φῐλέω G5368
To love with personal affection or fondness; to kiss as a greeting or sign of intimacy
Phileo expresses the warm, emotionally engaged dimension of love — friendship, fondness, personal attachment. Where agapao tends toward principled, self-giving love, phileo carries the warmth of genuine affection. Jesus 'loved' Lazarus with this word (John 11:36), and in John 21:15–17, the interplay between agapao and phileo in Jesus' questioning of Peter has captivated interpreters for centuries. The word also carries a concrete physical sense — to kiss — visible in the betrayal scenes where Judas arranges to identify Jesus with a kiss (Matt 26:48; Mark 14:44; Luke 22:47).
Senses
1. to love, have affection for — To love with personal affection, warm regard, or friendship — emphasizing emotional attachment and fondness rather than principled commitment. Spanish uses both 'amar' and 'querer' (the latter carrying personal warmth), while French and German use their general love verbs 'aimer' and 'lieben.' The Pharisees 'love' places of honor (Matt 23:6; Luke 20:46); Jesus warns about loving family more than him (Matt 10:37); the Father 'loves' the Son (John 5:20); and the poignant exchange in John 21:15–17 hinges on the nuance between phileo and agapao. 22×
AR["أَ-تُحِبُّنِي", "أَحَبَّهُ", "أُحِبُّكَ", "أُحِبُّهُمْ", "المُحِبّينَ", "تُحِبُّهُ", "قَدْ-أَحْبَبْتُمْ", "كَانَ-يُحِبُّ", "مَنْ يُحِبُّ", "مُحِبُّ", "يُحِبُّ", "يُحِبّونَ"]·ben["-হাটবাজারে", "তারা-ভালোবাসে", "তুমি-ভালোবাস", "প্রীতি-কর", "প্রীতি-করি", "ভালবাসি,", "ভালোবাসকারী", "ভালোবাসতেন", "ভালোবাসা", "ভালোবাসে", "ভালোবাসেন", "ভালোবেসেছ,"]·DE["lieben", "liebt"]·EN["I-love", "do-you-love", "have-loved", "he-loved", "loved", "loves", "loving", "one-loving", "they-love", "you-love"]·FR["aimer"]·heb["אֲהַבְתֶּם", "אַתָּה-אוֹהֵב", "אָהַב", "אוֹהֲבִים", "אוֹהֵב"]·HI["पसन्द-करते-हैं", "प्रेम-करता", "प्रेम-करता-था", "प्रेम-करता-हूँ", "प्रेम-करता-हूँ,", "प्रेम-करता-है", "प्रेम-करता-है-तू", "प्रेम-करते-हैं", "प्रेम-करने-वालों", "प्रेम-करनेवाला", "प्रेम-किया-है"]·ID["Aku-kasihi,", "Engkau-kasihi", "Ia-mengasihi", "Mengasihi", "aku-mengasihi", "dikasihi", "mencintai", "mengasihi", "menyukai", "mereka-menyukai", "suka", "telah-mengasihi", "yang-mencintai"]·IT["amare", "philō", "philōn"]·jav["Kawula-tresna", "Panjenengan-tresna", "Panjenengan-tresnani", "Panjenenganipun-nresnani", "dipuntresnan", "ingkang-remen", "kula-tresna", "ngasihi", "nresnani", "panjenengan-tresna", "remen", "sampun-ngasihi,", "tresna"]·KO["사랑하고", "사랑하느냐", "사랑하는-자는", "사랑하면", "사랑하셨는가", "사랑하셨다", "사랑하시는-자가", "사랑하신다", "사랑하였다", "사랑하지", "사랑한다", "좋아하는", "좋아한다"]·PT["Amas", "ama", "amas", "amava", "amo", "gostam", "que-ama", "que-amam", "tendes-amado"]·RU["Любишь", "возлюбили,", "любил", "любит", "любишь", "люблю", "люблю,", "любят", "любящий", "любящих"]·ES["Me-quieres", "ama", "amaba", "aman", "amando", "amas", "amo", "habéis-amado", "me-quieres", "te-quiero"]·SW["Unanipenda", "alimpenda", "alivyompenda", "anampenda", "anapenda", "anawapenda", "anayependa", "lakini", "mmenipenda", "ninakupenda", "niwapendao,", "penda", "unampenda", "unanipenda", "wanaopenda", "wanapenda"]·TR["Seviyor-musun", "sevdiniz", "seven", "sever", "severler", "seviyor", "seviyor-musun", "seviyordu", "seviyorlar", "seviyorsam", "seviyorsun", "seviyorum"]·urd["تو-پیار-کرتا-ہے", "محب-کرنے-والا", "محبت-کرتا-تھا", "محبت-کرتا-ہوں", "محبت-کرتا-ہے", "محبت-کرنے-والا", "مُحبّت-کرتا", "پسند-کرتے-ہیں", "پیار کرتا ہے", "پیار کیا ہے", "پیار-کرتا-تھا", "پیار-کرتا-ہوں", "پیار-کرتا-ہے", "پیار-کرنے-والا", "چاہتے-ہیں"]
Matt 6:5, Matt 10:37, Matt 10:37, Matt 23:6, Luke 20:46, John 5:20, John 11:3, John 11:36, John 12:25, John 15:19, John 16:27, John 16:27 (+10 more)
2. to kiss — To kiss someone, whether as a customary greeting, a gesture of affection, or a treacherous sign. Spanish shifts to 'besar' and 'para besar' (to kiss), making the physical act explicit, while French and German retain their general love verbs without distinguishing. All three Synoptic Gospels use this sense for Judas's arranged signal: 'the one I kiss is the man' (Matt 26:48; Mark 14:44; Luke 22:47) — an act that painfully collapses the distance between affection and betrayal. 3×
AR["أُقَبِّلُ", "أُقَبِّلُهُ", "لِيُقَبِّلَهُ"]·ben["চুমু-দিই", "চুম্বন-করতে", "চুম্বন-করব"]·DE["lieben", "liebt"]·EN["I-kiss", "to-kiss"]·FR["aimer"]·heb["אֲנַשֵּׁק", "לְנַשֵּׁק"]·HI["चूमने-को", "चूमूँ", "चूमूं"]·ID["aku-cium", "untuk-mencium"]·IT["amare"]·jav["kawula-ambung", "kula-ambèn", "supados-ngambung"]·KO["내가-입맞추면", "입-맞추리라", "입맞추려고"]·PT["beijar", "eu-beijar"]·RU["поцеловать", "поцелую"]·ES["bese", "para-besar"]·SW["kumbusu", "nitakayembusu", "nitambusu"]·TR["öpersem", "öpmek-için"]·urd["بوسہ-دوں", "بوسہ-دُوں", "بوسہ-دینے-کو"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
φῐλέω, Aeolic dialect φίλημμι Refs 7th c.BC+; 2nd pers. singular φίλησθα Ead.22; late 3rd.pers. plural φίλεισι Refs 2nd c.AD+: Boeotian dialect φίλειμι Hdn.Gr.Refsinfinitive φιλήμεναι Refs 8th c.BC+: Ionic dialect and Epic dialect imperfect φιλέεσκε Refsfuture φιλήσω, Epic dialect infinitive φιλησέμεν Refs 8th c.BC+: aorist 1 ἐφίλησα Refs 5th c.BC+, etc.: perfect πεφίληκαRefs:—middle, poetical…