Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

HATE

Hate is such a basic human emotion that it is not surprising to find it regularly highlighted in the Bible, even in the anthropopathisms applied to God in the OT (absent in the NT; but Rom. 9:13). While the Hebrews naturally had a whole range of such emotions ranging from outright death-seeking malice to mere preference, disregard, and rejection, they had no suitable words to express different shades of meaning. Thus words such as “love” and its opposite “hate” (Heb. śānēʾ; Gk. miséō) were used to express the idea of preference.

In the OT, God who is holy and jealous is described as hating the worship of false gods (Deut. 12:31); the liturgy of Israel, its sacrifices, new moons, and sabbaths because they lack deep sincerity and obedience (Isa. 1:14; Amos 5:21); injustice (Isa. 61:8); and sinners (Hos. 9:15). Two lists are collected in Prov. 6:16-19; 8:13. Yahweh hates Esau (“prefers” Jacob; Mal. 1:3). Joseph’s brothers hate him because of his father’s favoritism (Gen. 37:4). Isaac is hated (Gen. 26:27; cf. Jephthah, Judg. 11:7). In the OT the one clear prohibition is hatred of one’s kin (Lev. 19:17-18), while one is commanded also to love the alien (Deut. 10:19). Even God is hated (1 Sam. 8:7; Jer. 14:19); this means ignoring God’s commands and persecuting his people. Thus the enemies of the psalmist who range from the communal to the personal, the political to the religious, are also those who hate God (Ps. 68:1[MT 2]; 81:15[16]). They hate peace (Ps. 120:6) and discipline (50:17) and plot against God’s people (83:2[3]). Naturally one hates such people (Ps. 139:21). At Qumran the community was called to separate from the wicked and to hate them (1QS 3:26–4:1), and to pursue the sons of darkness with an “everlasting hatred in a spirit of secrecy” (1:10). While God punishes the wickedness of those who hate to the third and fourth generations (Deut. 5:9), according to Ezekiel God desires not the death of the sinner (Ezek. 18:23), and Wisdom insists that God cannot hate any of the beings he has made (Wis. 11:24).

Jesus bluntly rejects hatred and insists that love is the only law, even in relation to one’s enemies. This is explained as to pray for one’s enemy (Matt. 5:44-45) and to “do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27). Paradoxically, discipleship involves a certain type of hate, or rather hierarchy of commitment, placing Jesus first in one’s life before father, mother, brothers, sisters, wife, and children (Luke 14:26). Likewise a disciple must even hate oneself (John 12:25). Life in the old aeon was characterized by hate (Tit. 3:3) but in the new by love (Rom. 13:8-10; 1 John 2:10). The Johannine writings are the most prominent for the sharp contrast between the divine love and the sin of the world of darkness which is hatred for God, Christ, and God’s people (John 15:23-24; 7:7; 15:18). One of the clear limitations of 1 John is its enthusiastic dedication to love (1 John 4:19) yet its bitter condemnation of former members as demonic antichrists, false prophets, and examples of lawlessness and evil (2:18-19; 4:1-6; 3:4-5). God did not send his Son to condemn the world but because he so loved the world (John 3:16).

Seán Kealy, C.S.Sp.

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

HATE

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)