'Dear' in the Bible
And a certain captain had a servant who was very dear to him; this servant was ill and near to death.
So the sisters sent to him, saying, Lord, your dear friend is ill.
There was at table one of his disciples, the one dear to Jesus, resting his head on Jesus' breast.
My dear children, I am only to be with you a little longer. Then you will be looking for me: and as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you, Where I am going you may not come.
Jesus said to him in answer, If anyone has love for me, he will keep my words: and he will be dear to my Father; and we will come to him and make our living-place with him.
So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple who was dear to him, he said to his mother, Mother, there is your son!
So the disciple who was dear to Jesus said to Peter, It is the Lord! Hearing that it was the Lord, Peter put his coat round him (because he was not clothed) and went into the sea.
He said to him a third time, Simon, son of John, am I dear to you? Now Peter was troubled in his heart because he put the question a third time, Am I dear to you? And he said to him, Lord, you have knowledge of all things; you see that you are dear to me. Jesus said to him, Then give my sheep food.
Then Peter, turning round, saw the disciple who was dear to Jesus coming after them--the disciple who was resting on his breast at the last meal, and said, Lord, who is it who will be false to you?
And having put him on one side, he made David their king, to whom he gave witness, saying, I have taken David, the son of Jesse, a man dear to my heart, who will do all my pleasure.
Do not give punishment for wrongs done to you, dear brothers, but give way to the wrath of God; for it is said in the holy Writings, Punishment is mine, I will give reward, says the Lord.
And say a kind word to the church which is in their house. Give my love to my dear Epaenetus, who is the first fruit of Asia to Christ.
Give my love to Ampliatus, who is dear to me in the Lord,
Give my love to Urbanus, a worker in Christ with us, and to my dear Stachys.
Give my love to Tryphaena and Tryphosa, workers in the Lord. Give my love to my dear Persis, who did much work in the Lord.
I am not saying these things to put you to shame, but so that, as my dear children, you may see what is right.
For this cause I have sent Timothy to you, who is my dear and true child in the Lord; he will make clear to you my ways in Christ, even as I am teaching everywhere in every church.
For this cause, my dear brothers, give no worship to false gods.
For this cause, my dear brothers, be strong in purpose and unmoved, ever giving yourselves to the work of the Lord, because you are certain that your work is not without effect in the Lord.
Because God, then, will give us such rewards, dear brothers, let us make ourselves clean from all evil of flesh and spirit, and become completely holy in the fear of God.
It may seem to you that all this time we have been attempting to put ourselves in the right; but we are saying these things before God in Christ. For all things, dear brothers, are for your profit.
So my brothers, well loved and very dear to me, my joy and crown, be strong in the Lord, my loved ones.
Tychicus will give you news of all my business: he is a dear brother and true servant and helper in the word;
Being conscious, my brothers, dear to God, that you have been marked out by God's purpose;
Even so, being full of loving desire for you, we took delight in giving you not only God's good news, but even our lives, because you were dear to us.
And let those whose masters are of the faith have respect for them because they are brothers, working for them the more readily, because those who take part in the good work are of the faith and are dear. Give orders and teaching about these things.
Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our dear helper in the faith,
No longer as a servant, but more than a servant, a brother, very dear to me specially, but much more to you, in the flesh as well as in the Lord.
You have knowledge of this, dear brothers. But let every man be quick in hearing, slow in words, slow to get angry;
Give ear, my dear brothers; are not those who are poor in the things of this world marked out by God to have faith as their wealth, and for their heritage the kingdom which he has said he will give to those who have love for him?
Dear brothers, do not be surprised, as if it was something strange, if your faith is tested as by fire:
To all those who are dear to me, I give sharp words and punishment: then with all your heart have sorrow for your evil ways.