God is love

Places in Scripture where God is called “love” or is said to love everyone or anyone in particular.

God’s love

God is love

1Jn 4:7–8, 16

The Father loves the Son, the Son loves the Father, etc.

Mt 3:17 (cf. Mk 1:11; Lk 3:22); Mt 12:18 (cites Isa 42:1); Mt 17:5 (cf. Mk 9:7); Jn 3:35; 5:20; 10:17; 14:31; 15:9–10; 17:23–24, 26; Eph 1:6; Col 1:13; 2Pe 1:17

God loves the world

Jn 3:16

God loved Israel, the fathers

Dt 4:37; 7:7–8, 13; 10:15; 23:5; 33:3; 1Ki 10:9; 2Ch 2:11; 9:8; Isa 54:8, 10; 63:9; Jer 31:3; Hos 11:1, 4, 8–9; 14:4

God loves those who love him, serve him, keep his commandments, etc.

Ps 146:8; Pr 15:9; Jn 14:21, 23; 15:10, 13–14; 16:27; 17:23; Ro 1:7; 1Jn 3:1, 16

God loves specific people

Ps 47:4 (Jacob); Isa 38:17 (Hezekiah); Isa 48:14 (Cyrus?); Zep 3:17 (Jerusalem); Mal 1:2 (Jacob); Ro 9:13 (Jacob, cites Mal 1:2–3); Gal 2:20 (Paul)

God loves an otherwise unspecified audience (“you” or “us”)

Pr 3:12; Ro 5:5, 8; Ro 8:35, 37, 39; Eph 1:4–5; 2:4; 5:2, 25; 1Th 1:4 ; 2Th 2:16; Tit 3:4–5; Heb 12:6 (cites Pr 3:12); 1Jn 4:9–11, 16, 19; Rev 1:5; 3:9, 19

God loves the sojourner (unbeliever?)

Dt 10:18

Jesus’ love

Jesus loved “his own”

Jn 13:1, 34; 14:21; 15:9–10, 12

Jesus loved specific believers

Jn 11:3, 5, 36; 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20

Jesus loved specific unbelievers

Mk 10:21

God’s “steadfast love”

The ESV translates the Hebrew חֶ֫סֶד (hesed) consistently as “steadfast love”, though some other translations render it simply “mercy”. Given that these passages may not be about love per se, I’ve split them into their own section here.

God’s “steadfast love” for Israel, the fathers

Ge 32:10; 24:14, 27; 39:21; Ex 15:13; Dt 7:12; Ezr 3:11; 9:9; Ps 98:3; Isa 54:8, 10; 63:7; Hos 2:19; Mic 7:20

God’s “steadfast love” for David, the king of Israel

2Sa 7:15; 22:51; 1Ki 3:6; 1Ch 17:13; 2Ch 1:8; 6:42; Ps 18:50; 21:7; 61:6–7; 89:24, 28, 33, 49; Isa 55:3

God’s “steadfast love” for those who love him, serve him, keep his commandments, etc.

Ex 20:6; Dt 5:10; 7:9; 1Ki 8:23; 2Ch 6:14; Neh 1:5; Ps 25:10; 32:10; 36:10; 86:5; 103:11, 17; Dan 9:4

God’s “steadfast love” for specific people

Ps 31:21 (David); Ps 40:11 (David); Ps 59:10, 17 (David); Ps 66:20 (anonymous psalmist); Ps 86:13 (David)

God’s “steadfast love” (ambiguous direct object)

Ex 34:6–7 (“thousands”); Ps 117:2 (Israel? All nations?); Jer 32:18 (“thousands”)

God’s “steadfast love” (no direct object)

Nu 14:18–19; 1Ch 16:34, 41; 2Ch 5:13; 7:3, 6; 20:21; Neh 9:17, 32; Ps 5:7; 6:4; 13:5; 17:7; 21:7; 25:6–7; 26:3; 31:7, 16; 33:5, 18, 22; 36:5, 7; 40:10; 42:8; 44:26; 48:9; 51:1; 52:1, 8; 57:3, 10; 59:16; 62:12; 63:3; 69:13, 16; 77:8; 85:7; 86:15; 88:11; 89:1–2, 14; 90:14; 92:2; 94:18; 100:5; 101:1; 103:4, 8; 106:1, 7; 107:1, 8, 15, 21, 31, 43; 108:4; 109:21, 26; 115:1; 118:1–4, 29; 119:41, 64, 76, 88, 124, 149, 159; 130:7; 136:1–26; 138:2, 8; 143:8, 12; 144:2; 145:8; 147:11; Jer 9:24; 33:11; Lam 3:22, 32; Joel 2:13; Jnh 4:2; Mic 7:18

God’s hatred

God hates specific people

Jer 12:8 (Kingdom of Judah); Hos 9:15 (Northern Kingdom of Israel); Mal 1:3 (Esau); Ro 9:13 (Esau, cites Mal 1:2–3)

God hates evildoers, the wicked

Ps 5:5; 11:5