Christian scripture divides love into three categories: 1) love of the brotherhood, 2) love of God, and 3) self-love. The more perfect a love is, the less there is of it. Greater love belongs to each one in the second category than in the first. And greater consideration is owed to ourselves than to all others put together; still greater consideration ought we to show our neighbor than to ourselves. We must go from one degree of good and true love to another, from one measure of love to a greater, from one form of service to another until we reach a perfect level. Love gets tested in different ways over time. Surely, you have experienced this for yourself. There are three types of love in the Bible: agape, phileo and storge. Agape is a word that means “unconditional love”. This type of love is selfless and gives without expecting anything in return. God showed agape love when he sent his son Jesus to die for our sins (John 3:16). Phileo is a form of friendship love that we experience with our friends and family members on a daily basis. Phileo is based on deep affection for someone else that can be demonstrated through actions like helping them out when they need it or spending time together doing fun activities like going to the movies or taking walks around town together during lunch breaks at work! Storge is also known as “natural affection” because it comes from being related by blood ties such as being siblings or having children together! It’s important to note here that this type of love isn’t necessarily romantic; rather, it can also include parents who care deeply about their children even though they aren’t married anymore (such as divorced parents) or even grandparents who spoil their grandchildren with gifts every birthday/Christmas.

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3 Types of Love In The Bible

Storge

Storge is a type of love that occurs between people who have gone through many life experiences together. It can be seen in the relationship between family members, friends, teachers and students, caregivers and their charges (like young children), and pets to their owners.

Storge is one of the most common forms of love in our world because it’s easy to develop when you share personal experiences with someone over time.

phileo love

The Word of God tells us that we are to love one another, as Christ has loved us. The Bible also tells us that there are three different types of love: storge (natural affection), eros (romantic), and agape (unconditional). In this article, we will talk about phileo love which is the kind of love that is based on a relationship. This type of love can be found between best friends or family members who have been through ups and downs together. When someone dies, their family members often refer to the deceased as “their other half” because they felt like they had lost half of themselves when their loved one passed away.

Eros

Eros is the most commonly referenced kind of love in the Bible. Eros is passionate and sexual, but not necessarily romantic. It’s based on physical attraction and mutual love between two people who are naturally drawn together. Passionate eros can be fleeting, though it’s often accompanied by intense romance that lasts until the attraction has faded or your partner dies.

Agape

Agape is the selfless love of God, as well as the love of all humanity. Agape calls us to love one another unconditionally. It is defined by its characteristics:

• Unconditional
• Unselfish (giving)
• Faithful and loyal
• Patient, enduring the test of time
• Kind, compassionate

The Bible recognizes three types of love, and they often overlap.

The Bible recognizes three types of love, and they often overlap. The first is storge, which is an affection based on kinship or familiarity. It’s the type of love that you feel for your family members, or the way you feel when someone you know becomes a part of your life. The second type is phileo, which refers to the friendship between people who respect each other and want to spend time together. Finally there is eros: passionate desire for another person that can lead to physical intimacy.

Eros is often used in conjunction with storge and phileo because it’s not possible for one person to feel all three kinds of romantic feelings toward another person at once (at least not without compromising their values). But it’s common for people who are romantically involved with someone else (or who have had their hearts broken by someone) also find themselves feeling some level of agape toward them—a selfless kind of love that puts others ahead of yourself even when it hurts both parties involved.”

7 types of love in the bible

The notion of love is actually quite complex. We can love someone in the notion of love and go on to marry and make a life with them. We can love a child unconditionally with our entire sense of self. We can love a parent or a best friend, but in a very different way than we love our significant other. We can show love and compassion for others. We need to figure out what self love means before anything else. Commenting that we love pancakes has a very different connotation when we utter “I love you” for the first time. 

Interestingly enough, the solitary word “love” is somehow supposed to encompass all of these emotions and feelings. Perhaps society has taught us to distinguish the various types and degrees of love based on connotations, nuances, or experiences. In contrast, philosophers in ancient Greece made the concept more concrete by breaking it down into various categories. They came up with seven types of love as detailed below:

Eros: Love of the body 

This type of love illustrates sexual attraction, physical desire towards others, and a lack of control. It is powerful, passionate, and can dissipate quickly. Relationships that are built solely on Eros love tend to be short-lived.

Philia: Affectionate love

Philia love accounts for the type of love that you feel for parents, siblings, family members, and close friends. This type of love is linked with loyalty, companionship, and trust. Philia love is shared among those who have similar values and experiences. The Greek philosophers considered Philia to be an equal love and valued it higher than Eros love.

Storge: Love of the Child

This type of love describes the unconditional love that parents have for their children. It is defined by unconditional approval, acceptance, and sacrifice. This type of love helps a child to develop through attachment, encouragement, and security.

Agape: Selfless Love

Agape love is representative of universal love. Greek philosophers felt that this is the type of love that people feel for other humans, for nature, and for a higher power. This love can be most easily expressed through meditation, nature, intuition, and spirituality. Agape love can be used interchangeably for charity and care for others.

Ludus: Playful Love

Playful love is defined by flirtatiousness, seduction, and sex without commitment. The focal point of this love is on the experience rather than attraction or feelings. Ludus is evident in the beginning of a relationship and is comprised with elements of play, teasing, and excitement.

Pragma: Long-lasting Love

Long-lasting love is evident in couples who have been together for a long period of time. This type of love continues to develop throughout the years and portrays synchronization and balance. This type of love can only survive with constant maintenance and nurturance.

Philautia: Love of the Self

Self-love is linked with confidence and self-worth and is necessary for a sense of purpose and fitting in. Philautia can be unhealthy and linked to narcissistic behaviors and arrogance, or can be healthy in the sense that we love ourselves before we learn how to love others. Greek philosophers believed that true happiness could only be achieved when one had unconditional love for themselves. 

Putting the pieces together

Perhaps we do not break down the concept of love like the ancient Greek philosophers once did. Admittedly, it would likely be very complicated to incorporate these Greek terms into our day to day conversations. However, there are bits and pieces and truths from each one that help to comprise our notion of love today.

One of the things you’ve probably noticed is that these types of love are not mutually exclusive. We don’t love in pieces. We love as people, in all kinds of ways. For example, your romantic relationship might be full of eros (sexual attraction), but to truly achieve pragma (long-lasting love), you also need ludus (playful love), philautia (self-love) and philia (affectionate love). A healthy friendship of course, relies on philia (affectionate or platonic love), but also needs philautia (self-love) and some degree of support from storge (familiar love).

Think about some of the relationships in your life. What do you see? Are there opportunities to strengthen the “loves” you have?

Learning about the types of love can help you to understand how you view love and how you experience love. And when you understand that, relationships begin to make so much more sense. You’ll begin to see the many facets of your relationships. How much love is in your life just might surprise you.

5 Greek & Hebrew Words for Love

What does the Bible say about love? Here are the five, most-used Greek and Hebrew words for love and LOTS of Bible verses about love to read!

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

-MATTHEW 22:36-40 KJV

ORIGINAL LANGUAGE WORDS FOR LOVE: WHAT IS LOVE?

We are called to love God and love others, but how do we understand what love really is?

Studies of 5 Hebrew and Greek words for love help us understand what loving someone really means.

Want to read the verse references in context or change the translation? Tap and you’ll be taken to our online Bible where you can read these Bible verses about love.

1. AHAB – HEBREW WORD FOR LOVE

Hebrew word for love. Describes a variety of intensely close emotional bonds. So Abraham loved his son Isaac (Gen. 22:2), Isaac loved his son Esau (Gen. 25:28), and “Israel loved Joseph more than all his children” (Gen. 37:3).

In a more romantic manner, Isaac loved his wife Rebekah (Gen. 24:67), and Jacob loved Rachel (Gen. 29:18), but Delilah manipulated Samson by challenging his love for her (Judg. 14:16). We are all called to love the Lord, by expressing obedience to His commandments (Deut. 6:5), and to “love thy neighbour as thyself” (Lev. 19:18). Moreover, “he that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul” (Prov. 19:8).

HEBREW WORD FOR LOVE: OTHER USES OF AHAB

• Genesis 24:67: And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
• Exodus 20:6: And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
• Deuteronomy 4:37: And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt
• Job 19:19: All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.
• Psalms 4:2: O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
• Proverbs 1:22: How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
• Ecclesiastes 3:8: A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
• Song of Songs 1:3: Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.
• Micah 3:2: Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
• Zechariah 8:17: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.
• Malachi 1:2: I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob

2. AGAPAO – GREEK WORD FOR LOVE

God’s love is described as the Greek word agapao, which means unconditional love, preferential love that is chosen and acted out by the will. It is not love based on the goodness of the beloved, or upon natural affinity or emotion. Rather this is benevolent love that always seeks the good of the beloved.

This type of love is exclusive to the Christian community because it flows directly from God’s love: “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:7,8).

GREEK WORD FOR LOVE: OTHER USES OF AGAPAO

• Matthew 5:43: Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
• Luke 6:27: But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you
• John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
• Romans 13:8: Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
• 1 Corinthians 2:9: But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
• Ephesians 2:4: But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
• 2 Thessalonians 2:16: Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
• James 1:12: Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
• 1 Peter 1:8: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
• 1 John 3:10: In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
• 3 John 1:1: The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

3. AGAPE – GREEK WORD FOR LOVE

Although common in both the Septuagint and the New Testament, the word rarely occurs in existing secular Greek manuscripts of the period. Like its synonym philia, it designates love between persons (John 13:35), or people for God (1 John 2:15), of God for humanity (Rom. 5:8), and of God for Christ (John 17:26).

Whereas phila emphasizes the idea of love arising from personal relationships, agape is founded upon deep appreciation and high regard. It is perhaps for this reason that agape is the love which God commands.

GREEK WORD FOR LOVE: OTHER USES OF AGAPE

• Matthew 24:12: And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
• Luke 11:42: But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
• John 5:42: But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.
• Romans 8:35: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
• 2 Corinthians 6:6: By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned
• Ephesians 2:4:  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us
• Philippians 1:16: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds
• 1 Thessalonians 5:8: But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
• 1 Timothy 1:5: Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned
• Titus 2:2:  That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
• 3 John 1:6: Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well
• Revelation 3:4: Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

4. PHILEO – GREEK WORD FOR LOVE

One of four greek words for love, this one signifies friendship, fondness, affection, delight, and personal attachment. This word is on a feeling – a heart of love – whereas agape is a matter of benevolence, duty, and commitment. We are commanded to have agape love (Matt. 5:44) but not phileo love because feelings cannot be commanded.

Phileo is also the word for “kiss.” Jesus asked peter if he had unconditional, sacrificial agape love, but Peter responded that he had phileo, or brotherly love. Peter’s love deepened, and he wrote of agape love in his later books.

GREEK WORD FOR LOVE: OTHER USES OF PHILEO

• Matthew 6:5: And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
• Luke 20:46: Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts
• John 5:20: For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
• 1 Corinthians 16:22: If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.
• Titus 3:15: All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
• Revelation 3:19: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

5. PHILADELPHIA – GREEK WORD FOR LOVE

With the roots words phileo, “to love,” and adelphos “brother,” this word signifies loving someone like a brother or sister. We might think of it as fraternal affection.

This is not the love God has for us, but rather love between brothers and sisters in Christ. It implies that a familial bond between people who would not otherwise share affection is possible through Christ.

GREEK WORD FOR LOVE: OTHER USES OF PHILADELPHIA

• Romans 12:10: Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another
• 1 Thessalonians 4:9: But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
• Hebrews 13:1: Let brotherly love continue.
• 1 Peter 1:22:  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently
• 2 Peter 1:7: And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.