μῑσ-έω G3404
Hate, detest; to feel deep hostility, or in Semitic idiom, to love less by comparison
The standard Greek verb for hatred, miseo carries both intense emotional force and a distinctive Semitic comparative usage in the Gospels. Jesus' command to 'hate' father and mother (Luke 14:26) draws on a Hebrew idiom where hatred expresses relative preference rather than emotional animosity -- Matthew 6:24's 'hate one and love the other' illustrates this comparative pattern. The passive forms ('you will be hated by all nations,' Matt 24:9) describe the cost of discipleship. French 'haïr' and German 'hassen' translate uniformly, while Spanish alternates between 'aborrecer' (abhor) and 'odiar' (hate).
Senses
1. hate, detest, abhor — Active, intense hostility or aversion toward a person, group, or behavior. This covers the full emotional range from personal animosity (Matt 5:43-44, 'love your enemies') to the world's hatred of Christ and his followers (John 15:18-25; 1 John 3:13). Spanish alternates between 'aborrecer' (to abhor, implying moral revulsion) and 'odiar' (to hate), reflecting nuance within this sense. The Johannine writings particularly develop hatred as a theological marker of opposition to God. 35×
AR["أَبْغَضَ", "سَيَكرَهونَ", "سَيُبغِضونَ", "سَيُبْغِضُ", "مُبغِضِ", "مُبْغِضِيكُمْ", "يُبغِضُ", "يُبغِضُكُم", "يُبْغِضُ"]·ben["ঘৃণা-করবে", "ঘৃণা-করবে,", "ঘৃণা-করে", "ঘৃণা-করেছে", "ঘৃণাকারী", "যে-ঘৃণা-করে"]·DE["hassen", "hasst"]·EN["hated", "hates", "hating", "he-will-hate", "it-has-hated", "it-hates", "will-hate"]·FR["haïr"]·heb["הַשׂוֹנְאִים", "יִשְׂנְאוּ", "יִשְׂנָא", "שָׂנֵא", "שֹׂנֵא", "שׂוֹנֵא"]·HI["घृणा-करता", "घृणा-करता-है", "घृणा-करता-है,", "घृणा-करनेवालों-के", "घृणा-करेंगे", "घृणा-करेगा", "बैर-करता-है", "बैर-किया", "बैर-किया-है", "बैर-रखता-है", "बैर-रखने-वाला", "बैर-रखेगा", "से-बैर-रखने-वाला", "से-बैर-रखे"]·ID["akan-dibenci", "akan-membenci", "ia-akan-membenci", "ia-membenci", "membenci", "membenci,"]·IT["emisesen", "memiseken", "misei", "misesei", "misesousin", "mison", "misousin", "odiare"]·jav["badhe-sengit,", "badhé-sengit", "nyengiti", "sampun-sengit.", "sengit", "sengit,", "sengit."]·KO["미워하는", "미워하는-자", "미워하는-자는", "미워하는-자들", "미워하리라", "미워하면", "미워하였다", "미워하지", "미워한다", "미워할-것이고", "미워할-것이니", "미워할-것이다", "미워했다고"]·PT["odeia", "odeia,", "odiar,", "odiará", "odiarão", "odiou", "que-odeia", "que-vos-odeiam"]·RU["Ненавидящий", "будет-ненавидеть", "возненавидел", "возненавидит", "возненавидят", "ненавидит", "ненавидит,", "ненавидящий", "ненавидящий,", "ненавидящим"]·ES["aborrece", "aborrecerá", "ha-odiado", "odia", "odiará", "odiarán", "odió", "os-odia", "que-os-odian"]·SW["anachukia", "anamchukia", "anawachukia", "anayeichukia", "anayemchukia", "anayenichukia", "atamchukia", "hamchukii", "kila-mmoja", "umenichukia", "umewachukia", "unachukia", "unawachukia", "wanaowachukia", "watamchukia"]·TR["nefret-edecek", "nefret-edecekler", "nefret-eden", "nefret-edenlerin", "nefret-eder", "nefret-ediyor", "nefret-ediyorsa", "nefret-etti"]·urd["نفرت کرتا ہے", "نفرت کرتی ہے", "نفرت کرنے والا", "نفرت کرے", "نفرت کی", "نفرت کی ہے", "نفرت-کرتا", "نفرت-کرتا-ہے", "نفرت-کرتا،", "نفرت-کرتی-ہے", "نفرت-کرنے-والا", "نفرت-کرنے-والوں", "نفرت-کریں-گے", "نفرت-کرے-گا", "نفرت-کرے،"]
Matt 5:43, Matt 5:44, Matt 6:24, Matt 24:10, Luke 1:71, Luke 6:22, Luke 6:27, Luke 14:26, Luke 16:13, Luke 19:14, John 3:20, John 7:7 (+23 more)
2. be hated, be detested — The passive experience of being hated, especially as a mark of faithful discipleship. Jesus warns his followers 'you will be hated by all nations on account of my name' (Matt 24:9; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17). The shift from active to passive reframes hatred as something endured rather than exercised. Revelation 18:2 extends this to Babylon becoming a 'hated' place of desolation. 5×
AR["مَبغوضينَ", "مَكروهينَ", "مَمْقوتٍ", "مُبْغَضِينَ"]·ben["ঘৃণিত"]·DE["hassen", "hasst"]·EN["being-hated", "hated"]·FR["haïr"]·heb["שְׂנוּאִים", "שְׂנוּאָה"]·HI["घृणित", "घृणित-की", "बैर-किए-गए"]·ID["dibenci", "yang-dibenci"]·IT["misoumenoi", "odiare"]·jav["dipun-sengiti", "dipunsengiti", "ingkang-dipun-sengiti", "kasengitan", "sami-dipun-sengiti"]·KO["미움-받는", "미움받는-자들이", "미움을-받는-자들"]·PT["odiada", "odiados"]·RU["ненавидимы", "ненавистного"]·ES["odiada", "odiados"]·SW["anayechukiwa.", "mkichukiwa", "na"]·TR["nefret-edilen", "nefret-edilenler"]·urd["نفرت-کیے-جاتے", "نفرت-کیے-گئے", "نفرت-کیے-ہوئے"]
3. love less, disregard comparatively — A Semitic comparative idiom where 'hate' means to love less or to deprioritize in comparison. John 7:7 says 'the world cannot hate you' -- contrasting the world's comfort with the disciples versus its hostility toward Jesus. Genesis 29:31 (LXX miseo for Hebrew sane') and Luke 14:26 provide the classic Old Testament background: Jacob 'hated' Leah means he loved her less than Rachel. This non-emotional, contrastive usage is essential for avoiding misreadings of Jesus' radical discipleship demands. 1×
AR["أَنْ-يُبْغِضَ"]·ben["ঘৃণা-করতে"]·DE["hassen"]·EN["to-hate"]·FR["haïr"]·heb["לִשְׂנֹא"]·HI["घृणा-करना"]·ID["membenci"]·IT["misein"]·jav["sengit"]·KO["미워하는-것을"]·PT["odiar"]·RU["ненавидеть"]·ES["odiar"]·SW["kuwachukia"]·TR["nefret-etmeye"]·urd["نفرت-کرنا"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μῑσ-έω, perfect μεμίσηκα Refs 5th c.BC+:—passive, future middle in passive sense μισήσομαι LXX+5th c.BC+: aorist ἐμισήθην Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect μεμίσημαι Refs 5th c.BC+: (μῖσος):—hate, once in Refs 8th c.BC+infinitive, μίσησεν δ᾽ ἄρα μιν δηΐων κυσὶ κύρμα γενέσθαι Zeus hated (would not suffer) that he should become a prey.., Refs 8th c.BC+; οὐ μισοῦντ᾽ ἐκείνην τὴν πόλιν, τὸ μὴ οὐ μεγάλην εἶναι…