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God loved Esau less than he loved Jacob? Hmm. Saying the English language is inadequate is usually a precursor to someone changing an uncomfortable passage to fit their own private interpretation. The Greek word translated here as hate does not mean only to love less. The word is used repeatedly to mean hatred in its truest sense, and in a few places seems to mean lesser affection. Thus if there is a weakness in the language, it is shared between both the Greek and the English.
Allowing the Bible to translate itself lets look at a few passages to see how that same Geek word for hatred is translated and used in context.
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Matthew 24:9-10
(All nations will kill Christians be cause they love us less? People will be offended and betray each other because they love them less? Sounds like it means hatred to me.)
That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
Luke 1:71
(We need to be delivered from people who love us less than they love others? Should I be afraid of those who love me but love someone else more? Again, sounds like hatred.)
Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
Luke 6:22
(They cast me out of their company, reproach me, and throw my name around as something evil simply because they don’t love me as much as they love others? Doesn’t seem to fit.)
The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
John 7:7
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. - If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
John 15:18 , 24-25
(They loved Jesus less because he told them how evil they were? They crucified him mercilessly because, even though they loved him, they didn’t love him as much as they loved Barabbas? The hatred the world has had for Christians is quite clear from history and well chronicled both in scripture and in books such as Fox’s book of Martyrs or presently in publications like Voice of the Martyrs. The world does not simply love Christians less; there is an absolute hatred in much of the world that is unexplainable outside of the spirit enmity spoken of in scripture. This has been largely suppressed in the USA, but basically commonplace in the rest of the world. It most certainly does mean hatred in these passages.)
But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Hebrews 1:8-9
(Did Jesus truly hate iniquity as this passage says? Or did Jesus love iniquity but simply didn’t love iniquity as much as he loved righteousness? I love Burger King and Dairy Queen, but Burger King more than Dairy Queen. I still go to both. My lesser love for the one simply means I prefer it, but not avoid it. Jesus NEVER sinned because he absolutely hated iniquity. We shun and avoid that which we hate, not that which we don’t love as much.)
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 3:15
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1 John 4:20
(If have a bunch of friends and a few or even one best friend with whom I am closer, does this mean that I am a liar and a murderer because I love one person less than another? Or is it possible that this Greek word truly can mean hatred.)
Someone else has already referenced the hatred of family, friends and even self compared to our love with God. This is the same Greek word as used in that verse is used in relation to Esau and the above passages. Many more passages could be cited showing how that word is used and translated. Incidentally, it is never translated “to love less.” It appears 41 times in scripture and transtated; 16 times as hate; 11 times as hatred; 10 times as hateth; 2 tims as hating; 1 time as hateful, and 1 time as hatest. Context does seem to favor a lesser love in a few passages but the majority is clearly a true hatred just was we would understand it today if not more so.
However since the context can mean a lesser love, and some might say that this passage in Romans 9 doesn’t give sufficient context to understand if it is lesser love or true hatred, lets look deeper at this particular usage. We have an extra benefit of this being a quotation of an Old Testament passage that we can check for even more context. Paul was quoting from the prophet Malachi:
I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.
Malachi 1:2-4
This does not sound like a lesser love. God laid his mountains and heritage waste because he didn’t love them as much as Jacob? God promised to destroy everything his descendents, the Edomites, would build because he loved them less? He promised that this destruction would be so severe that other people would recognize this and call them the people God has indignation against forever, because he loved them less? I’m sorry but that certainly doesn’t fit the context.
This Hebrew word for hate here appears 145 times: hate, 68 times; hated, 42 times; hateth, 20 times; hatest, 5 times; enemies, 3 times; enemy, 2 times; foes, 1 time; hateful, 1 time; haters, 1 time; hating, 1 time; odious, 1 time;
This Hebrew word can also be taken more than one way and is judged in context. It appears in context such as God saying he hates evil, the people who hated the Jews in the book of Esther, Joseph’s brethren hating him to the point of wanting to kill him and eventually selling him into slavery, etc. It also appears in context such as Jacob’s feelings toward Leah compared to his feelings toward Rachel. Here again the majority of the reference seem to refer to true hatred as even a short study would reveal. This again means if there is a weakness in the language it is not the fault of English as it is shared by both the Greek and Hebrew. Since context defines the meaning we are back to Malachi’s explanation of how God felt about Esau and his descendents the Edomites. Instead of retranslating scripture to fit our own personal preferences, let us simply read and accept the Word and the understanding brought by the Holy Spirit.
“…but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.”
James 4:11
Allowing the Bible to translate itself lets look at a few passages to see how that same Geek word for hatred is translated and used in context.
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Matthew 24:9-10
(All nations will kill Christians be cause they love us less? People will be offended and betray each other because they love them less? Sounds like it means hatred to me.)
That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
Luke 1:71
(We need to be delivered from people who love us less than they love others? Should I be afraid of those who love me but love someone else more? Again, sounds like hatred.)
Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
Luke 6:22
(They cast me out of their company, reproach me, and throw my name around as something evil simply because they don’t love me as much as they love others? Doesn’t seem to fit.)
The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
John 7:7
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. - If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
John 15:18 , 24-25
(They loved Jesus less because he told them how evil they were? They crucified him mercilessly because, even though they loved him, they didn’t love him as much as they loved Barabbas? The hatred the world has had for Christians is quite clear from history and well chronicled both in scripture and in books such as Fox’s book of Martyrs or presently in publications like Voice of the Martyrs. The world does not simply love Christians less; there is an absolute hatred in much of the world that is unexplainable outside of the spirit enmity spoken of in scripture. This has been largely suppressed in the USA, but basically commonplace in the rest of the world. It most certainly does mean hatred in these passages.)
But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Hebrews 1:8-9
(Did Jesus truly hate iniquity as this passage says? Or did Jesus love iniquity but simply didn’t love iniquity as much as he loved righteousness? I love Burger King and Dairy Queen, but Burger King more than Dairy Queen. I still go to both. My lesser love for the one simply means I prefer it, but not avoid it. Jesus NEVER sinned because he absolutely hated iniquity. We shun and avoid that which we hate, not that which we don’t love as much.)
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 3:15
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1 John 4:20
(If have a bunch of friends and a few or even one best friend with whom I am closer, does this mean that I am a liar and a murderer because I love one person less than another? Or is it possible that this Greek word truly can mean hatred.)
Someone else has already referenced the hatred of family, friends and even self compared to our love with God. This is the same Greek word as used in that verse is used in relation to Esau and the above passages. Many more passages could be cited showing how that word is used and translated. Incidentally, it is never translated “to love less.” It appears 41 times in scripture and transtated; 16 times as hate; 11 times as hatred; 10 times as hateth; 2 tims as hating; 1 time as hateful, and 1 time as hatest. Context does seem to favor a lesser love in a few passages but the majority is clearly a true hatred just was we would understand it today if not more so.
However since the context can mean a lesser love, and some might say that this passage in Romans 9 doesn’t give sufficient context to understand if it is lesser love or true hatred, lets look deeper at this particular usage. We have an extra benefit of this being a quotation of an Old Testament passage that we can check for even more context. Paul was quoting from the prophet Malachi:
I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.
Malachi 1:2-4
This does not sound like a lesser love. God laid his mountains and heritage waste because he didn’t love them as much as Jacob? God promised to destroy everything his descendents, the Edomites, would build because he loved them less? He promised that this destruction would be so severe that other people would recognize this and call them the people God has indignation against forever, because he loved them less? I’m sorry but that certainly doesn’t fit the context.
This Hebrew word for hate here appears 145 times: hate, 68 times; hated, 42 times; hateth, 20 times; hatest, 5 times; enemies, 3 times; enemy, 2 times; foes, 1 time; hateful, 1 time; haters, 1 time; hating, 1 time; odious, 1 time;
This Hebrew word can also be taken more than one way and is judged in context. It appears in context such as God saying he hates evil, the people who hated the Jews in the book of Esther, Joseph’s brethren hating him to the point of wanting to kill him and eventually selling him into slavery, etc. It also appears in context such as Jacob’s feelings toward Leah compared to his feelings toward Rachel. Here again the majority of the reference seem to refer to true hatred as even a short study would reveal. This again means if there is a weakness in the language it is not the fault of English as it is shared by both the Greek and Hebrew. Since context defines the meaning we are back to Malachi’s explanation of how God felt about Esau and his descendents the Edomites. Instead of retranslating scripture to fit our own personal preferences, let us simply read and accept the Word and the understanding brought by the Holy Spirit.
“…but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.”
James 4:11
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