Divine Love Language: φιλέω (Strong’s G5368: phileó) Reveals Friendship With God

Strong’s G5368: From a primary root phil- meaning “dear” or “friend,” phileó describes affectionate love, fondness, or friendship. It emphasizes emotional attachment and selective care, distinct from agapé’s unconditional love. Common in classical Greek for expressing warm personal attachment between friends, family, and cherished objects.

U- Unveiling the Word

Φιλέω represents a profound dimension of love that emphasizes emotional warmth and personal attachment. Unlike ἀγαπάω which often denotes divine, unconditional love, φιλέω captures the intimate, affectionate aspects of relationship. In New Testament usage, it beautifully illustrates the deep friendship and emotional bond possible between God and humans. Jesus uses this word in John 16:27 to describe the Father’s affectionate love for believers. Early church fathers often explored how φιλέω demonstrated God’s desire for genuine friendship with His people, not just sovereign authority. Today, this word reminds us that our relationship with the Messiah can be deeply personal and emotionally fulfilling, not merely theological or dutiful.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: φιλέω, phileó, fil-EH-oh
• Pronunciation: fee-LEH-oh (φί-λέ-ω)
• Part of Speech: Verb

Etymology:

• phil- (root word): meaning “dear” or “friend”
• -εω (suffix): indicates present active indicative verb form
  This combination creates a verb expressing active affection or friendship.

D – Defining Meanings

• To love with friendship love
• To show affection or kindness
• To kiss (in certain contexts)
• To cherish or hold dear
• To delight in or take pleasure in

For compound words: The root phil- carries the core meaning of friendship or affection, while the -εω ending makes it an active verb, indicating ongoing action.

Translation Options:

• “To have affection for” – Best captures the emotional warmth
• “To befriend” – Emphasizes the relational aspect
• “To cherish” – Conveys the tender care involved

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ἀγαπάω (agapáō) – Unconditional, divine love See G25
• στέργω (stergō) – Natural, familial love See G5389
• ἔραμαι (eramai) – Passionate, romantic love See G2037

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As a verb, φιλέω exhibits:

• Tense: Present, Future, Aorist
• Voice: Active, Passive
• Mood: Indicative, Subjunctive, Imperative
• Person: First, Second, Third
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Aspect: Continuous (present) or Punctiliar (aorist)

Example morphological changes:

• φιλῶ – I love (present active indicative)
• ἐφίλησα – I loved (aorist active indicative)
• φιλήσω – I will love (future active indicative)

Cross-references:

• φίλος (noun) – friend
• φίλημα (noun) – kiss
• φιλία (noun) – friendship

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

The major lexicons provide rich insight into φιλέω’s semantic range. BDAG emphasizes its use for expressing genuine affection and friendship, distinguishing it from ἀγαπάω’s more deliberate, chosen love. Thayer’s highlights its connection to demonstrative acts of affection, including kissing in ancient culture. LSJ traces its classical usage in expressing preferential love and delight. Vine’s notes its frequent interchangeability with ἀγαπάω in some contexts while maintaining its distinct emotional warmth. Strong’s connects it to the phil- root family expressing friendship. LEH and Moulton and Milligan provide evidence of its consistent use in expressing personal attachment and affection throughout Koine Greek literature.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First Appearance:
Matthew 6:5: “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love [φιλέω] to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others.”

Additional References:
John 5:20, John 11:3, John 11:36, John 12:25, John 15:19, John 16:27, John 20:2, 1 Corinthians 16:22, Revelation 3:19

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Φιλέω reveals a profound truth about our relationship with God – He desires not just our obedience but our friendship. This verb, with its emphasis on emotional warmth and genuine affection, shows us that the Messiah invites us into an intimate relationship marked by mutual love and delight. The good news is that through Jesus, we can experience both the perfect agapé love of God and the warm, personal philéō love of friendship with Him. This dual nature of divine love demonstrates God’s desire for genuine, heart-level connection with His people.

D – Did You Know?

1. Φιλέω is the root of many English words including philosophy (love of wisdom) and philanthropy (love of humanity).
2. In ancient Greek culture, φιλέω could also mean “to kiss” as a physical expression of affection or greeting.
3. The frequency of φιλέω in John’s Gospel particularly highlights the intimate, personal nature of Jesus’ relationships.

Strong’s G5368: From a primary root phil- meaning “dear” or “friend,” phileó describes affectionate love, fondness, or friendship. It emphasizes emotional attachment and selective care, distinct from agapé’s unconditional love. Common in classical Greek for expressing warm personal attachment between friends, family, and cherished objects.

Part of speech: Verb

Tags: love, friendship, affection, relationship, emotion, care, Greek verbs, Biblical Greek, New Testament Greek, divine love, friendship with God, personal relationship, emotional attachment​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​