ἠγάπα
agapáō
loved
To value, cherish, or have deep regard for; to demonstrate loyal concern or commitment to another's wellbeing. In general usage, ἀγαπάω indicates a deliberate, active kind of love, often characterized by goodwill, preference, or esteem, rather than affection or emotion alone. In some contexts, especially in Hellenistic and Koine Greek literature, it denotes a love marked by choice or action as opposed to spontaneous feeling. The word can refer to love within relationships (familial, friendly, marital), to respect for the divine, or to concern for others more broadly.
John 21:20 · Word #8
Lexicon G25
| Lemma | ἀγαπάω |
| Transliteration | agapáō |
| Strong's | G25 |
| Definition | To value, cherish, or have deep regard for; to demonstrate loyal concern or commitment to another's wellbeing. In general usage, ἀγαπάω indicates a deliberate, active kind of love, often characterized by goodwill, preference, or esteem, rather than affection or emotion alone. In some contexts, especially in Hellenistic and Koine Greek literature, it denotes a love marked by choice or action as opposed to spontaneous feeling. The word can refer to love within relationships (familial, friendly, marital), to respect for the divine, or to concern for others more broadly. |
Morphology V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state of being |
| Tense | IMPF — Imperfect — Continuous or repeated past action |
| Voice | ACT — Active — The subject performs the action |
| Mood | IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality |
| Person | 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they") |
| Number | SG — Singular — One |
Common Translation
| Phrase | loved |
| Literal | was-loving |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | ἀγαπάω |
| Strong's | G25 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G25-23
was cherishing
| Morphological Notes | Verb; imperfect tense (past ongoing), active voice, indicative mood, third person singular. |
| Rendering Rationale | The imperfect active indicative, third person singular, denotes ongoing or repeated action in past time. "Was cherishing" preserves the durative imperfect aspect and reflects ἀγαπάω as deliberate, active valuing or loyal concern rather than mere emotion. |
View full lexicon entry for G25 →
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