The Greek adjective eratos means beloved, lovely, or dear โ something or someone worthy of love and affection. It is related to eros (love, desire) and captures the quality of being intrinsically lovable or attractive.
Eratos points to the quality that evokes love โ inherent loveliness. While agape (H26) is the unconditional, self-giving love and philia is friendship love, eros-related words capture the responsive dimension of love: love awakened by beauty and worth. In the LXX and Jewish thought, God's beloved people are called eratos โ the nation and individuals whom God has chosen and finds lovely. The theology of divine election is partly an eros theology: God does not merely will our good out of duty; He delights in His people (Zephaniah 3:17 โ 'He will rejoice over you with gladness'). The Song of Solomon explores this dimension of divine-human love with unashamed depth.