The Bible says God hates evil, not because He is cruel, but because He is holy: "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil" (Proverbs 8:13), and Proverbs lists "six things doth the LORD hate" (Proverbs 6:16), from pride to sowing discord. Toward people, Scripture forbids hatred: "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart" (Leviticus 19:17). Jesus said to "do good to them which hate you" (Luke 6:27).
Hate is a strong word, and the Bible uses it carefully. It says God hates certain things, it tells believers to hate evil, and it forbids hatred toward other people. People search for these verses when they have been hurt by someone, when they feel hatred rising in their own heart, or when they want to understand passages that sound harsh. These twelve King James verses cover what God hates, why hatred in the heart is so serious, and how to hate evil while loving people. For loving those who hurt you, see love your enemy; for letting go of payback, see revenge.
What God hates
1. Proverbs 8:13
"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate."
Wisdom says the fear of the LORD is to hate evil, and names pride, arrogance, the evil way and a froward, or twisted, mouth. Loving God means sharing His hatred of what destroys people.
2. Zechariah 8:17
"And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD."
God tells His people not to plot evil against a neighbour or love a false oath, for these are things He hates. God's hatred is aimed at scheming and lying that harm others. See lying.
3. Psalms 11:5
"The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth."
God's soul hates the wicked and him that loveth violence. God is not neutral about abuse and cruelty. This verse is a comfort to anyone who has been hurt by violence: God is on the side of the victim.
4. Isaiah 61:8
"For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them."
The LORD loves judgment, that is justice, and hates robbery. God's hatred of injustice is the other side of His love for justice. This is the chapter Jesus read in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:18-19).
Hatred in the human heart
5. Leviticus 19:17
"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."
The same chapter that says to love thy neighbour as thyself (Leviticus 19:18) also says not to hate your brother in your heart. Instead of nursing a grudge, talk to the person honestly. Silent hatred festers.
6. 1 John 2:11
"But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."
John says the one who hates his brother walks in darkness and does not know where he is going. Hatred blinds us; it distorts how we see others, ourselves and God. See light.
7. 1 John 4:20
"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?"
Anyone who says he loves God but hates his brother is a liar. Love for God and love for people cannot be separated. Our treatment of others is the test of our love for Him.
8. Titus 3:3
"For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another."
Paul admits that he and other believers were once hateful, and hating one another. The next verses describe how God's kindness and love appeared and saved us (Titus 3:4-5). Nobody is beyond change.
Hate evil, love people
9. Amos 5:15
"Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph."
Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate. In Amos, the gate was the town court. Hating evil means working for fairness and justice, not only feeling disgust.
10. Romans 12:9
"Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good."
Let love be without dissimulation, or pretending. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Real love is not soft on evil; it hates what harms the person it loves.
11. Romans 12:21
"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Hatred answered with hatred multiplies. The way Christians fight evil is with good. See forgiveness.
12. Proverbs 15:17
"Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith."
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. A simple meal in a loving home beats a feast in a hostile one. Love is worth more than luxury.
A short prayer
Lord, You are holy, and You hate what destroys the people You love. Search my heart and remove any hatred I am holding toward anyone. Teach me to hate evil and cling to what is good, to speak honestly instead of nursing grudges, and to overcome evil with good. Heal those who have been hurt by hatred, and fill me with Your love instead. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
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Frequently asked questions
Does God hate people?
God hates sin and the harm it does, and some psalms say He hates "all workers of iniquity" (Psalm 5:5), a strong Hebrew way of describing His total rejection of evil. Yet the same Bible says "God so loved the world" (John 3:16) and that He is "not willing that any should perish" (2 Peter 3:9). God calls every person to turn to Him and live (Ezekiel 33:11).
What does Jesus mean by hating your father and mother in Luke 14:26?
Jesus was using a Hebrew way of speaking that compares loves. Matthew records the same teaching as "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me" (Matthew 10:37). Jesus is not commanding hatred of family, since He also told people to honour their parents (Mark 7:10). He is saying that loyalty to Him must come first.
Is hating someone the same as murder?
John says "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer" (1 John 3:15), echoing Jesus' teaching that anger in the heart breaks the spirit of "Thou shalt not kill" (Matthew 5:21-22). It does not mean the two have the same legal consequences, but it shows how seriously God takes hatred. The good news is that He forgives and changes hearts (1 John 1:9).
How do I stop hating someone who hurt me?
Be honest with God about what happened (Psalm 62:8). Forgiveness is a choice to leave revenge to God (Romans 12:19); it does not mean pretending the hurt was small or trusting someone unsafe again. Pray for the person (Matthew 5:44), and talk to a pastor or counselor if the bitterness will not lift. See forgiveness and betrayal.
If you have been threatened or attacked because of who you are or what you believe, please contact local police; in the US you can also report hate crimes to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. If anger or hatred is pushing you toward hurting someone or yourself, please talk to someone now: in the US, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency. If someone at home is hurting you, in the US, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or call 911 if you are in immediate danger.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about loving your enemy · Bible verses about revenge · Bible verses about forgiveness · Bible verses about anger · Bible verses about betrayal · Bible verses about love · Bible verses about a break up · Bible verses for strength and love
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