Why We Crossed Over

A Study of Love
(Ahav) and (Chesed)

by Dr. E. William Bean

In the twenty-first chapter of John’s Gospel Jesus asks Peter if he loves him. John employs two Greek words to express one Hebraic theological motif. The conversation between the Master and the disciple naturally did not occur in Greek, but in their native tongue of Hebrew or Aramaic. I believe that the former (i.e., Hebrew) was the language of this scenario. In the Semitic language, there is only one verb to express this concept: ahav (font not available).1 If this conversation were preserved in a Hebrew gospel text instead of Greek, the simplicity of the situation would have been apparent. Did the Apostle John mean a distinction when he employed phileo (font not available) and agapas(font not available)? And if so, should we be able to differentiate between the Hebraic meaning and the use of the two Greek terms? "The terms, agape ( i.e., agapas (font not available)) and agapao(font not available) are rarely used in the sense of man’s love for God." 2 Both its distinctive meaning in the New Testament and the concept of the word are unknown. The term is not found in Classical Greek and is only revealed as a religious term.3 In the New Testament agapas (font not available) and agapao (font not available) are an attitude of "God toward his Son, the human race, and to such as believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." 4

In Hebrew (it would seem) the word would have been ahav (font not available) yet we should understand that John is trying to illustrate a higher meaning through the use of the word love (ahav (font not available)) three times, just as Peter denied Jesus three times. Jesus was asking for a response from Peter, and for him to understand God’s love (chesed (font not available) i.e., loving kindness). However, the message is much deeper in its context. In Hebrew the word love (chesed (font not available)) is similar in its meaning to the word love (agapas(font not available)), which is also an attitude of God toward His creation and is rarely used in the sense of man's love for God. John’s Gospel is a genre5 in itself and is full of theological motifs.

The Septuagint (known as the LXX) uses eleos (eleo") for chesed which means "mercy" and is used in the New Testament as "grace." However, the distinctive use of the word love (agapas (font not available)) in the LXX emphasizes a "love of God for man, and of man for God," 6 which is a different nuance than presented in New Testament Greek. This would be closer to the concept of chesed (font not available) i.e., loving kindness, than eleos(font not available), which means "mercy." Three words interact together to describe the motif of the word love (chesed (font not available), i.e., loving kindness): "strength," "steadfastness," and "love" (chesed (font not available)). Deuteronomy 5:10 and Exodus 20:6 simply say that God's love (chesed (font not available) is for those who love (ahav (font not available) him. God's love (chesed (font not available)) "endures forever" (cf. Psalm 136). This is the covenant relationship that God had with Israel. Hosea portraits this covenant and God’s love (chesed (font not available)): "I will betroth (font not available) from the root aras (font not available) 7 you to me forever; I will betroth (font not available) you in righteousness and justice, in love (chesed (font not available) i.e., loving kindness) and compassion. I will betroth (&ytic]r'ae) you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord" (Hosea 2:19-20 NIV). This Hebrew word betroth indicates a joint commonality or reciprocal action in the following words: righteousness, justice, loving-kindness (chesed) and compassion. A better translation of all the verb genders (cf., endnote #7) would be, "And you will betroth yourself to me." In essence the bride will have the capacities to express these characteristics of God toward God and toward mankind as well, which unfolds another perspective of the word love (chesed(font not available)). Has the immutable nature of God stopped with the Old Testament, or does it continue in the New Testament? The noun-adjective term "New Covenant" (ha-be-RIT ha-ha-da-SHA (font not available)') actually does not necessarily imply the replacement of an earlier covenant, but may only (in Hebrew) imply its renewal, and that God's love (chesed(font not available)) is forever. "We love because he first loved us" (I John 4:19).

The adjective chasid(font not available) "pious," is derived from chesed (font not available). It is used to describe the faithful. God's chesed is a pattern for the life of the chasid. For this to be accomplished one must love the Lord (ahav (font not available)), and remain faithful to the master. "Ahav sometimes depicts a special strong attachment a servant may have toward a master under whose dominance he wishes to remain." 8 In essence Jesus was saying to Peter, "My love (chesed(font not available)) is for you, and endures forever if you love (ahav (font not available)) Me."

Let us examine the Greek which gives a totally different perspective. In Hebrew "love" (chesed(font not available)) stems from God with nuances of strength, steadfastness, and love. John was writing to a Greek audience who would not have understood the synonymic way in which these terms were used. The Greeks would have used various degrees of the word love with different shades of meanings. This is why John used this concept of love (agapas(font not available)). He wanted to emphasize the higher meaning of God's chesed (font not available)to the chasid (font not available) who loved (ahav (font not available)) Him. As with everything else Greek thinking would dissect this word, developing various degrees and objects, as never intended by the Apostle. This passage reads in the New International Version (John 2:15-17): "Simon, son of John, do you truly love (agapas (font not available) me (font not available) more than these?" This has traditionally been understood as a spiritual love. Simon Peter replied, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love (phileo(font not available) you(font not available)." This Greek word is usually interpreted as the "love" found in friendship, and does not have the same meaning as "love" (ahav (font not available)) which is intimate. This pattern occurs in verse fifteen and again in sixteen. But verse seventeen reveals an important change in the meaning. "The third time he said to him, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love (phileis(font not available) me?’ " Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love (phileis(font not available)) me?" Phileis (font not available) [third person singular] is the same as phileo (font not available)[first person singular]. This time the Greek might imply that Jesus is challenging Peter’s friendship rather than his recognition of God’s steadfast love for him, no matter what Peter had done in the past. In Hebrew there would not have been this shade of difference. There would not have been any misunderstanding on the word love (ahav (font not available)). Jesus was simply helping Peter to examine his own spiritual dedication and relationship, i.e., his ability to have faith (emunah (font not available)), and to respond in love (ahav (font not available)), i.e., "If you love me (ahav (font not available)), you have my love (chesed (font not available))." God is consistent with His love. His love (chesed (font not available)) "endures forever."

Peter knew, as all students of Torah, that "love" (chesed (font not available) was a word never used by man in reference toward other men. The word love (ahav (font not available)) was used (and is still used today) as an intimate relationship with another. The question which comes to mind at this point is this: What was John trying to emphasize in Greek? Peter was answering (verse 15) with the word love (ahav (font not available)) in response to Jesus' usage of the word love (ahav(font not available)). In New Testament Greek the term love (agapas (font not available)) was rarely used in the sense of man's love for God (cf., endnote #2), as would be the word love (chesed (font not available)), which only comes from God. John may have been trying to emphasize to his readers the concept of "love" (chesed (font not available) by the interjection of the LXX mind-set of "love" (agapas (font not available)). Was Jesus using the word love (chesed (font not available)) in his question to Peter? Or was he using the word love (ahav (font not available)) with chesed in mind? I know that this is only conjecture on my part, however, it does seem logical when you juxtapose "love" ( i.e., the LXX concept of agapas (font not available)), with the word love (chesed (font not available), as defined in Hosea. They seem synonymous in their meaning.

Jesus curiously answers him,9 "Tend my lambs." The word tend (bos-keh (font not available)) means, "see to it that animals receive good grazing pastures," 10 which in essence seems to imply, "feed the young, the new believers with the same ‘loving kindness’ and ‘grace’ (chesed (font not available)) I have fed you."

A second time Jesus uses a formal Hebrew construct by mentioning Peter’s father’s name in addressing him. There are examples in rabbinic sources of a sage’s blessing his disciple and including the disciple’s parent’s (usually the mother’s) name. In this scenario (cf., Matthew 16:17; John 1:42) the father’s name is used. Jesus is in dead earnest when He grills Peter with these three repeated phrases. This second time after Jesus’ question Peter replies with "love" (ahav (font not available)). Jesus then says, "Shepherd my sheep" (pee-meh-neh (font not available)). This suggests "one who takes care of a group of animals ( it implies, those who don't know how to care for themselves)." 11 The responsibility level increases from tending to shepherding.

With Peter’s increased anxiety at Jesus' use of terms and duties only God could perform adequately, the third time he hears Jesus say, "Simon, son of John, do you ‘love’ (ahav (font not available)) Me?" Peter again, in the only way he could answer following conventions of this known Semitic word for "love" (ahav (font not available)), responds in this manner, "You know that I ‘love’ (ahav (font not available)) you." Jesus again makes a strong request, "Tend my sheep." The word for "sheep" (pro-ba-ta (font not available)), "refers to adult animals, those who need leadership and guidance as mature ones." 12 

Each of these commands placed on Peter, first to spiritually feed infants, to keep the flock together (in the day and night seasons), and to perform wise counsel and sound judgment, all seem like a Mosaic-type calling. With the repetition and seriousness of Jesus’ tone, Peter must have sensed some of what Abraham and Moses felt as they received their great commissions. By repeating the words, "Do you ‘love’ me," Jesus was using a common teaching mechanism, i.e., repeat your key point and let the student grasp the answer himself. Jesus did not water down His teaching due to a lack of understanding of His students. As with all Sages, Jesus wished that His students would attain the highest spiritual ground by their own desire to know deeper revelations of God's Word.

What seems to be the central core of Jesus’ teaching is not expressed in so many words in John’s Gospel. We have to go to Luke’s account in Acts 1:8 to understand the fullness of John's illustration: ". . . but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses. . ." What is clear about Pentecost (Shavout t(font not available)) and the in-filling of the Holy Spirit is that God now dwells within men and women. Throughout the Old Testament man had often been visited by the Holy Spirit (Ruach ha-Kodesh (font not available), but He (the Holy Spirit) had never "tabernacled" permanently within His mortal servants. The word love (chesed(font not available)), i.e., loving kindness, mercy, and grace, now could be shared with all mankind (as mentioned previously, i.e., we will have the capacities to express these characteristics of God toward God and toward mankind as well). God abiding within man could use His creation to continue that Divine work which Jesus Himself had established, the Kingdom of Heaven.

On the day of Pentecost, just a few short weeks after this scene by the Sea of Galilee, with the enabling of the Holy Spirit, we see a totally different Peter. Now he knew how to "chesed"(font not available) the lambs and sheep with a love only God could give. He now could give Godly counsel, like Moses, David, and Solomon, however it now came directly from the indwelling Holy Spirit. He now could lay aside that simple word love (ahav(font not available)), pick up his holy calling to "love" (chesed (font not available)) from his LORD, and share this with his fellow man. We are betrothed in righteousness and in justice, in loving-kindness and in compassion. In "The Key To Crossing Over," I wrote: "Remember, Jesus said, ‘all righteousness,’ which brings us to the synonymous relationship of our four words, faith, righteousness, love, and justice. Faith is synonymous with righteousness [tsedakah(font not available) (Isaiah 11:5); and love [chesed (font not available)] (Psalm 98:3); and justice [mishpat(font not available) (Jeremiah 5:1)."

The key is simply this: In essence Jesus was saying to Peter, "My love (chesed (font not available)) is for you, and endures forever if you love (ahav (font not available) Me. And when you receive my love (chesed ds,j,), you will have the capacities to express these characteristics of Mine toward Me and toward mankind as well." 13

 1Edwin Hatch and Henry Redpath, Concordance to the Septuagint and the Other Greek Versions of the Old Testament Including Apocryphal Book (1897 Reprint. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1983). s.v., philein. Hatch/Redpath list 19 possible base-words translated as agapan in the Septuagint, but none of which appears more than three of four times aside from ahav, which accounts for approximately 90% (169 occurrences). Other Hebrew words listed under these two words do not appear in verb form or convey a meaning other than simply "to love." Therefore, ahav is the only possible Hebrew equivalent.

 2Norman H. Snaith, The Distinctive Ideas of the Old Testament (London: The Epworth Press, 1945), 177. Snaith quotes Professor Nygren: "In relation to God, a man is never fully ‘spontaneous.’ Man's self-giving is more than a response . . . it lacks all the essential marks of Agape . . ." Snaith continues, "The use of Pistis (The noun) and pisteuo (The verb) describes man's relation to God, i.e., ‘Faith.’ "

 3Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study New Testament With Greek Parallel (TN, Chattanooga: A.M.G. Publishers, 1992), 876. Zodhiates writes, "Benevolent love: its benevolence, however, is not shown by doing what the person desires but what the one who loves deems as needed by the one loved. He gave not what man wanted, but what man needed His Son. God's love for man is His doing what he thinks best for man and not what man desires."

 4John R. Kohlenberger III, Editor, The Expanded Vines Expository Dictionary Of New Testament Words (Minnesota, Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1984), 692.

 5genre: a type of category of works in literature. 

6Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon (New York, NY: Oxford At The Clarendon Press, 1968), agappw , 6, I.

7Laird R. Harris, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, Vol. 1, 170; p. 76, v., aras (cr'a;), by Diver, G. R. (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1980), 76. "The verb: piel perf 1st pers common sing suffix: 2nd per fem sing (Pual) to be betrothed." A better translation using all the verb genders is: "And you will betroth yourself (fem. be betrothed) to Me forever; Yes, you will betroth yourself (fem. Be betrothed) to Me in righteousness and in justice, in Loving-kindness and in compassion."

 8Merrill F. Unger and William White, Jr., Nelson's Expository Dictionary Of The Old Testament (Tenn. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1980), 231.

 9This concept "Lambs-Shepherding-Sheep," originated with Robert W. Hadley. Bob is a teacher who is associated with the Center For The Study Of Biblical Research. He is currently teaching an in-depth study of the Jewish Roots of John's Greek Gospel. He leads Shahar Fellowship, which is a weekly Bible Study group that meets Monday evenings at the CSBR Resource Center in Redlands, California.

 10BibleWorksTMfor Windows 1995 Databases (Big Fork, MT: Hermeneutika), bovske.

 11Ibid. Foivmaine.

 12Ibid. provbatav.

 13I would also like to thank the students from the following CSBR Synoptic Gospel Study Groups for their help and interaction with this article: Villa Street Study Group, Pasadena, California; Citrus Street Study Group, Redlands, California; First Tuesday of the Month Study Group, Claremont, California; Second Tuesday of the Month Study Group, Oxnard, California; and, the Fourth Tuesday of the Month Study Group, Redlands, California.