שָׂנֵא

The Hebrew verb saw-NAY describes the act of hating. This hatred can be a strong, personal animosity, as seen in the story of Joseph where his brothers hated him (Genesis 37:4-5) or when a king expresses hatred for a prophet (2 Chronicles 18:7). It signifies a profound emotional opposition, often leading to conflict or ill-will. The term often describes a hostile relationship between individuals or groups.

However, saw-NAY also functions in a comparative sense, meaning to love less or to prefer one thing over another. For example, in Deuteronomy 21:16, when discussing inheritance, it speaks of the "hated" son, which in context means the son who is loved less than another. Similarly, in Genesis 29:31, Leah was "hated" in comparison to Rachel, indicating that Jacob loved Rachel more. This comparative usage softens the intensity of the emotion from absolute hatred to a lesser degree of affection or preference.

God is also depicted as hating certain behaviors, particularly those that are evil or unjust. Proverbs 6:16 states that the Lord hates pride, lying, murder, and other sinful acts. This highlights a moral dimension to the word, where hatred represents a divine opposition to actions that contradict His righteous character. Therefore, while saw-NAY can denote intense personal enmity, its semantic range also encompasses a broader meaning of disfavor or loving less, especially in covenantal and familial contexts.