John 11:5

Loved. Gr. agapad, the love of admiration, respect, and esteem (see on Matt. 5:43, 44). For the love of Jesus for Lazarus alone the word philed is used (see on John 11:3). Some commentators see evidence in vs. 3, 5 that John here uses philed and agapad synonymously. This is not a necessary conclusion. In fact agapad may have been designed chosen in v. 5, where the sisters are involved, to obviate a possible deduction that merely human affection was meant. Agapad is frequently employed in the writings of John to describe the love that Christians are to manifest toward one another (John 13:34; 15:12; 1 John 4:7, 11; etc.).