Where is the word loves found in Bible?

Answer 1

In the King James version

the word - love - appears 310 times

the word - love's - appears once

the word - loved - appears 98 times

the word - lovedst - appears twice

the word - lovely - appears 4 times

the word - lover - appears 4 times

the word - lovers - appears 23 times

the word - loves - appears twice

the word - lovest - appears 12 times

the word - loveth - appears 65 times

the word - loving - appears 3 times

the word - lovingkindness - appears 26 times

the word - lovingkindnesses - appears 4 times

These are far too many to itemise here....

But, from the Book of Genesis alone we get

?lovest 12

Gen 22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

?loveth 65

Gen 27:9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:

Gen 44:20 And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

?loved 98

Gen 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.

Gen 25:28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Gen 27:14 And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.

Gen 29:18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

Gen 29:30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

Gen 34:3 And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.

Gen 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

Gen 37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

?love 310

Gen 27:4 And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

Gen 29:20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

Gen 29:32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

Answer 2

The word 'loves' (plural) is found approx 30 times in the Bible.

• One example: Luke 7:47 "he who is forgiven little, loves little"

  Another example: John 14:23 "Jesus said to him: "If anyone loves me, he will observe my word . . "

• Found twice in Eph 5:28

Additional Comment:

In the English language, the word 'love(s),' regardless of tense or person, has broad and varied meanings and is dependent upon usage and context to convey that specific meaning. The same could be said of the Hebrew term 'ahava' as the noun and 'ahav' as the verb (see Jeremiah 31:3 as one example).

The Greek is more flexible/exact. The word 'eros' for erotic love(s) or sex is not used in the New Testament.

In the Greek New Testament, there are three different words used which can be translated by the English word "love(s)" as follows:

* agape - often used when speaking of Godly love(s) - most unselfish, highest

* philia - or brotherly love or friendship - highest human love(s) (see example below)

* storge - refers to natural affection and the opposite is astorgos (Romans 1:31)

A most discussed exchange of the two words for love(s), agape and philia, occurs in these verses where 'agape' is translated 'really love':

John 21:15-17New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Jesus Takes Peter Back15 When Jesus and the disciples had finished eating, Jesus spoke to Simon Peter. He asked, "Simon, son of John, do you really love me more than these others do?"

"Yes, Lord," he answered. "You know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

16 Again Jesus asked, "Simon, son of John, do you really love me?"

He answered, "Yes, Lord. You know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

17 Jesus spoke to him a third time. He asked, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

Peter felt bad because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He answered, "Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.