שָׂנֵא
𐤔𐤍𐤀
sânêʼ
H8130 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To hate, feel intense or active dislike or enmity toward a person, group, behavior, or object. Also, to be an enemy or act with animosity. The term can reflect an emotional state, an established attitude, or active hostility. Depending on context, it can indicate interpersonal antagonism, social or political opposition, or divine disapproval.
Semantic Range
to hate emotionally, to despise, to be hostile toward, to maintain an enmity, to reject, to be an enemy, to act as an adversary, to be odious or abhorred, to be hateful; to indicate divine rejection or disapproval
Root / Etymology
Root/etymology: The root שׂנא (שׂ-נ-א) carries the fundamental meaning of 'to hate' or 'to feel hostility.' The verb שָׂנֵא is the qal form from this root and expresses direct hatred or enmity. Its use is attested from the earliest strata of Biblical Hebrew and remains relatively stable semantically throughout the biblical period.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, שָׂנֵא is used to describe both human and divine emotions and stances. On an interpersonal level, it can range from personal animosity between individuals (e.g., Joseph's brothers hating him, Genesis 37:4, 5) to broader social conflicts (e.g., enmity between tribes or nations). The word can also denote divine posture: God is described as hating certain behaviors or persons (e.g., Psalm 5:6; Malachi 2:16), reflecting disapproval or rejection. The verb may denote an enduring attitude (e.g., Proverbs 8:36) or a specific act or moment of enmity (e.g., Deuteronomy 19:11). The noun forms from this root (שֹׂנֵא, 'enemy, adversary') also appear frequently. Compared to other Hebrew words such as אָיַב (H340, 'enemy in legal or military sense'), שָׂנֵא generally conveys an emotional or relational quality rather than just formal opposition. In later periods, the term maintains its negative connotation but enters more abstract moral discourse. English translations usually prefer 'hate,' 'enemy,' or 'foe,' though these may sometimes flatten the range of intensity or kinds of enmity described in Hebrew. In post-biblical Hebrew, the usage broadens, but the core meanings remain anchored in biblical traditions.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to hate (personally); enemy, foe, (be) hate(-ful, -r), odious, [idiom] utterly.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שנא (š-n-ʾ) — to hate, to be at enmity, to show hostility
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H8131 | שְׂנֵא | to your haters |
| H8135 | שִׂנְאָה | your hatreds |
| H8146 | שָׂנִיא | to the hated woman |
Word Forms
72 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8130-39 |
שֹׂנֵ֥א | sone | HVqrmsa |
hating | the one hating | 15 |
H8130-18 |
שָׂנֵֽאתִי | saneti | HVqp1cs |
I hate | I hated | 14 |
H8130-44 |
שֹׂנְאֶֽי/ךָ | soneeykha | HVqrmpc/Sp2ms |
haters-your | your haters | 6 |
H8130-14 |
שָׂנֵ֗א | sane | HVqp3ms |
hates | he hated | 5 |
H8130-40 |
שֹׂנְאַ֥/י | soneay | HVqrmpc/Sp1cs |
those who hate me | my haters | 5 |
H8130-33 |
שְׂנוּאָ֣ה | senuah | HVqsfsa |
an unloved woman | hated woman | 4 |
H8130-13 |
מִ/שֹּׂ֣נְאַ֔/י | misoneay | HR/Vqrmpc/Sp1cs |
from my haters | from my haters | 3 |
H8130-17 |
שָׂנֵ֖אתָ | saneta | HVqp2ms |
you have hated | you hated | 3 |
H8130-65 |
וְ/שֹׂנֵ֖א | vesone | HC/Vqrmsa |
but he who hates | and the one who hates | 3 |
H8130-07 |
לִ/שְׂנֹֽא | liseno | HR/Vqc |
and hated | to hate | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
148 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8130-41 |
Genesis 24:60 | שֹׂנְאָֽי/ו | soneayv | HVqrmpc/Sp3ms |
of their enemies | those hating him |
H8130-24 |
Genesis 26:27 | שְׂנֵאתֶ֣ם | senetem | HVqp2mp |
hate | you (masculine plural) hated |
H8130-33 |
Genesis 29:31 | שְׂנוּאָ֣ה | senuah | HVqsfsa |
was hated | hated woman |
H8130-33 |
Genesis 29:33 | שְׂנוּאָ֣ה | senuah | HVqsfsa |
I am hated/unloved | hated woman |
H8130-60 |
Genesis 37:4 | וַֽ/יִּשְׂנְא֖וּ | vayiseneu | HC/Vqw3mp |
and they hated | and they hated |
H8130-31 |
Genesis 37:5 | שְׂנֹ֥א | seno | HVqc |
to hate | to hate |
H8130-31 |
Genesis 37:8 | שְׂנֹ֣א | seno | HVqc |
to hate | to hate |
H8130-46 |
Exodus 1:10 | שֹׂ֣נְאֵ֔י/נוּ | soneeynu | HVqrmpc/Sp1cp |
our enemies, | those hating us |
H8130-42 |
Exodus 18:21 | שֹׂ֣נְאֵי | soneey | HVqrmpc |
who hate | haters of |
H8130-04 |
Exodus 20:5 | לְ/שֹׂנְאָֽ/י | lesoneay | HR/Vqrmpc/Sp1cs |
those who hate me | to my haters |