Beloved
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agapetos means beloved or dearly loved. The word can name the unique beloved Son, address believers loved by God, speak pastorally to children in the faith, and summon the church to love because love comes from God.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἀγαπητός (G27) · Open the biblical lexicon
agapetos means beloved or dearly loved. The word can name the unique beloved Son, address believers loved by God, speak pastorally to children in the faith, and summon the church to love because love comes from God.
The BSB source-word alignment has 61 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include beloved (54), [as] a beloved (1), [my] beloved (1), [they are] loved (1), a beloved (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 3:17. Its strongest book concentrations include Romans (7), 1 John (6), 2 Peter (6), 1 Corinthians (4).
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
Agapetos means beloved or dearly loved. The word can name the unique beloved Son, address believers loved by God, speak pastorally to children in the faith, and summon the church to love because love comes from God. Its pastoral weight begins with divine initiative. At Jesus' baptism, the Father's voice identifies Him as the beloved Son in whom He is well pleased.
The church is addressed as loved by God and called to be saints, and believers are exhorted as beloved children. The word should not be reduced to sentiment or generic warmth. It names covenantal, familial, and pastoral affection shaped by God's own love. Teachers should distinguish Christ's unique Sonship from believers' beloved status in Him, while showing that both are rooted in God's gracious love.
Agapetos gathers beloved language around the Father's delight in the Son and God's love for His people. These anchors include the beloved Son, believers loved by God, apostolic warning to beloved children, imitation as beloved children, mutual love among the beloved, and beloved saints called to contend for the faith.
And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
The Father's voice declares Jesus His beloved Son. This use is unique and Christological, not merely an example of human affection.
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul addresses the Roman believers as loved by God and called to be saints. Beloved identity stands with divine calling.
I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children.
Paul warns the Corinthians as beloved children. The word carries pastoral affection that does not avoid correction.
Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,
Believers are called to imitate God as beloved children. Love grounds the ethical summons rather than replacing it.
Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Beloved, let us love one another because love comes from God. The address supports an exhortation rooted in God's nature and new birth.
Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints.
Jude addresses beloved readers while urging them to contend for the faith. Beloved status does not remove doctrinal vigilance.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Greek word. Describes the object of covenant love rather than the emotion itself; marks deep relational belonging.
Describes the object of covenant love rather than the emotion itself; marks deep relational belonging.
(ἀγαπάω), [in LXX chiefly for יָתִיד, יָדִיד ;] beloved (see M, Pr., 221);
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 62 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
loved, beloved
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Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 10 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 5 selected witnesses from 61 lexical occurrence verses.
ἀγαπητός is built from this root:
Identifies Jesus as uniquely God’s Son.
Highlights the unique filial relationship of the Son.
Expresses the Father’s covenant delight in the Son. Luke 20:9–19
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Agapetos should be preached with a clear center: the Father first names Jesus as the beloved Son. Christian belovedness is not a vague religious mood; it is received in relation to God's gracious love and calling. Paul can call believers loved by God and still warn them. John can call the church beloved and command mutual love because love comes from God. Jude can address beloved saints and urge them to contend for the faith.
The word therefore joins comfort and summons. Those loved by God are not left shapeless; they are called saints, corrected as children, formed as imitators, and kept in truth.
Matt.3.17
Agapetos is an adjective often used substantively in address. It can mark divine affection, pastoral relationship, and covenantal belonging. Context distinguishes Christ's unique beloved Sonship from believers' beloved status.
Beloved language echoes patterns of chosen sonship, covenant affection, and family identity. In the New Testament it gathers around the beloved Son and then extends to those loved by God in Him.
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain