Does God love everyone?

[fireproofpoodle]

Hi;

I was always tought, and believe, that God loves everyone but simply hates wicked actions. “love the sinner, hate the sin”, etc. So what does the Bible mean when it says that God hated Esau?:

“I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau,” - Mal. 1:2-4.

What about other people that the Bible also says God hates? Surely this can’t be a case of God simply hating the sins of Esau, since the quote says he hated Esau specifically?

I’m really confused by this - is what I was tought wrong?

Many thx

 

[EmeraldWings]

I actually answered this question very recently in another topic, so i hope you don’t mind that i’m going to quote myself -

as for the passage in the bible “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”
this simply means, that Jacob was favored, and Esau rejected.
we are also told in the Haydock bible commentary in reference to Malachias 1:3 which also speaks of Esau as being “hated” - “A person is said to hate what he loves less. Esau’s privileges were transferred to his brother, who enjoyed a much finer country, and was chosen for God’s peculiar inheritance.”
and so it’s not that God actually “hated” Esau, but loved Jacob more.

the bible can often times be confusing, since it’s both a translation of the original text and also from a time when they spoke much differently,
so it’s definitely helpful to have a good bible commentary, such as the Douay Rheims Haydock bible commentary,

you are right in what you have been taught, God loves everyone, and cannot hate because God is love, and hate is evil, and evil is a lack of God, and because God cannot be lacking of Himself, so He cannot hate or be evil.

ok, hope this helps, take care.

 

[fireproofpoodle]

I actually answered this question very recently in another topic, so i hope you don’t mind that i’m going to quote myself -

you are right in what you have been taught, God loves everyone, and cannot hate because God is love, and hate is evil, and evil is a lack of God, and because God cannot be lacking of Himself, so He cannot hate or be evil.

ok, hope this helps, take care.

Thanks very much

 

[God_sent]

I recall vaguely either a book, or a visiting Priest expounded upon this topic, I believe he referred to a homily, if I’m correct of our great Holy Father Benedict or JPII, what was said is that in the original language a translation is often difficult, therefore a more precise translation to “hate” is actually something closer to “loved less” recall we are speaking of the Divine God, who has poured out His love into our hearts…if we but fine the pearl of great price found within our faith/hope and above all love, for He Who Is, Who Was, and Who Is To Come+++ is “LOVE”+++ “Praise Be Jesus” prayers sent…Contemplating…