NT Text: 1 John 4:8
OT Source(s):
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Echo
Connection Method(s): Redemptive-Historical Progression
Anchor Text: Exod 34:6-7 — The Attribute Formula
Significance: John's declaration "God is love" is the New Covenant distillation of Yahweh's self-revelation at Sinai: "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Exod 34:6-7). This is the most-quoted OT passage within the OT itself, appearing in Numbers 14:18, Nehemiah 9:17, Psalms 86:15, 103:8, 145:8, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2, and Nahum 1:3. John takes the core attribute — hesed/steadfast love — and elevates it from attribute to ontology: God doesn't merely show love, He is love. This represents the culmination of the OT's progressive revelation of the divine character, now fully disclosed through the sending of the Son (4:9-10).