Hate is a powerful and destructive force, but the Bible offers wisdom on understanding and transforming it. These 115 carefully selected Bible verses about hate explore hate’s origins, consequences, and God’s teachings on overcoming it with love and forgiveness. Let these verses enlighten your heart and guide you towards peace and reconciliation.

 

God Hates Sin

• Proverbs 6:16-19 – “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”
• Psalm 11:5 – “The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.”
• Hosea 9:15 – “Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal, I hated them there. Because of their sinful deeds, I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious.”
• Amos 6:8 – “The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself—the Lord God Almighty declares: ‘I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it.'”
• Malachi 1:3 – “but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
• Jeremiah 44:4 – “Again and again I sent my servants the prophets, who said, ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!’”
• Revelation 2:6 – “But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”
• Revelation 2:15 – “Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”

Hate as Evil

• Psalm 97:10 – “Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.”
• Proverbs 8:13 – “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”
• Amos 5:15 – “Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.”
• Romans 12:9 – “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”
• Psalm 119:104 – “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.”
• Psalm 119:128 – “and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.”
• Psalm 101:3 – “I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it.”
• Psalm 119:163 – “I hate and detest falsehood but I love your law.”
• Proverbs 13:5 – “The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves.”

Hate from Others

• John 15:18 – “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”
• John 15:19 – “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”
• John 15:25 – “But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’”
• 1 John 3:13 – “Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.”
• Psalm 69:4 – “Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.”
• Psalm 109:3 – “With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause.”
• Psalm 139:22 – “I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.”
• Matthew 10:22 – “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
• Luke 6:22 – “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.”
• John 7:7 – “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.”

Hate in Relationships

• Matthew 5:43-44 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”
• 1 John 2:9 – “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.”
• 1 John 2:11 – “But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.”
• 1 John 3:15 – “Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.”
• 1 John 4:20 – “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”
• Leviticus 19:17 – “Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.”
• Proverbs 10:12 – “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.”
• Proverbs 15:17 – “Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.”
• Proverbs 26:28 – “A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.”

God Hates Idolatry

• Deuteronomy 16:22 – “and do not erect a sacred stone, for these the Lord your God hates.”
• Deuteronomy 12:31 – “You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.”
• Deuteronomy 7:25 – “The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God.”
• Isaiah 44:19 – “No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, ‘Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?’”
• Jeremiah 10:14 – “Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them.”
• Jeremiah 50:38 – “A drought on her waters! They will dry up. For it is a land of idols, idols that will go mad with terror.”
• 1 Kings 21:26 – “He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.”
• Hosea 8:4 – “They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval. With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction.”
• Zephaniah 1:4 – “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place, the very names of the idolatrous priests—”
• Habakkuk 2:18 – “Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.”

Avoiding Hate

• 1 John 3:18 – “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
• Romans 12:14 – “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”
• 1 Peter 3:9 – “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
• Ephesians 4:31-32 – “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
• Colossians 3:8 – “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:15 – “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.”
• James 1:19-20 – “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”
• Romans 12:17 – “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.”
• Romans 12:21 – “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
• Proverbs 20:22 – “Do not say, ‘I’ll pay you back for this wrong!’ Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.”

Hate in the Old Testament

• Genesis 37:4 – “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.”
• Genesis 37:5 – “Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.”
• Genesis 37:8 – “His brothers said to him, ‘Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?’ And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.”
• Genesis 27:41 – “Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, ‘The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.’”
• Genesis 50:15 – “When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?’”
• Leviticus 19:18 – “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
• Deuteronomy 19:11 – “But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor, and then flees to one of these cities,”
• 2 Samuel 13:22 – “And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.”

God’s Hate of Sinful Actions

• Proverbs 15:9 – “The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness.”
• Proverbs 15:26 – “The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in his sight.”
• Proverbs 17:15 – “Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—the Lord detests them both.”
• Proverbs 21:27 – “The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—how much more so when brought with evil intent!”
• Proverbs 24:9 – “The schemes of folly are sin, and people detest a mocker.”
• Proverbs 28:9 – “If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.”
• Proverbs 12:22 – “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.”
• Isaiah 1:13 – “Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.”

Hate Leading to Destruction

• Galatians 5:15 – “If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”
• 1 John 3:12 – “Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.”
• Proverbs 10:18 – “Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.”
• Proverbs 11:17 – “Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.”
• Proverbs 11:18 – “A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.”
• Proverbs 11:19 – “Truly the righteous attain life, but whoever pursues evil finds death.”
• Proverbs 29:10 – “The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity and seek to kill the upright.”
• Psalm 55:21 – “His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.”
• Psalm 55:23 – “But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you.”

Overcoming Hate

• Matthew 5:44 – “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”
• Proverbs 25:21 – “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”
• Luke 6:27 – “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”
• Luke 6:35 – “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”
• Romans 12:20 – “On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’”
• 1 Peter 2:23 – “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
• Matthew 5:39 – “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”
• 1 Corinthians 4:12 – “When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;”
• 1 Peter 3:16 – “keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”
• Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Hate in Society

• Micah 3:2 – “you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones;”
• Amos 5:10 – “There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court and detest the one who tells the truth.”
• John 3:20 – “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”
• Proverbs 29:27 – “The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.”
• Psalm 34:21 – “Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.”
• Psalm 50:17 – “You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.”
• Psalm 109:4 – “In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.”
• Psalm 109:5 – “They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.”
• Ecclesiastes 3:8 – “a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”
• Proverbs 22:14 – “The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit; a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.”

Hate in the Heart

• Proverbs 26:24 – “Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit.”
• Proverbs 26:25 – “Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.”
• Proverbs 26:26 – “Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.”
• Matthew 15:19 – “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”
• Matthew 12:34 – “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
• Luke 6:45 – “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
• James 4:8 – “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
• James 4:1 – “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”
• James 4:2 – “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.”

God Hates Injustice

• Isaiah 61:8 – “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them.”
• Malachi 2:16 – “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.”
• Psalm 5:5 – “The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong;”
• Psalm 5:6 – “you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest.”
• Zechariah 8:17 – “do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord.”

Conclusion