Honestly, I was always told God’s all about love, but sometimes I get this nagging feeling – is there anyone He’s really not a fan of? I mean, I was digging through the Bible the other day and some of the stuff in there totally threw me – He’s not just upset with certain people, it’s also certain things we do and think that get Him riled up. So I got to wondering, who and what exactly gets on God’s bad side, and how does that affect me, you know, in the here and now?
Top 5 Bible Verses About Who Does God Hate In The Bible
I was digging through scripture, and these Bible verses kinda jumped out at me – they’re super helpful for getting a better handle on this whole topic. Honestly, I find that reading ’em gives way more context, you know? They add some much-needed depth to the conversation, and that’s always a good thing.
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Trying to Wrap My Head Around God’s Hate in the Bible
Getting a Grip on God’s Hate in the Old and New Testaments
The other day, someone asked me, ‘who does God hate in the Bible, anyway?’ – a question I’ve been mulling over for a bit. it’s kinda tricky to figure out, but like, totally essential if we wanna get a handle on God’s character. Whenever I dive into scripture, I’m reminded that God’s hate is hella complex.
I was looking at the Old Testament and, ya know, God’s hate pretty much zeroes in on certain actions and behaviors…stuff like idolatry, screwing people over, all that jazz. it says in Psalm 5:5, KJV:
“The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity”
that verse is like, pretty dead on when it comes to painting a picture of God’s total disdain for folks who do bad stuff. however, the important thing to catch is God’s hate isn’t pointing fingers at certain people; it’s aimed straight at all those screwy actions we’re prone to.
Why God’s Hate Differs from the Human Kind
let’s face it: we all get royally cheesed off sometimes, like, enough to bite the head off the next guy that so much as looks at us sideways! we tend to go way more nuclear. problem is, on account of our intense emotional rollercoaster-y disposition (no thanks to actual legit human-ness), so… human emotions tend to get a lil’ violent. thing is – God… ain’t human. The guy doesn’t “feel” hate so much as: He sees through all this baloney that perpetuates garbage, to make way for the right outcome.
according to Isaiah 61:8 (KJV):
“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”
clears it all right up: since God makes judgments which are 101% of the time genuinely hankering after “right” in place of what typically screws over humanity- His love for a thing determines whether He’ll be inclined toward making laws that promote fair stuff being granted us, free from the tyranny human anger – and His hate is of that bent too. simple distinction between God’s law& human inclinations to hate blindly and throw actual fist-swinging tantrums out yonder world whenever things change/get too far into ‘downside’ .
Context – When God ‘Hates’, A.K.A – Contextualized Hate
Back to this person’s original line of query : whose actions or style would God hate, as opposed to simply seeing flaws somewhere or – with his great, omniscient scope at least make a decision based in (pure Godliness notwithstanding).
In New Testament times this gets even a lil more deep, kinda way complicated… even amongst us saved (ya know redemption was full on gifted to humanity so sin might lose us and the possibility exist)God still “Hates”. that may give one doubts as to what we’ve truly come to agree (thus having said yens I accept’) So which gets primacy? God so Loooooo-v-<emeeee</i-‘s human. Here on into Johann Ch., verses three, verse sixteen – and still with full intensity lovest them same who He has said here has received Life even still would never still nothin hate! indeed if to all just “like” would come just whom even and really for them Jesus (John, page 3 book.) God is said also judge if one will – a life love to help find His end never and “foreover for ‘His hate – for like hate didn exist
versus love & here His nature to whom will come through eternal standing come hate then comes whom when time doesn ” –
Individuals and Groups God Hates in the Bible
The Wicked and the Righteous
Honestly, I used to be under the impression God didn’t hate anyone – He was all about love, I thought.
Then I delved deeper, and certain verses jumped out that kinda blew a hole in my assumptions.
I found this one:
“The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.” (Psalm 11:5, KJV).
So I’m seeing that God has it in for the wicked – you know, folks who do evil stuff, and hurt people.
It’s their actions that’re the problem, not them as individuals, per se.
There’s another passage in Proverbs (6:16-19), which lists seven things He actively dislikes, among them folks who are all too happy to shed innocent blood or engage in mischief.
Those Who Do Evil and Violence
The state of the world we live in, man… full of violence, full of wrongdoings – it takes a heavy toll on my heart.
I can only begin to imagine how much it takes a toll on God’s.
And yeah, scripture backs that up too:
“The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.” (Psalm 5:5-6, KJV).
That passage over there paints a portrait of a God whose sense of justice runs deep; not even violence can stomach He for long.
You get the sense from other bits too, like Isaiah 61:8 – seems that when the issue at stake is justice, His lines become drawn pretty clearly.
The Proud and Arrogant
Suffice to say, I’m no stranger to struggling with being too proud.
As pride’s pretty petty at its best.
Seems from scripture that God looks more softly upon softer hearts, taking quite a serious view of that act; here’s one of those lists (that showed up again) calling pride as a thing detested in Proverbs 6:16-17, & something fairly explicit: ‘God resists the proud while gracing the humble guy’s shoulders’, from 1 Peter 5:5…no place like it.
False Prophets and Teachers
People dressing their words as gospel and selling it can have an impact to crush faithful individuals–the scars run real, man.
Thing is though I read false messengers aren’t exactly popular with Christianity who’s well noted…
But nope because God isn’t behind fake churching from bad actors if we simply delve once further into the specifics then from pieces such that follow like Deuteronomy 18:20 where if those being looked at, were to live and speak God’s story, those unallowed wrongdoers face elimination plus all that gets really spoken but with great fear from him we await what another thing makes more impact and such such words even can stay.
Sins and Actions God Hates in the Bible
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Delving deeper into scripture, I’ve come to realize that God’s anger is aimed more so at the things we do and the attitudes we hold that damage our bond with Him and others, not so much at us as individuals.
Idolatry and False Worship
I’ve caught myself getting caught up in things, prioritizing them over God. Haven’t you ever done the same? To the Bible, that’s idolatry – and it’s something God sharply criticizes. In Deuteronomy 12:31,
“Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.” (Deuteronomy 12:31, KJV).
What I take from this is when I put other stuff above God, in a way, I’m kinda…worshipping something that ain’t real. That’s a pretty clear cut thing God despises.
Murder and Violence
Violence and murder? We’ve all seen that devastation. Breaks my heart knowing we, as people, can hurt one another that bad. The Bible makes it clear,
“Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” (Genesis 9:6, KJV).
That verse puts in perspective just how much value God places on human life. So, when we hurt or…end each other’s lives, in a way, we’re destroying something of His.
Adultery and Immorality
Sex, relationships – they can get pretty shallow in today’s world. Not so with God. In Leviticus 20:10,
“And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” (Leviticus 20:10, KJV).
Yeah, that might sound pretty intense, but what it boils down to is, faithfulness and staying true in our relationships are non-negotiable for Him.
Lying and Deception
Don’t even get me started on the times I’ve…fudged the truth. When we do that a lot, though, it kinda…makes this wall, sticks it between God and us. According to the Bible,
“These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood…” (Proverbs 6:16-17, KJV).
Hearing this makes me remember just how crucial honesty is, when it comes to me and God, or…pretty much anyone.
Greed and Materialism
Truth is, where we live, success too often is this accumulation of money and, uh…just more stuff. But in God’s book, not quite. Luke 12:15 goes,
“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12:15, KJV).
Now, what hits home about that is, it tells me life’s more about others and God – and less about what all I have.
God’s Hate in the Bible – What’s the Point?
Showing Off God’s Justice
To be honest, I’ve struggled with this whole loving God who hates thing. It doesn’t really add up, does it? But, after reading the Bible some more, I realized hate serves a purpose for God. Like, have you ever thought about why He hates? One big reason is to show He’s all about justice and doing what’s right.
So imagine there’s this judge, right, and he’s not gonna let the bad guys walk free, but he’s also not gonna throw the book at the good guys. He sticks to the law no matter what. Same thing with God – His hate for all things evil shows He’s fair and just.
Bible says,
“The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth” (Psalm 11:5, KJV).
And that’s saying God doesn’t just hate for no reason; He’s got a solid reason – He hates sin.
A Warning to Not Sin
Another thing God’s hate does is warn us not to sin. It’s kinda like one of those danger signs that says don’t go there or else. And honestly, who wouldn’t want to avoid that stuff? Hate here is more of a warning that says, “sin’s gonna hurt you, don’t do it.”
Then the Bible goes,
“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate” (Proverbs 8:13, KJV).
So yeah, God’s hate isn’t just about punishing the bad guys; it’s also about keeping us safe.
Repent and Have Faith
God’s hate is also kinda like a… well it’s like that moment when you realize, wait, I messed up, I need to change. It’s calling us to turn our backs on sin. Imagine you’re at the doc’s office and they give you bad news – now you can try to ignore it or take care of yourself. That’s what God’s hate does – it tells us we got a problem, but we can fix it.
His Love Shows in the Hate
Finally, it kinda sounds weird, but when God hates sin, it’s actually showing He loves us. It’s kinda like how mom or dad might discipline us, not ’cause they don’t love us, but ’cause they want the best for us.
In the Bible,
“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Hebrews 12:6, KJV).
This shows that His hate and love aren’t opposites; they’re kinda two sides of the same thing – He hates the bad stuff ’cause He loves us so much.
My Take on God’s Hate and Love
Trying to wrap my head around God’s hate and love coexisting
To be honest, when I first started reading the Bible, those verses about God’s hate really threw me for a loop.
The Bible says,
“The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity” (Psalm 5:5, KJV).
At the time, this didn’t seem to mesh with the whole loving God thing I’d always been taught.
But the more I read, the more I realized hate and love, in God’s case, they’re not – like, one cancels out the other or whatever.
Love and hate: Two sides of the same God coin
In a weird way, God’s hate kinda.. stems from his love.
Think of it like this: a parent freaking out when something bad happens to their kid – same idea with God, only it’s about sin messing with his people.
The Bible says,
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23, KJV).
This bit always sticks out to me – basically, yeah, sin’s got consequences, but God’s giving us an out.
About fearing God and listening to what he says
So the million-dollar question is: how do you balance God’s hate and love?
From my perspective, it all starts with a solid dose of fear – not in a lose-sleep-at-night way, more like in an I’m-paying-attention kind of way.
C.S. Lewis nailed it: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
Fear, in a good way, means you respect God enough to do what he says, therefore missing a lot of sin-type stuff.
And, of course, you still mess up – but you also know that God loves you, so he’ll forgive you and nudge you in the right direction.
Anyway, from what I can tell, God’s hate isn’t the main takeaway here – his love is what’s front and center, and that hate’s just an.. inevitable piece of it.
The apostle John got it right, too:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, KJV).
This always gets me thinking – it seems like God’s desire is to rescue us from our own issues rather than, like, stamp ‘REJECTED’ on our foreheads.
Applying the Concept of God’s Hate in Modern Times
How I Understand and Try to Live Out God’s Hate in My Own Life
I find myself thinking about God’s hate in the Bible pretty often, and from what I’ve been reading, it seems it’s more about sin and what’s wrong in the world than about God hating specific people. There’s this one verse that’s been on my mind,
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him” (Ezekiel 18:20, KJV).
This line seems to me that it’s all about everyone being responsible for what they do, and rather than look down on others, it’s more that we should see how our own sin’s can really mess up our own lives.
To be honest, it’s not super easy putting all this into practice in my life – but I’m trying. It’s about knowing what’s going wrong inside me, then being honest, acknowledging areas where I need to improve. This kinda thing has been said by heaps of theologian’s and other expert’s – for example, I came across a line by Dietrich Bonhoeffer who said, “Nothing can be more cruel than the leniency which abandons others to their sin.”
What Role Should the Church Take When it Comes to Teaching God’s Hate?
From my view, churches have this huge job of helping people get what God’s hate’s really about – but I think you gotta get the balance right. My take’s that it can easily start to come off too intense, leading to heaps of guilt-trip rules and generally being pretty negative. Having taken some scripture to heart – it really struck me:
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23, KJV).
My thinking’s that the focus of those at church, yeah even preachers, gotta aim to share things that actually let people feel hopeful. Then, just being blunt’s pretty crucial for getting God’s truth across – they don’t tell people off but instead give ’em what Jesus has sent ’em to give.
Having a Think About Just How Balanced Should We Keep Our Discussion About God’s Hate with the Need for Church Services and Spreading the Gospel About His Fearsome Love.
My thing about church services and such gatherings – pretty keen on seeing balance around discussion about God’s kinda..moral balance point in being just– when spreading that Gospel Message – balancing things between on one-hand sharing thoughts of judgment against uncontrolled human instinct verses there also being time of compassion talking gently reminding us. (a gentle reminder not the fire in the belly ‘words that beat people up stuff’). Heaps has been written with it so will lean heavily with that a prominent former Evangelical minister explains: “God loves you so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for you”.
It seems good also we use this info making some balanced approach around sharing at this end. Then again we share that eternal gift so people hear, and experience what will sustain life beautifully – and are better fitted up then they live to know all we seek in sharing of lives ‘from their path and in hearts who learn to see Jesus! By walking through everyday just making this very heart, knowing love Jesus has in meeting His need out with same desire doing His heart well while growing His fruit deep bringing fruit alive after we get those steps forward we share we seek to show.
What Do You Think?
How has this verse influenced your life? Share your interpretation or a related prayer in the comments. We’d love to hear your personal connection!
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Frequently Asked Questions About Who Does God Hate In The Bible
Who are the people God hates in the Bible?
To be honest, I used to get hung up on this. But then I realized – God’s not about hating people, He’s more about hating the bad stuff we do, like being all proud and unjust, and, you know, lying and all that. There’s this one part in Proverbs (6:16-19, I think) where it’s like, a list of stuff God’s not a fan of… hands that, like, kill innocent people, and folks who come up with evil plans.
What does the Bible say about God hating certain sins or behaviors?
Seems to me like the Bible’s saying God’s heart is all heavy when we sin, like when we’re all full of ourselves, or treat others unfairly, or start worshipping other stuff instead of Him. He hates that we get hurt, not just the sin itself – that’s what I think, at least. It’s more about Him loving us and wanting what’s best.
Does God hate anyone, or is it just certain actions that He hates?
My take on it? God hates what we do, not who we are. He loves us like crazy, but can’t stand the harm we cause when we sin. Kind of like how parents love their kids, but freak out when they do something that’s gonna hurt ’em.
Matt Turner
I’m Matt, and I love breaking down Bible verses in a way that’s easy to understand and apply to everyday life. My goal is to help you connect with God’s Word and find practical ways to live it out. Whether you’re new to the Bible or just looking for some fresh insights, I’m here to walk with you and share what I’ve learned along the way.