The Greek word stegō (G4722) appears a total of 4 times in the King James Version of the Bible. It is translated as forbear twice and beareth and suffer both once.
According to Strong’s Dictionary of Greek Words, the Greek word stegō (G4722) translated bears in the King James Version, means:
From G4721; to roof over, that is, (figuratively) to cover with silence (endure patiently): - (for-) bear, suffer.
According to Thayer’s Greek Definitions, this Greek word means:
1) deck, thatch, to cover
1a) to protect or keep by covering, to preserve
2) to cover over with silence
2a) to keep secret
2b) to hide, conceal
2b1) of the errors and faults of others
3) by covering to keep off something which threatens, to bear up against, hold out against, and so endure, bear, forbear
The main meaning of this word is to cover. Strong and Thayer both agree that this concept of covering, in the context of the Bible, includes to cover with silence. Strong continues the analogy of covering with silence to mean endure patiently.
Vincent’s Word Studies says of this word, in this verse:
It keeps out resentment as the ship keeps out the water, or the roof the rain.
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary gives expression to this word in 1 Corinthians 13:7, meaning a holding fast to integrity under stress, without lapsing into selfishness and complaint:
Beareth all things — without speaking of what it has to bear. The same Greek verb as in 1 Corinthians 9:12. It endures without divulging to the world personal distress. Literally said of holding fast like a watertight vessel; so the charitable man contains himself in silence from giving vent to what selfishness would prompt under personal hardship.
John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes provides the following description:
Love covereth all things - Whatever evil the lover of mankind sees, hears, or knows of any one, he mentions it to none; it never goes out of his lips, unless where absolute duty constrains to speak.
Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible describes the concept of “bearing all” in this verse, as follows:
Beareth all things - Compare the note at 1 Corinthians 9:12. Doddridge renders this, “covers all things.” The word used here (στέγει stegei) properly means to “cover” (from στέγη stegē, a covering, roof; Matthew 8:8; Luke 7:6); and then to “hide,” “conceal,” not to make known. If this be the sense here, then it means that love is disposed to hide or conceal the faults and imperfections of others; not to promulgate or blazon them abroad, or to give any undue publicity to them. Benevolence to the individual or to the public would require that these faults and errors should be concealed. If this is the sense, then it accords nearly with what is said in the previous verse. The word may also mean, to forbear, bear with, endure. Thus, it is used in 1 Thessalonians 3:1, 1 Thessalonians 3:5. And so our translators understand it here, as meaning that love is patient, long-suffering, not soon angry not disposed to revenge. And if this is the sense, it accords with the expression in 1 Corinthians 13:4, “love suffers long.” The more usual classic meaning is the former; the usage in the New Testament seems to demand the latter. Rosenmuller renders it, “bears all things;” Bloomfield prefers the other interpretation. Locke and Macknight render it “cover.” The “real” sense of the passage is not materially varied, whichever interpretation is adopted. It means, that in regard to the errors and faults of others, there is a disposition “not” to notice or to revenge them. There is a willingness to conceal, or to bear with them patiently.
Conclusion
In summary, Albert Barnes attributes two meanings to the attribute of love to “bear all”. Firstly, it is to keep secret the faults of others and so as to not gossip. Secondly, the word may also mean to forbear, bear with and endure. It is used in this context in 1 Thessalonians 3:1 and 1 Thessalonians 3:5. This makes the concept of “to bear all” similar to that of longsuffering in verse 4.
Albert Barnes agrees that both meanings have their relevance and summarises with the following statement:
It means, that in regard to the errors and faults of others, there is a disposition “not” to notice or to revenge them. There is a willingness to conceal, or to bear with them patiently.
Albert Barnes also makes the point that the concealment of other people’s errors has a correlation with the previous verse: see 1 Corinthians 13:6.
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