Hate; Hatred
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [1]
hāt , hā´tred (verb, שׂנא , sānē' , "oftenest," שׂטם , sāṭam , Genesis 27:41 , etc.; noun, שׂנאה , sin'āh ; μισέω , miséō ): A feeling of strong antagonism and dislike, generally malevolent and prompting to injury (the opposite of love); sometimes born of moral resentment. Alike in the Old Testament and New Testament, hate of the malevolent sort is unsparingly condemned ( Numbers 35:20; Psalm 109:5; Proverbs 10:12; Titus 3:3; 1 John 3:15 ), but in the Old Testament hatred of evil and evil-doers, purged of personal malice, is commended ( Psalm 97:10; Psalm 101:3; Psalm 139:21 , Psalm 139:22 , etc.). The New Testament law softens this feeling as regards persons, bringing it under the higher law of love ( Matthew 5:43 , Matthew 5:14; compare Romans 12:17-21 ), while intensifying the hatred of evil ( Judges 1:23; Revelation 2:6 ). God himself is hated by the wicked ( Exodus 20:5; Psalm 139:21; compare Romans 8:7 ). Sometimes, however, the word "hate" is used hyperbolically in a relative sense to express only the strong preference of one to another. God loved Jacob, but hated Esau ( Malachi 1:3; Romans 9:13 ); father and mother are to be hated in comparison with Christ ( Luke 14:26; compare Matthew 10:37 ). See Enmity .
