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Erotic Love In The Bible
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Eros: Romantic Love in the Bible
Definitions and examples of erotic love in God's Word
By Sam O’Neal
The word "love" is
a flexible term in the English language.
This explains how a person
can say "I love tacos" in one sentence and "I love my wife"
in the next.
But these various definitions
for "love" aren't limited to English.
Indeed, when we look at the
ancient Greek language in which the New Testament was written, we see four distinct words used to describe the over-arching
concept we refer to as "love."
Those words are agape, phileo, storge,
and eros.
In this article, we'll see
what the Bible says specifically about "Eros" love.
Definition
Eros
pronunciation: [AIR - ohs]
Of the four Greek terms that
describe love in the Bible, eros is
probably the most familiar today.
It's easy to see the
connection between eros and
our modern word "erotic."
And there are certainly
similarities between those two terms -- as well as a few differences.
Eros is
the Greek term that describes romantic or sexual love.
The term also portrays the
idea of passion and intensity of feeling.
The word was originally connected
with the goddess Eros of Greek Mythology.
The meaning of eros is slightly
different than our modern term "erotic" because we often associate
"erotic" with ideas or practices that are naughty or inappropriate.
This wasn't the case
with eros.
Instead, eros described the
healthy, common expressions of physical love.
In the Scriptures, eros primarily
refers to those expressions of love carried out between a husband and wife.
Examples
It's
worth mentioning that the Greek word eros itself
is nowhere to be found in the Bible.
The New Testament never
directly addresses the topic of passionate, romantic love.
And when the New Testament
writers did address the topic of sexuality, it was usually in terms of
providing proper boundaries or prohibiting harmful behavior.
Here's an example:
“8 I say to the unmarried and to widows: It
is good for them if they remain as I am. 9 But if they do not have self-control,
they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with desire.” 1 Corinthians 7:8-9
But, strange as it may sound,
the Old Testament does broach the topic of romantic love.
In fact, the concept of eros is very well
illustrated all throughout the book known as Song of Solomon, or Song of Songs.
Here are a few examples:
“2 Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses
of his mouth!
For your love is more delightful than wine.
“3 The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating;
your name is perfume poured out.
No wonder young women adore you.
4 Take me with you—let us hurry.
Oh, that the king would bring me to his chambers.” Song of Solomon 1:2-4
For your love is more delightful than wine.
“3 The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating;
your name is perfume poured out.
No wonder young women adore you.
4 Take me with you—let us hurry.
Oh, that the king would bring me to his chambers.” Song of Solomon 1:2-4
“6 How beautiful you are and how pleasant,
my love, with such delights!
“7 Your stature is like a palm tree;
your breasts are clusters of fruit.
“8 I said, ‘I will climb the palm tree
and take hold of its fruit.’
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes,
and the fragrance of your breath like apricots.”
Song of Solomon 7:6-8
my love, with such delights!
“7 Your stature is like a palm tree;
your breasts are clusters of fruit.
“8 I said, ‘I will climb the palm tree
and take hold of its fruit.’
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes,
and the fragrance of your breath like apricots.”
Song of Solomon 7:6-8
Yes, those are actual verses
from the Bible. Steamy, right?!
And that's an important
point: the Bible does not shy away from the reality of romantic love -- nor
even from the sensations of physical passion.
Indeed,
the Scriptures elevate physical love when experienced within the proper
boundaries.
Again, these verses do not
contain the word eros because
they were written in Hebrew, not Greek.
But they are proper and
effective examples of what the Greeks envisioned whenever they spoke or wrote
of eros love.
Sam O'Neal is a professional writer and editor with a life-long
passion for and appreciation of the Bible. Sam is coauthor of The Bible
Answer Book and Managing Editor of The Quest Study Bible (3rd edition).
Experience
Currently a Content Editor with LifeWay
Christian Resources, Sam O'Neal has also worked for Christianity Today and
Wheaton College. Sam is an experienced writer who has authored or coauthored a
number of books, including:
Education
Sam graduated from Wheaton College in 2002
with a B.A. in English Literature. He is currently pursuing a Masters of
Christian Studies from Union University in Hendersonville, TN.
Sam O'Neal
I love the Bible. It's not only the
best-selling and most-influential book in human history, but the Bible has
literally changed my life as I've sought to honor God and live according to His
principles.
I hope you're excited about the Bible as well.
Sure, the Bible is a little intimidating; it can even seem overwhelming for all
of us at times, myself included. But it's worth it. Please join me as we seek
to engage, explore, and apply the life-changing truths of God's Word.
If you have any questions or comments, please
feel free to email me here.
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