HATE; HATRED

hat, ha'-tred (verb, sane', "oftenest," saTam, Genesis 27:41, etc.; noun, sin'ah; miseo): 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; 139:21, 22, etc.). The New Testament law softens this feeling as regards persons, bringing it under the higher law of love (Matthew 5:43, 14; compare Romans 12:17-21), while intensifying the hatred of evil (Jude 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.

James Orr