John 17:26

"The Unusual Expression"

Greek ἡ ἀγάπη ἣν ἠγάπησάς με. "the Love whom [feminine] you have loved me". 

ἣν is a relative pronoun in the feminine, referring to the Agape Love, "she who". Commentators acknowledged the double accusative here. But translations have discounted it. The Pulpit Commentary for example, called it an "unusual expression":

"In order that the love wherewith thou hast loved me (notice the unusual expression, ἡ ἀγάπη ην ἠγαπησάς; and cf. Ephesians 2:4)"

(cf. Pulpit Commentary on John 17:26).

The same phrase occurs in Ephesians 2:4. Translators took this pronoun and translated it "wherewith" or "with" which is simply not consistent with the accusative case.

Quick Greek Lesson:

The phrase ἣν ἠγάπησας consists of the relative pronoun ἣν, accusative feminine singular (from ὅς, ἥ, ὅ), functioning as the direct object of the verb ἠγάπησας, the aorist active indicative, second person singular of ἀγαπάω. As such, it must be translated “whom you loved” or “which you loved,” depending on the gender and animacy of the antecedent. The accusative case precludes any instrumental meaning. To express “with which you loved,” one would expect the relative pronoun in the dative case (ᾗ), which regularly conveys means or instrumentality in Greek syntax. Hence, interpreting ἣν ἠγάπησας as “with which you loved” is a grammatical error.