You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord loathes the person of bloodshed and deceit. Psalm 5:6 NASB Destroy/ loathe – Two verbs of consequence: ʾābad and tāʿab, “to destroy” and “to loathe.” The meanings are a bit tangled. The verb ʾābad is a common word for to die, or, in the case of things, reputation, etc., to pass…
The boastful will not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do injustice. Psalm 5:5 NASB Injustice – The God of love hates something—ʾāwen. Maybe we don’t think about the “loving” God as a God who hates, but we need to. Why? Because the ethical foundation of the creation isn’t the work of a “Santa Claus” God. …
The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. John 12:25 NASB Keep it – Want to know how to get saved? Yeshua gives you the simple answer: hate your life in this world. What? How can the one who embraced…
I hate those who are double-minded, but I love Your Law. Psalm 119:113 NASB סֵֽעֲפִ֥ים שָׂנֵ֑אתִי וְֽתוֹרָֽתְךָ֥ אָהָֽבְתִּי I hate those who harbor iniquitous thoughts, but Your Torah I love. סִתְרִ֣י וּמָֽגִנִּ֣י אָ֑תָּה לִ֜דְבָֽרְךָ֗ יִחָֽלְתִּי You are my protection and my shield; I hoped for Your word. ס֣וּרוּ מִמֶּ֣נִּי מְרֵעִ֑ים וְ֜אֶצְּרָ֗ה מִצְוֹ֥ת אֱלֹהָֽי Go away from me,…
I, Wisdom, dwell in shrewdness, and cunning knowledge I find. Fear of the LORD is hating evil. Proverbs 8:12-13a Robert Alter Hating evil – Doing good isn’t quite enough. It matters, of course. Micah makes that clear: “He has told you, mortal one, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and…
For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. Titus 3:3 NASB Spending our life – “To behave in a certain way.” That’s the meaning of Paul’s Greek word diagō. It’s about a lifestyle, a constant behavior, a way of conducting oneself. The verb is…
For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. Romans 7:14-15 NASB Hate – Step back and think about this verse. Is it really possible…
Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? Psalm 139:21 NASB Hate– When is hate a virtue? You might reply, “When we hate sin.” But typically we add, “but love the sinner.” Ah, if it were only that simple. You see, the verb used here, śānēʾ, doesn’t make such…
He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently. Proverbs 13:24 NASB Rod – God’s idea of training involves correction, sometimes correction that stings. We, of course, are more civilized. Who would ever consider punishing a child with a rod these days? Probably only those who risk being taken…
See my enemies who are many and with outrageous hatred despise me. Psalm 25:19 Robert Alter translation Despise – Buried in the Hebrew text is a powerful repetition not evident in Alter’s translation (but clear in the ESV). “Hatred” and “despise” are from the same Hebrew root, sane. To hate describes an emotional reaction of…
