Revisiting ΣΤΟΡΓΗ and ΑΓΑΠΗ IN Sirach, 3 and 4 Maccabees

Abstract

Both στοργή and ἀγάπη are widely translated as love. BDAG understands στοργή as the love of spouse: husband to his wife or wife to her husband. Αγάπη, on the other hand, generally refers to a sacrificial love revealed in Christ in the Christian literature. This research, however, refuses BDAG’s limited aspect of στοργή and a general understanding of ἀγάπη as God’s sacrificial love in Christ. This article, therefore, attempts to provide more comprehensive understandings of these two loves by revisiting στοργή and ἀγάπη in the book of Sirach, 3 and 4 Maccabees. To achieve this goal, this research employs lexical analysis for its methodology.

Keywords

• storge
• agape
• sirach
• 3 maccabees
• 4 maccabees
• lexical analysis