Proverbs 8:13The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride and the evil way and perverse utterances.Proverbs Daily is a reader and listener supported program. Every post is free, but if you’d like to help spread the message and make the sacred positively contagious consider being a free or paid subscriber. Just look for the word upgrade or subscribe and click on that. Thanks in advance!So, does God hate?That’s the question. Because if we’re taking Proverbs 8:13 at face value, the text says it right there in the Bible:“To fear the LORD is to hate evil.”Now just to be fair, it’s not God speaking directly here. It’s Lady Wisdom—but…she’s the very wisdom of God personified. And she puts it out there saying:“I hate arrogant pride and the evil way and perverse utterances.”So, back to the question: Does God hate? And I think it's important to answer the question because how many people out here are just justifying hateful actions all in the name of God, like they think if God hates so I can hate too.So I ain't gonna hold you. I’ll be honest: I don’t believe God hates—at least not the way humans do. Because our hate is often fueled by bitterness, fear, or vengeance. It separates and destroys. And projecting that kind of broken emotion onto the Divine…I think is a mistake.Human Hate vs. Divine AversionC.S. Lewis once said God’s nature is a powerful, unyielding force that is hostile to evil. That’s not human rage—that’s divine opposition.Benson’s Commentary notes that “hate” here doesn’t mean an emotional outburst but absolute abhorrence—a refusal to coexist with what corrupts. The Hebrew word שָׂנֵא saneʾ leans closer to “reject” than “rage.”So that’s the key: God’s “hatred” is not human rage but divine resistance—where evil cannot advance, it collapses in recoil against God’s presence to the point that anything that undermines life, justice, humility, and truth runs out of steam! It cannot exhaust God’s nature!In other words, God’s nature repels evil–not because He lashes out at it, but because it simply can’t stick. His nature is love, and love absorbs and transforms corruption; rather than merging and just coexisting with evil.The Flip Side of WorshipSo when Proverbs says, ‘To fear the Lord is to hate evil,’ it’s not to coward down in dread—it’s to approach God in trembling reverence. Awe that reorders the soul. From that awe, we learn to reject arrogance, corrupt speech, and destructive ways—not out of anger, but because they are anti-God, anti-love, anti-life.God’s “hatred” isn’t destructive—it’s protective. It doesn’t target people, but the forces that generate distortion.Love vs. HateNow here’s how I see it:* Hatred is the commitment to separate and keep apart.Whereas* Love is the commitment to bring together and make whole.And God? God doesn’t change. Evil does. In the end, love wins—not by compromising, but by transforming. Whenever anything—or anyone—and I do mean anyone–turns, repents, reforms—God embraces. Because redemption is His ultimate work, pulling all things back into Himself.So Here’s The Point:God doesn’t hate like we do. His holy aversion means evil changes in the end—not God.🙏🏽 PrayerLord, make me a change-agent—resisting evil, just like You.💡 Today’s Challenge:When you encounter negativity—whether gossip, pride, or anger—don’t match its energy. Pause. Breathe. Respond with love instead of reaction. Let your presence make evil lose its grip.About the AuthorFred Lynch is a creative communicator, author, and Christian Hip Hop pioneer. To learn more about Fred and what he’s up to now…click here or you can find him in all the socials by searching the handle: heyfredlynch📱Experience Proverbs Daily by Subscribing!Ready to receive daily wisdom directly on your phone?Go to proverbsdaily.org for the app or just click that Subscribe button right now!Be Wise and Be Well...peace.Thanks for reading Proverbs Daily! This post is public so feel free to share it.
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