Original Word: μισέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: miseó
Pronunciation: mee-SEH-oh
Phonetic Spelling: (mis-eh'-o)
Definition: I hate, detest, love less, esteem less.
Meaning: To hate, detest, or abhor. It conveys a strong aversion or intense dislike.

Word Origin: Derived from a primary word μῖσος (misos), meaning "hatred."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • Strong's Hebrew 8130: שָׂנֵא (sane) • to hate, be hateful
• Strong's Hebrew 3404: יָקַץ (yaqats) • to awake, be alert (used metaphorically in some contexts to imply aversion or rejection)

These Hebrew terms similarly convey the idea of hatred or aversion, often used in the Old Testament to describe enmity between individuals or nations, as well as the rejection of idolatry and sin.

Usage: The verb μισέω is used in the New Testament to describe feelings of hatred or enmity. It can refer to personal animosity, rejection, or the prioritization of one thing over another, often in the context of discipleship and allegiance to Christ.

Context: The term μισέω appears in various contexts throughout the New Testament, often highlighting the dichotomy between love and hate. In the teachings of Jesus, μισέω is used to illustrate the cost of discipleship and the necessity of prioritizing one's commitment to Him above all else. For instance, in Luke 14:26, Jesus states, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple." Here, μισέω is not advocating literal hatred but rather emphasizing the supreme love and loyalty required for following Christ.

The word also appears in contexts of moral and spiritual opposition. In John 15:18-19, Jesus warns His disciples, "If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world." This usage underscores the inherent conflict between the values of the world and the kingdom of God.

Additionally, μισέω is used in the context of ethical teachings, such as in Romans 7:15, where Paul expresses his struggle with sin: "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." Here, the term reflects an internal conflict and aversion to sin.

The concept of μισέω is also present in the eschatological teachings of Revelation, where it describes the enmity between the forces of evil and the people of God (Revelation 17:16).

3404 miséō – properly, to detest (on a comparative basis); hence, denounce; to love someone or something less than someone (something) else, i.e. to renounce one choice in favor of another.

Lk 14:26: "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate (3404 /miséō, 'love less' than the Lord) his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (NASU).

[Note the comparative meaning of 3404 (miséō) which centers in moral choice, elevating one value over another.]

Word Origin
from misos (hatred)
Definition
to hate
NASB Translation
hate (13), hated (12), hateful (1), hates (12), hating (2).

STRONGS NT 3404: μισέω

μισέω, μισῶ; imperfect ἐμίσουν; future μισήσω; 1 aorist ἐμίσησα; perfect μεμίσηκα; passive, present participle μισουμενος; perfect participle μεμισημενος (Revelation 18:2); the Sept. for שָׂנֵא; (from Homer down); to hate, pursue with hatred, detest; passive to be hated, detested: τινα, Matthew 5:43 and Rec. in ; ; Luke 1:71; Luke 6:22, 27; Luke 19:14; John 7:7; John 15:18ff, ; ; Titus 3:3; 1 John 2:9 (); ; Revelation 17:16; passive, Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:9; (Mark 13:13); Luke 21:17; τί: John 3:20; Revelation 7:15; Ephesians 5:29; Hebrews 1:9; Jude 1:23; Revelation 2:6 and Rec. in 15; passive Revelation 18:2. Not a few interpreters have attributed to μισεῖν in Genesis 29:31 (cf. Genesis 29:30); Deuteronomy 21:15; Matthew 6:24; Luke 14:26; Luke 16:13; (John 12:25); Romans 9:13, the signification to love less, to postpone in love or esteem, to slight, through oversight of the circumstance that 'the Orientals, in accordance with their greater excitability, are accustomed both to feel and to profess love and hate where we Occidentals, with our cooler temperament, feel and express nothing more than interest in, or disregard and indifference to a thing'; Fritzsche, Commentary on Romans, ii., p. 304; cf. Rückert, Magazin f. Exegese u. Theologie des N. T., p. 27ff

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

hate

From a primary misos (hatred); to detest (especially to persecute); by extension, to love less -- hate(-ful).

Forms and Transliterations

εμίσει εμίσεις εμισείτε εμισησα εμίσησα ἐμίσησα Εμισησαν εμίσησαν εμίσησάν Ἐμίσησάν εμισησας εμίσησας ἐμίσησας εμισήσατε εμισήσατέ εμίσησε εμισησεν εμίσησεν ἐμίσησεν εμισουν εμίσουν ἐμίσουν μεμίσηκα μεμισήκαμεν μεμίσηκάς μεμισήκασι μεμισηκασιν μεμισήκασιν μεμισηκεν μεμίσηκεν μεμισημένην μεμισημενου μεμισημένου μεμιστημένην μισει μισεί μισεῖ μισειν μισείν μισεῖν μισεις μισείς μισεῖς μισείται μισείτε μιση μισή μισῇ μισηθείς μισηθήναι μισηθήσεται μισήσαι μισήσαί μισήσας μισησει μισήσει μισησεις μισήσεις μισήση μισήσουσι μισησουσιν μισήσουσιν μισήσωσί μισησωσιν μισήσωσιν μισητή μισητόν μισητός μισούμαι μισουμένη μισουμένης μισουμενοι μισούμενοι μισουμένω μισούντα μισουντας μισούντας μισούντάς μισοῦντας μισουντες μισούντες μισούντές μισοῦντες μισούντος μισουντων μισούντων μισούσα μισούσι μισούσί μισουσιν μισούσιν μισοῦσιν μισω μισώ μισῶ μισων μισών μισῶν emisesa emisēsa emísesa emísēsa Emisesan Emisēsan Emísesán Emísēsán emisesas emisēsas emísesas emísēsas emisesen emisēsen emísesen emísēsen emisoun emísoun memisekasin memisēkasin memisḗkasin memiseken memisēken memíseken memísēken memisemenou memiseménou memisēmenou memisēménou mise misē misei miseî misêi misē̂i misein miseîn miseis miseîs misesei misēsei misḗsei miseseis misēseis misḗseis misesosin misēsōsin misḗsosin misḗsōsin misesousin misēsousin misḗsousin miso misô misō misō̂ mison misôn misōn misō̂n misoumenoi misoúmenoi misountas misoûntas misountes misoûntes misounton misountōn misoúnton misoúntōn misousin misoûsin

Links

Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts