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; Lk 9:34–35); 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 5:7 (cf. 2Ch 2:11–12); 1Ki 10:9 (cf. 2Ch 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; 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 24:14, 27; 32:10; 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 7:14–15 (cf. 1Ch 17:13); 1Ki 3:6 (cf. 2Ch 1:8); 1Ki 8:53 (cf. 2Ch 6:42); Ps 18:50 (cf. 2Sa 22:51); Ps 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 (cf. Dt 5:10); Dt 7:9; 1Ki 8:23 (cf. 2Ch 6:14); Ne 1:5; Ps 25:10; 32:10; 36:10; 86:5; 103:11, 17; Da 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 16:41; 2Ch 5:13; 7:3, 6; 20:21; Ne 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 (cf. Ps 108:4); Ps 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 (cf. 1Ch 16:34); Ps 106:7; 107:1, 8, 15, 21, 31, 43; 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; La 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