Understanding Hate

The topic of hate is quite prevalent in our society. I decided to do a study on the word and see what Scripture has to say about it. First, though, let’s define the term. Whether used as a verb or a noun, hate basically means “to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest.”[1]
            
​In the Old Testament, there are two Hebrew words: śānē’ and śin’āh, used a total of 148 and 17 times respectively, with the English words hate and its variation 107 times, combining both words. The other English words used are foes, enemies, malice, adversaries, dislike, enemy, unloved, abhor, am not loved, shunned, detest, hostile, malicious, not loved, not, refuses, and a total of three untranslated words.[2] In the New Testament, the Greek words apostygeō and miseō are translated as hate 39 of 40 times and once as detestable.

When I examined each instance of hate mentioned in Scripture, I discovered it could be divided into four categories: 
·      Hate Directed Towards a Person or God (102x). David and God were each mentioned 15x, Jesus’ Disciples or Followers (12x), and Jesus (5x).
·      Hate Directed Towards Israel or a Nation (23x). Fifteen of these references were directed towards Israel. 
·      Hate Directed Towards Wrongdoing (40x). Hatred towards evil or sin was mentioned a total of seven times.
·   Hate Directed Towards Something Considered Good (17x). Objects included discipline, honesty, justice, knowledge, peace, light, wisdom, etc. 
 
Meditation
Luke 6:22--You are blessed when people hate you, when they exclude you, insult you, and slander your name as evil because of the Son of Man.
 
Here are three takeaways from my study.
1. People in the Bible were hated for evil doing and for living righteously. Jesus was perfect, yet many of the religious leaders hated Him. In several New Testament passages, Jesus warned His followers that by associating with Him, they could expect to be hated. 
2.  Followers of Jesus are exhorted to love their enemies (Matthew 5:44). We are not to hate people but rather the practice of evil (Revelation 2:6). It is never wrong to hate evil. 
3. God hates sin and evildoing because it constitutes rebellion against His will and causes harm. He pronounced and will pronounce judgment and destruction on nations and people fixated on wrongdoing. 
            
It is not easy to be hated. Nor is it easy to be labeled as a hater. But the closer we are to the return of the Messiah, the more we can expect to be detested and persecuted. We ought also to be sure that in no case do we hate a person(s), but we are Biblically adjured to hate evildoing. Therefore, beware of accusing someone of being a hater by misjudging their motives as person-directed rather than evil-directed.
 
Inspiration
“Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, cause hate in your heart will consume you too.”—Will Smith
 
©2025 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  To receive these devotionals, go to www.firstcause.org and click the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed, subject to the inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)


[1] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/hate
[2] Goodrick, E. W. & Kohlenberger, J. R. (1990). The NIV exhaustive concordance. Zondervan Publishing House.