Lexical Summary miseó: To hate, detest, abhor Original Word: μισέω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance hateFrom a primary misos (hatred); to detest (especially to persecute); by extension, to love less -- hate(-ful). HELPS Word-studies 3404 miséō – properly, to detest (on a comparative basis); hence, denounce; to love someone or something less than someone (something) else, i.e. to renounce one choice in favor of another. Lk 14:26: "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate (3404 /miséō, 'love less' than the Lord) his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (NASU). [Note the comparative meaning of 3404 (miséō) which centers in moral choice, elevating one value over another.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom misos (hatred) Definition to hate NASB Translation hate (13), hated (12), hateful (1), hates (12), hating (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3404: μισέωμισέω, μισῶ; imperfect ἐμίσουν; future μισήσω; 1 aorist ἐμίσησα; perfect μεμίσηκα; passive, present participle μισουμενος; perfect participle μεμισημενος (Revelation 18:2); the Sept. for שָׂנֵא; (from Homer down); to hate, pursue with hatred, detest; passive to be hated, detested: τινα, Matthew 5:43 and Rec. in Topical Lexicon Semantic Overviewμισέω (Strong’s 3404) consistently denotes active aversion, antipathy, or repudiation. In Scripture it can describe (1) God’s moral opposition to evil, (2) the world’s hostility toward Christ and His followers, (3) the decisive renunciation demanded of disciples, and (4) the unregenerate posture that betrays spiritual darkness. Context alone determines whether the hatred is righteous or sinful. Old Testament and Septuagint Background The verb often translates Hebrew שָׂנֵא (śānēʾ). Romans 9:13 cites Malachi 1:3, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated,” revealing covenantal preference rather than capricious animosity. The Septuagint use provides the matrix for New Testament writers, supplying vocabulary for divine justice (Psalm 5:5), covenant loyalty (Psalm 101:3), and ethical exhortation (Proverbs 8:13). God’s Holy Hatred Hebrews 1:9 applies Psalm 45:7 to the Son: “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.” God’s antipathy is never arbitrary—He opposes what contradicts His holy nature. Revelation 2:6 commends the Ephesian church: “You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” Believers are thus called to share His moral revulsion, not against persons but against deeds (Jude 23). Human Hatred Exposed as Sin John’s writings make hatred a litmus test of spiritual condition. “If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness” (1 John 2:9). Hatred toward Christ or believers signals allegiance to the world system alienated from God (John 15:18–25; 1 John 3:13). Titus 3:3 recalls pre-conversion days when people were “being hated and hating one another,” a hallmark of fallen society. Discipleship and Allegiance Language Jesus employs μισέω idiomatically to demand unrivaled loyalty: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother… yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). This Semitic hyperbole contrasts ultimate devotion to Him with all other bonds. Similarly, exclusive service is stressed in Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13: love for one master necessitates “hating” the rival. Persecution and Eschatological Expectation The Synoptic Apocalypse predicts universal hostility: “You will be hated by everyone because of My name” (Mark 13:13; cf. Matthew 24:9; Luke 21:17). Such hatred reaches its climax in Revelation where Babylon becomes “a haunt of every hateful bird” (Revelation 18:2) and the ten kings “will hate the prostitute” (Revelation 17:16). Hatred, therefore, is an eschatological marker distinguishing the rebellious world from the persevering saints. Johannine Theology of Hatred John’s Gospel clusters the term around the Upper Room discourse. The world “hates” Christ because His testimony exposes its evil (John 7:7; 15:18–25). The disciples inherit that animosity, yet they are not to reciprocate; instead, they overcome hatred through sacrificial love (John 13:34–35). Pauline Usage Besides Romans 9:13, Paul admits a personal struggle: “What I hate, I do” (Romans 7:15), underscoring the conflict between flesh and renewed mind. Ephesians 5:29 sets a natural analogy (“no one ever hated his own body”) to urge marital care. Thus, hatred can be a rhetorical foil for love. Practical and Pastoral Implications 1. Discernment: Christians must “hate” evil deeds while extending gospel mercy to evildoers (Jude 23). Summary μισέω frames a stark moral polarity. Divine hatred is the settled, righteous opposition to sin; human hatred, apart from alignment with God’s holiness, is darkness. The word exposes the heart, delineates spiritual kingdoms, and calls believers to a love that refuses to compromise with evil yet remains free from the world’s venom. Forms and Transliterations εμίσει εμίσεις εμισείτε εμισησα εμίσησα ἐμίσησα Εμισησαν εμίσησαν εμίσησάν Ἐμίσησάν εμισησας εμίσησας ἐμίσησας εμισήσατε εμισήσατέ εμίσησε εμισησεν εμίσησεν ἐμίσησεν εμισουν εμίσουν ἐμίσουν μεμίσηκα μεμισήκαμεν μεμίσηκάς μεμισήκασι μεμισηκασιν μεμισήκασιν μεμισηκεν μεμίσηκεν μεμισημένην μεμισημενου μεμισημένου μεμιστημένην μισει μισεί μισεῖ μισειν μισείν μισεῖν μισεις μισείς μισεῖς μισείται μισείτε μιση μισή μισῇ μισηθείς μισηθήναι μισηθήσεται μισήσαι μισήσαί μισήσας μισησει μισήσει μισησεις μισήσεις μισήση μισήσουσι μισησουσιν μισήσουσιν μισήσωσί μισησωσιν μισήσωσιν μισητή μισητόν μισητός μισούμαι μισουμένη μισουμένης μισουμενοι μισούμενοι μισουμένω μισούντα μισουντας μισούντας μισούντάς μισοῦντας μισουντες μισούντες μισούντές μισοῦντες μισούντος μισουντων μισούντων μισούσα μισούσι μισούσί μισουσιν μισούσιν μισοῦσιν μισω μισώ μισῶ μισων μισών μισῶν emisesa emisēsa emísesa emísēsa Emisesan Emisēsan Emísesán Emísēsán emisesas emisēsas emísesas emísēsas emisesen emisēsen emísesen emísēsen emisoun emísoun memisekasin memisēkasin memisḗkasin memiseken memisēken memíseken memísēken memisemenou memiseménou memisēmenou memisēménou mise misē misei miseî misêi misē̂i misein miseîn miseis miseîs misesei misēsei misḗsei miseseis misēseis misḗseis misesosin misēsōsin misḗsosin misḗsōsin misesousin misēsousin misḗsousin miso misô misō misō̂ mison misôn misōn misō̂n misoumenoi misoúmenoi misountas misoûntas misountes misoûntes misounton misountōn misoúnton misoúntōn misousin misoûsinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 5:43 V-FIA-2SGRK: σου καὶ μισήσεις τὸν ἐχθρόν NAS: YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' KJV: neighbour, and hate thine enemy. INT: of you and hate enemy Matthew 5:44 V-PPA-AMP Matthew 6:24 V-FIA-3S Matthew 10:22 V-PPM/P-NMP Matthew 24:9 V-PPM/P-NMP Matthew 24:10 V-FIA-3P Mark 13:13 V-PPM/P-NMP Luke 1:71 V-PPA-GMP Luke 6:22 V-ASA-3P Luke 6:27 V-PPA-DMP Luke 14:26 V-PIA-3S Luke 16:13 V-FIA-3S Luke 19:14 V-IIA-3P Luke 21:17 V-PPM/P-NMP John 3:20 V-PIA-3S John 7:7 V-PNA John 7:7 V-PIA-3S John 12:25 V-PPA-NMS John 15:18 V-PIA-3S John 15:18 V-RIA-3S John 15:19 V-PIA-3S John 15:23 V-PPA-NMS John 15:23 V-PIA-3S John 15:24 V-RIA-3P John 15:25 V-AIA-3P Strong's Greek 3404 |
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