Hate
A Bible Study
by Adam Osborne, Jr.
HATRED: Is a Christian suppose to “hate” ?
Question: Should a Christian HATE someone who hates God?
As I read the below scripture in Psalms, I was puzzled by the word hate in the context it was used.? I decided to look up the following scriptures and look in some study books to help me determine what the bible says about hate.
-Clarke’s Commentary = “Do not I hate them”… I hold their conduct in abomination.? “With perfect hatred”…Their conduct, their motives, their opposition to thee, their perfidy and idolatrous purposes, I perfectly abhor.? With them I have neither part, interest, nor affection.
-Matthew Henry’s Commentary = He detests them (v.21,22):? “do not I hate those that hate thee?”, and for that reason, because they hate thee?? I hate them because I love thee, and hate to see such affronts and indignities put upon they blessed name. Note:? Sin is hated, and sinners are lamented, by all that fear God.? “I hate them” (that is, I hate the work of them that turn aside, as he explains himself Psalms 101:3)
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2. Question
Will God punish you if you don’t HATE people that hate God?
-Clarke’s Commentary = “Therefore is wrath upon thee” …? That is, Thou deservest to be punished.? And who can doubt this, who knows that he did help the ungodly and did love them that hated Jehova?? And is not the wrath of God upon all those alliances which his people form with the ungodly, whether they be social, matrimonial, commercial, or political?
-Matthew Henry’s Commentary = (1)The prophet told him plainly that he had done very ill in joining with Ahab:? “Shouldst thou,” a godly man, “help the ungodly,” give them a hand of fellowship, and lend them a hand of assistance?” Or, “Shouldst thou love those that hate the Lord;” wilt thou lay those in thy bosom whom God beholds afar off?? It is the black character of wicked people that they are haters of God.? “Do I not hate those,” says David, “that hate thee?” Ps 139:21,?? Those whom the grace of God has dignified ought not to debase themselves.? Let God’s people be of God’s mind. (2) That God was displeased with him for doing this; “There is wrath upon thee from before the Lord,” and thou must, by repentance, make thy peace with him, or it will be the worse for thee.? He did so, and God’s anger was turned away.
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The Lord hates sin
- After reviewing the above Commentaries and scriptures, I concluded that you should “hate” the sin, not the sinner, hate the act, the ways, but never the person.
At this point, I wanted to see what the New Testament had to say about “hate”.
- Jesus taught us not to hate each other, but to love and forgive
We should HATE sin.
Bibliography
- Matthew Henry, “The Matthew Henry Study Bible, King James Version, World Bibles, 1994
- Adam Clarke’s, “The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” Commentaries, Abingdon Press, Nashville, TN?
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