Please forgive my absence in posting, I have been dealing with some personal matters. 

The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.

Note – All words or phrases found in quotation marks are actual parts of the Hebrew or Greek definition(s).

¹³ The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Can You Love God and Hate?

People do not often think of hate as a part of the true Christian godly experience. Nevertheless, if hate can be a part of God’s experience (v.13) why would it not be a part of a godly person’s experience? Are we greater than or better than God? There is such a thing as good or godly hate.

The Scriptures tell us we are to abhor evil and cling to what is good. To abhor evil, sin, or wrong-doing is to hate evil, sin, or wrong-doing.

Romans 12:9 (NKJV)

⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

Let us examine what to “abhor” is as defined in the Greek language and by the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary.

“abhor” in the Greek language is defined as:

655. ἀποστυγέω apŏstugĕō, ap-os-toog-eh´-o; from 575 and the base of 4767; to detest utterly:— abhor.

“abhor” in the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary is defined as:

to regard with extreme repugnance : LOATHE synonyms see HATE

From the Scripture above we know we are “to detest utterly” and “regard with extreme repugnance” to the point of ‘loathing’ and ‘hating’ what is evil, sin, wrong-doing or against God’s Principles. So yes, godly people can hate, but only in the same manner that God hates – the hatred of evil – the hatred of evil, not the hatred of the person doing the evil, there is a difference.

Verse thirteen of chapter eight in Proverbs tells us that hating evil and sin is a way in which we show fear or reverence for the Lord, for to fear “the LORD is to hate evil; pride, and arrogancy.”

Most people, even the secular world, accept that evil is a bad thing, but the secular world’s ideas of what is evil do not match God’s ideas and devout Christian’s ideas about what is actually considered evil. The secular world respects in a way and even rewards pride and arrogance, but in God’s economy they are worth nothing, they are things He himself hates.

We are all guilty of pride and arrogance in some form at some stage in our life. However, I challenge you to examine yourself before God to determine just how much pride and arrogance is in you, in addition to whether or not you are partaking in what God would consider evil.

Evil, wrong-doing, or sin is simply anything that is against God’s Will, God’s Word, and God’s Principles.

“pride” and “arrogancy” is defined in the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as:

“pride”

the quality or state of being proud: as a : inordinate self-esteem : CONCEIT b : a reasonable or justifiable self-respect c : delight or elation arising from some act, possession, or relationship

Synonyms CONCEIT, egoism, egotism, self-consequence, self-glory, self-importance, self-opinion, self-pride, swellheadedness, vainglory

Related Words bighead, cockiness, overconfidence, self-assurance

to congratulate (oneself) for something one is, has, or has done or achieved

“arrogancy”

an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions

Synonyms PRIDE, disdain, disdainfulness, haughtiness, hauteur, loftiness, morgue, superbity, superciliousness

an insulting way of thinking or behaving that comes from believing that you are better, smarter, or more important than other people

offensively exaggerating one’s own importance

an exaggerated sense of one’s importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims

Lastly in the Hebrew language this “froward” mouth that God hates is defined as:

8419. תַּהְפֻּכָה tahpûkâh, tah-poo-kaw’; from 2015; a perversity or fraud:— (very) froward (-ness, thing), perverse thing.

When a person distorts God’s Word, Ways, and Principles they are partaking in perversity against Him.

Do not take after the prideful arrogant person, but instead steer clear of them as much as you are able. If you are indulging in pride and arrogant, I have good news for you, Jesus is ready to forgive you, just ask Him and turn from your pride and arrogance.

Throughout this study if you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers, and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.