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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.

Translation Consistency

primary "hate" 40 occurrences

שָׂנֵא primarily expresses active emotional dislike, enmity, or hostile attitude; the natural, common English verb that covers this full semantic range is "hate." It fits emotional hatred, hostile action, and established enmity, and is far more idiomatic than formal alternatives (e.g., "detest," "abhor") or noun forms. Using "hate" ensures consistent, natural rendering across all forms of H8130.

Alternatives (10 occurrences):
"haters" (8x) "enemies" (1x) "haters of" (1x)

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 recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

שנא (sânêʼ) — to hate, to be at enmity, to show hostility

Root שנא to hate, to be at enmity, to show hostility
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H8131 שְׂנֵא to your haters
H8146 שָׂנִיא to the hated woman

Word Forms

72 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H8130-39 שֹׂנֵ֥א sone HVqrmsa hating the one hating the one hating 15
H8130-18 שָׂנֵ֥אתִי saneti HVqp1cs I hate I hated I hated 14
H8130-44 שֹׂנְאֶ֔י/ךָ soneeykha HVqrmpc/Sp2ms haters-your your haters your haters 6
H8130-14 שָׂנֵ֤א sane HVqp3ms hates he hated he hates 5
H8130-40 שֹׂנְאַ֥/י soneay HVqrmpc/Sp1cs those who hate me my haters those who hate me 5
H8130-33 שְׂנוּאָ֔ה senuah HVqsfsa an unloved woman hated woman hated woman 4
H8130-07 לִ/שְׂנֹ֔א liseno HR/Vqc and hated to hate to hate 3
H8130-13 מִ/שֹּׂ֣נְאַ֔/י misoneay HR/Vqrmpc/Sp1cs from my haters from my haters from those who hate me 3
H8130-17 שָׂנֵ֖אתָ saneta HVqp2ms you have hated you hated you hated 3
H8130-42 שֹׂ֣נְאֵי soneey HVqrmpc who hate haters of haters of 3

Occurrences in Scripture

148 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H8130-41 Genesis 24:60 שֹׂנְאָֽי/ו soneayv HVqrmpc/Sp3ms of their enemies those hating him his haters
H8130-24 Genesis 26:27 שְׂנֵאתֶ֣ם senetem HVqp2mp hate you (masculine plural) hated you (masculine plural) hated
H8130-33 Genesis 29:31 שְׂנוּאָ֣ה senuah HVqsfsa was hated hated woman hated woman
H8130-33 Genesis 29:33 שְׂנוּאָ֣ה senuah HVqsfsa I am hated/unloved hated woman I am hated
H8130-60 Genesis 37:4 וַֽ/יִּשְׂנְא֖וּ vayiseneu HC/Vqw3mp and they hated and they hated and they hated
H8130-31 Genesis 37:5 שְׂנֹ֥א seno HVqc to hate to hate to hate
H8130-31 Genesis 37:8 שְׂנֹ֣א seno HVqc to hate to hate to hate
H8130-46 Exodus 1:10 שֹׂ֣נְאֵ֔י/נוּ soneeynu HVqrmpc/Sp1cp our enemies, those hating us our enemies
H8130-42 Exodus 18:21 שֹׂ֣נְאֵי soneey HVqrmpc who hate haters of haters of
H8130-04 Exodus 20:5 לְ/שֹׂנְאָֽ/י lesoneay HR/Vqrmpc/Sp1cs those who hate me to my haters to my haters
H8130-38 Exodus 23:5 שֹׂנַאֲ/ךָ֗ sonaakha HVqrmsc/Sp2ms of your hater the one hating you the one hating you
H8130-48 Leviticus 19:17 תִשְׂנָ֥א tisena HVqi2ms you-shall-hate you will hate you shall hate
H8130-45 Leviticus 26:17 שֹֽׂנְאֵי/כֶ֔ם soneeykhem HVqrmpc/Sp2mp those who hate you your haters those hating you
H8130-11 Numbers 10:35 מְשַׂנְאֶ֖י/ךָ mesaneeykha HVprmpc/Sp2ms those who hate you your haters your haters
H8130-39 Deuteronomy 4:42 שֹׂנֵ֥א sone HVqrmsa hating the one hating hating
H8130-04 Deuteronomy 5:9 לְ/שֹׂנְאָֽ/י lesoneay HR/Vqrmpc/Sp1cs of those who hate me to my haters to my haters
H8130-05 Deuteronomy 7:10 לְ/שֹׂנְאָ֛י/ו lesoneayv HR/Vqrmpc/Sp3ms those who hate Him to his haters to those who hate him
H8130-06 Deuteronomy 7:10 לְ/שֹׂ֣נְא֔/וֹ lesoneo HR/Vqrmsc/Sp3ms with the one who hates Him to his hater to the one who hates him
H8130-44 Deuteronomy 7:15 שֹׂנְאֶֽי/ךָ soneeykha HVqrmpc/Sp2ms your enemies your haters your haters
H8130-14 Deuteronomy 12:31 שָׂנֵ֗א sane HVqp3ms he-hates he hated he hates
H8130-14 Deuteronomy 16:22 שָׂנֵ֖א sane HVqp3ms hates he hated he hates
H8130-39 Deuteronomy 19:4 שֹׂנֵ֥א sone HVqrmsa hating the one hating the one hating
H8130-39 Deuteronomy 19:6 שֹׂנֵ֥א sone HVqrmsa hater the one hating the one hating
H8130-39 Deuteronomy 19:11 שֹׂנֵ֣א sone HVqrmsa who hates the one hating the one hating
H8130-33 Deuteronomy 21:15 שְׂנוּאָ֔ה senuah HVqsfsa hated hated woman hated woman
H8130-61 Deuteronomy 21:15 וְ/הַ/שְּׂנוּאָ֑ה vehasenuah HC/Td/Vqsfsa and the hated and the hated one and the hated
H8130-03 Deuteronomy 21:16 הַ/שְּׂנוּאָ֖ה hasenuah HTd/Vqsfsa of the hated the hated one the hated one
H8130-03 Deuteronomy 21:17 הַ/שְּׂנוּאָ֜ה hasenuah HTd/Vqsfsa the hated the hated one the hated one
H8130-55 Deuteronomy 22:13 וּ/שְׂנֵאָֽ/הּ useneah HC/Vqq3ms/Sp3fs and hates her and he hated her and he hated her
H8130-59 Deuteronomy 22:16 וַ/יִּשְׂנָאֶֽ/הָ vayisenaeha HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3fs and he hated her and he hated her and he hated her
H8130-55 Deuteronomy 24:3 וּ/שְׂנֵאָ/הּ֮ useneah HC/Vqq3ms/Sp3fs and-hates-her and he hated her and he hated her
H8130-44 Deuteronomy 30:7 שֹׂנְאֶ֖י/ךָ soneeykha HVqrmpc/Sp2ms haters-your your haters your haters
H8130-62 Deuteronomy 32:41 וְ/לִ/מְשַׂנְאַ֖/י velimesaneay HC/R/Vprmpc/Sp1cs and to those who hate me and to my active haters and to those who hate me
H8130-51 Deuteronomy 33:11 וּ/מְשַׂנְאָ֖י/ו umesaneayv HC/Vprmpc/Sp3ms and his haters those hating him those hating him
H8130-39 Joshua 20:5 שֹׂנֵ֥א sone HVqrmsa hating the one hating hating
H8130-24 Judges 11:7 שְׂנֵאתֶ֣ם senetem HVqp2mp hate you (masculine plural) hated you (masculine plural) hated
H8130-23 Judges 14:16 שְׂנֵאתַ֨/נִי֙ senetani HVqp2ms/Sp1cs you hate me you hated me you hate me
H8130-20 Judges 15:2 שָׂנֹ֣א sano HVqa hating to hate hating
H8130-22 Judges 15:2 שְׂנֵאתָ֔/הּ senetah HVqp2ms/Sp3fs you hated her you hated her you hated her
H8130-35 2 Samuel 5:8 שנאו shnv HVqp3cp hated they hated they hated
H8130-34 2 Samuel 5:8 שְׂנֻאֵ֖י senuey HVqsmpc the-hated-ones hated ones of the hated ones of
H8130-59 2 Samuel 13:15 וַ/יִּשְׂנָאֶ֣/הָ vayisenaeha HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3fs and he hated her and he hated her and he hated her
H8130-21 2 Samuel 13:15 שְׂנֵאָ֔/הּ seneah HVqp3ms/Sp3fs he hated her he hated her he hated her
H8130-14 2 Samuel 13:22 שָׂנֵ֤א sane HVqp3ms hated he hated he hated
H8130-44 2 Samuel 19:7 שֹׂ֣נְאֶ֔י/ךָ soneeykha HVqrmpc/Sp2ms hate you your haters your haters
H8130-63 2 Samuel 19:7 וְ/לִ/שְׂנֹ֖א veliseno HC/R/Vqc and to hate and to hate and to hate
H8130-13 2 Samuel 22:18 מִ/שֹּׂ֣נְאַ֔/י misoneay HR/Vqrmpc/Sp1cs from those who hated me from my haters from those who hate me
H8130-08 2 Samuel 22:41 מְשַׂנְאַ֖/י mesaneay HVprmpc/Sp1cs those who hate me my haters my haters
H8130-28 1 Kings 22:8 שְׂנֵאתִ֗י/ו senetiv HVqp1cs/Sp3ms hate him I hated him I hate him
H8130-15 Isaiah 1:14 שָׂנְאָ֣ה saneah HVqp3fs I hate she hated my soul hated
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