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…