Bible verses about love are very important, especially for Christians, because God’s Word identifies love as a basic human virtue. It is only on the foundation of love that a successful civilization can be built, as evidenced by the many quotations in the Bible.
Bible Verses about Love
These 70 verses highlight the depth of God’s love for us, the importance of loving others, and how love transforms our lives.
God’s Unfailing Love for Us
- John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” - Romans 5:8
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Lamentations 3:22-23
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” - 1 John 4:9-10
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” - Zephaniah 3:17
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
Loving Others as God Commands
- Matthew 22:37-39
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’” - John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - Leviticus 19:18
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” - Romans 13:10
“Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” - 1 Peter 4:8
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
Characteristics of Love
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” - Colossians 3:14
“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” - Ephesians 4:2
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” - Proverbs 10:12
“Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.” - 1 John 3:18
“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
God’s Love Transforms Us
- 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” - Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” - Ephesians 3:17-19
“So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” - 1 John 4:18
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” - Psalm 36:7
“How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”
Bible Verses About Love in Marriage
- Genesis 2:24
“That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” - Ephesians 5:25
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” - Song of Solomon 8:7
“Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.” - Colossians 3:19
“Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” - Proverbs 31:10
“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.”
God’s Love as a Refuge
- Psalm 23:6
“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” - Romans 8:38-39
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Deuteronomy 7:9
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” - Psalm 86:15
“But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” - Isaiah 54:10
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
Love for Enemies
- Matthew 5:44
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” - Luke 6:27
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” - Romans 12:20
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” - Proverbs 25:21
“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” - Exodus 23:4
“If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.”
Sacrificial Love
- John 15:13
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” - Ephesians 5:2
“And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” - 1 John 3:16
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” - Romans 5:7-8
“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Bible Verses About Love in Community
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” - Galatians 5:13
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” - Hebrews 10:24
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” - Acts 4:32
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.” - Philippians 2:3-4
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Bible Verses About Love as a Command
- Deuteronomy 6:5
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” - Joshua 22:5
“But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” - 2 John 1:6
“And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” - 1 John 5:3
“In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” - Psalm 31:23
“Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full.”
Unconditional Love
- 1 Corinthians 16:14
“Do everything in love.” - Romans 12:9
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” - Luke 6:32-33
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.” - Matthew 5:46-47
“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” - 1 John 4:11
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
Bible Verses About Love That Endures
- 1 Corinthians 13:13
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” - Psalm 136:26
“Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.” - Jeremiah 31:3
“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.’” - Psalm 100:5
“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” - Isaiah 54:8
“In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord your Redeemer.”
Eternal Love of God
- Romans 8:37-39
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - John 15:9
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” - Psalm 107:8-9
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” - Ephesians 2:4-5
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” - Psalm 103:11
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.”
Perfect Love in Eternity
- Revelation 3:19
“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” - Revelation 21:4
“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” - Jude 1:21
“Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” - Psalm 89:2
“I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.” - Revelation 1:5
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.”
Related Articles:
Encouraging Bible Verses
Acknowledge God Bible Verses
Bible Verses About Praying for Others
Bible Passages about Love
These 70 Bible verses about love capture the vast and transformative nature of love, from God’s eternal love for us to the call for us to love one another. As you meditate on these Scriptures, may you be inspired to live out the fullness of God’s love in your life.
