord is great!”

The Lord will send His faithful love by day;His song will be with me in the night—a prayer to the God of my life.

Rise up! Help us!Redeem us because of Your faithful love.

You love righteousness and hate wickedness;therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joymore than your companions.

God, within Your temple,we contemplate Your faithful love.

For the choir director. A Davidic psalm, when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.Be gracious to me, God,according to Your faithful love;according to Your abundant compassion,blot out my rebellion.

For the choir director. A Davidic Maskil. When Doeg the Edomite went and reported to Saul, telling him, “David went to Ahimelech’s house.”Why brag about evil, you hero!God’s faithful love is constant.

You love evil instead of good,lying instead of speaking truthfully.Selah

You love any words that destroy,you treacherous tongue!

But I am like a flourishing olive treein the house of God;I trust in God’s faithful love forever and ever.