Bible Verses About Love

“We love because he first loved us.”

1 John 4:19

A short verse that reframes the whole idea: love isn't something we generate on our own, it's a response.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

This verse is often cited because of its timing — the love came before the change, not after.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.”

John 3:16

Likely the most quoted verse in the Bible, and for good reason: it ties love directly to sacrifice and to an offer that isn't conditional on already having it together.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The “love chapter,” read at more weddings than any other passage. It defines love by behavior — patient, kind, not envious — rather than by feeling.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

John 13:34

Jesus frames this not as advice but as command, and ties it directly to how his followers would be recognized.

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

1 Peter 4:8

Often used in the context of forgiveness within relationships — love that keeps a relationship intact through failure.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Not explicitly about marriage, but widely used in weddings for its imagery of two being stronger than one.

“Place me like a seal over your heart... for love is as strong as death.”

Song of Solomon 8:6-7

The most direct depiction of romantic love in Scripture, describing love as “strong as death.”