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Jacob and Esau

What does it mean when the Bible says that God loves Jacob and hates Esau?

Relevant Scriptures:

  • Malachi 1:2,3 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” the Lord says. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated…”

  • Romans 9:13 “Just as it is written: ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’”

I propose to prove first, that, God does not hate without cause, if in fact He hates any person at all. Second, I will show that Scripture views Jacob and Esau as types, as well as individuals, and that it is therefore reasonable to understand this expressed hatred of God for a type of person, instead of Esau specifically. Finally, I submit the possibility that, in these texts, the concept of hate itself should be understood in something other than a literal way.

I. God does not hate without cause.

A. God condemns any who hate without cause.

  1. “Let not those gloat over me…who hate me without reason.” Ps. 35:19 (cf. 69:4; John 15:25)
  2. “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” Mt. 5:22, KJV
  3. The later insertion of the phrase “without a cause”, is disputable and I agree with most recent editors that it does not belong as part of the original text. What is far less disputable, however, is the motivation for the insertion. No doubt the scribe believed it to have been implied and was only clarifying the original intent. This would be reasonable since David speaks unashamedly of hating, (Ps. 26:6; 119:113; 139:21f.).
  4. Our hearts and minds tell us this. Hate, if it is ever justified, must have cause, and serious cause at that. God, better than his creatures, would never hate someone without cause.

B. Scripture says that God hates Esau. (Malachi 1:2-3; Rom. 9:13) Therefore God must hate Esau with cause.

  1. “The Lord examines the righteous but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.” Ps. 11:5; cf. 5:5
  2. “Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal, I hated them there.” Hos. 9:15 If the Lord hates the wicked, then wickedness would be the cause of his hatred for Esau.
  3. Evidence for Esau’s wickedness is not hard to find.
    1. He despised his birthright. Gen. 25:34b.
    2. He married a Hittite and they were a grief to Isaac and Rebekah. Gen. 26:35
    3. He hated/held grudge against Jacob. Gen. 27:41 The writer to the Hebrews describes Esau as “immoral and irreligious”. Heb. 12:16
    4. Further, his descendants refused passage to Moses and the Israelites (Num. 20:14ff.) and remained aloof when her enemies plundered Jerusalem. (Joel)
    5. Malachi says of Edom, “They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.” (2:4)
  4. Clearly, God did not hate Esau without cause
    1. The cause, i.e. Esau’s wickedness was not actual, but only foreknown, at the time of Rebekah’s pregnancy. “…Before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad…” (Rom. 9:11a)
    2. There is a greater cause to which Paul credits God’s hatred and love, namely “God’s purpose in election” (9:11b). I submit to you that God’s purpose in election is to save believers. (Gen. 15:6; John 3:16; Rom. 10:9; Gal. 3:22; etc.) Any hatred for unbelievers has just cause in their foreknown and/or actual wickedness, because God, unlike man, does not hate without cause.

II. Scripture views Jacob and Esau as types (as well as individuals)

A. From pre-natal days.

“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” Gen. 25:23 From the opening verses of the boys lives Jacob is identified with the people of God and Esau with the Edomites (v. 30). In the parental blessing of Jacob, intended for Esau, Isaac says, “May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.” Gen. 27:29

  1. Again, it is “nations” and “peoples” that the blessing has in mind, not merely Jacob and Esau. Since the plural is used here it also includes other nations and peoples besides Esau.
  2. The plural use of “brothers” and “sons of your mother” is also significant since Jacob had only one brother and Rebekah has no other sons than Jacob and Esau. Clearly the descendants are in mind, i.e. the Edomites. 

B. The prophets use the name of Esau for the Edomite people. Jer. 49:8,10; Obadiah 6,8,9,18,19,21; Mal. 1:3.

Malachi declares God saying “…Esau have I hated.” (1:3) but he clearly means all who follow in Esau’s footsteps since Esau/Edom is addressed in the present tense as threatening to rebuild their land. (1:4) Paul quotes Malachi 1:2f. but in the context of two separate and distinct groups of people.

  1. “The children of promise” are contrasted with “the natural children”. v. 8.
  2. Paul says, “Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel”. v. 6
  3. “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.” (I.e. believers) v. 15 Cf. Ex. 33 and the context of Israel’s disobedience and God’s pleasure with Moses, “because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” v. 17 It is God’s prerogative and sovereign choice to have mercy on the obedient, on believers.

C. Hence, it seems most consistent with Scripture to see Esau and Jacob, in these two texts, as types. Esau is a type for all unbelievers, i.e. the wicked; and Jacob is a type for all believers, i.e. the righteous.

III. Does God, literally, hate any person?

A. God hates many things: Idolatry, Deut. 12:31; Sin, Prov. 6:16; etc.

B. God hates a group of people: the wicked and those who love violence, Ps. 11:5 (cf. Ps. 5:5; Hos. 9:15)

C. Scripture does not support the belief that God hates any individual person.

No person but “Esau” is named as being hated by God so that we have only to prove that it is possible that Esau refers to a group of people instead of a single individual to establish this reasonable tenet. This we did in the above paragraphs.

D. Scripture teaches God’s love for all.

  1. Against the common perception that it was permissible to hate one’s enemies, Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” Mt. 5:43
  2. Even the wicked are loved by God and considered in the sacrifice of Christ. Rom. 5:8f. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
  3. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Ptr. 3:9

E. Scriptural precedent for using the word hate in a less than literal sense is found in Jesus’ teaching.

He says, “If anyone comes and to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26

IV. Conclusion:

In view of the above, it may be best to understand “hate” as the language of hyperbole, whenever it refers to an attitude or action from God toward a group of people (i.e., the wicked), or toward an individual (i.e., Esau). Permission for such usage may have been granted by Jesus, Himself, when he employed this word for exaggerated effect. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26

© 2004 Donald D. Reigstad