The noun form first occurs in the Septuagint, but the verb form goes as far back as Homer, translated literally as affection, as in "greet with affection" and "show affection for the dead".[5] Other ancient authors have used forms of the word to denote love of a spouse or family, or affection for a particular activity, in contrast to eros (an affection of a sexual nature).
In the Septuagint, the word is used to describe the lust which Amnon felt for his half-sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13:15), so it would appear that at least some of the ancients did not understand the contrast between agape and eros suggested in the previous paragraph.
In the New Testament, it refers to the covenant love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God; the term necessarily extends to the love of one's fellow human beings.
