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Study Dictionary
Dear
DEAR; DEARLY [ISBE]
DEAR; DEARLY - der, der'-li ("held at a great price," "highly valued"): In Acts 20:24, Paul does not hold his life "dear" (timios, "at a price"); compare 1 Cor 3:12, "costly stones"; 1 Pet 1:19, "precious blood." Lk 7:2, the servant was "dear" to the centurion (entimos, "highly prized"; compare Phil 2:29; 1 Pet 2:6). 1 Thess 2:8, "very dear to us" (agapetos, "beloved"). In the Revised Version (British and American), agapetos is generally translated "beloved." "Dearly" before "beloved" of the King James Version is omitted in all passages in the Revised Version (British and American). The word "dear" occurs but once in the Old Testament, namely, Jer 31:20. the Revised Version (British and American) correctly changes "dear Son" of the King James Version (Col 1:13) into "the Son of his love."H. E. Jacobs
Also see definition of "Dear" in Word Study