'Dear' in the Bible

“Is Ephraim My dear son?Is he a delightful child?Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him,I certainly still remember him;Therefore My heart yearns for him;I will surely have mercy on him,” declares the Lord.

But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.