In the biblical originals, both “love” and “hatred” can appear as verbs and as nouns.
Therefore, the right question is not what each one “is” by nature, but how exactly Holy Scripture uses these words in a specific context and what spiritual meaning it places in them.
When people say, “love in the original is a verb,” they usually want to emphasize an important biblical truth: true love is not limited to a feeling, but is revealed in action. This is a valid spiritual observation, but grammatically it is not entirely accurate. In the Bible, both in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament and in the Greek text of the New Testament, there are forms for both “to love” and “love,” as well as for both “to hate” and “hatred.”
Love in the Bible: not only a word, but character and action
In the New Testament, the Greek verb agapaō — “to love” — is often used, as well as the noun agapē — “love.” Thus, the very language of Scripture shows that love can be named both as an action and as a reality and as a quality of character.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
In this text, “loved” is a verb. God’s love is not presented as an abstraction. It is revealed in the fact that God “gave” His Son. This is how the Bible often describes love: through a concrete act of self-sacrifice.
“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:8
Here “love” is already a noun. This means that love in the biblical sense is not only what God does, but also who He is. For Adventist theology, this is especially important: the Great Controversy between Christ and Satan reveals precisely God’s character of love, righteousness, and truth.
Ellen White repeatedly emphasized that God’s law is an expression of God’s love, and the life of Christ is its perfect manifestation. Therefore, when we say that love “acts,” we express a biblical truth, but we should not reduce it only to a grammatical form.
Hatred in the Bible: also both action and a condition of the heart
Like love, hatred in the Bible is also conveyed by both verbs and nouns. In the Greek New Testament, the verb miseō — “to hate” — is often used. But there is also the concept of hatred as an inner moral condition.
“Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3:15
Here “hates” is a verb. But the apostle John shows that hatred is not merely a brief emotion. It is a spiritual condition that has moral consequences. In God’s sight, hatred is already the root of murder, because it denies the love by which God calls us to live.
Holy Scripture often considers a person not only from the standpoint of outward actions, but also from the standpoint of the motives of the heart. Therefore, both love and hatred are not merely grammatical categories, but the direction of one’s whole inner life.
The Old Testament confirms the same picture
In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, there is also a verb “to love” and corresponding noun forms for “love.” Likewise, there is a verb “to hate” and forms that mean “hatred.” Therefore, the claim that love in the original is only a verb does not correspond to the linguistic reality of the biblical text.
But something else is more important: in Hebrew thought, love often means covenant faithfulness, devotion, choice, and affection manifested in behavior. Hatred, meanwhile, can mean not only strong emotional aversion, but also rejection, non-acceptance, opposition, or the refusal of close relationship in a comparative sense.
That is why certain difficult texts, such as those about love for Jacob and “hatred” for Esau, must be read very carefully, taking into account biblical style, covenant context, and the manner of Semitic expression. Without this, it is easy to reach false conclusions about God’s character.
Why it is important to look not only at grammar, but at theological meaning
The Bible does not teach that love is only a “feeling,” and hatred only a “position.” Nor, on the other hand, does it reduce love only to action, as if the inner state had no significance. In Scripture, heart and deed are inseparable.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom. 5:8
This text shows that love is confirmed by action. It is not merely proclaimed, but demonstrated. Therefore, Christian love is both inward dedication and outward service.
“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19
Here another side is visible: people “loved” darkness. Therefore, love in the biblical sense is also the chosen direction of the heart. The same applies to hatred: it reveals that a person rejects the light, the truth, or their neighbor.
For Seventh-day Adventists, this theme is connected with salvation and sanctification. God does not simply command us to love — He renews the heart through Christ so that love may become the fruit of a new life. Outward correctness without love is not the fullness of Christianity.
A practical conclusion for the believer
So, the answer is this: in the original, both “love” and “hatred” can be either verbs or nouns. But even more importantly, the Bible reveals both concepts through choice, character, and action. Love in the biblical sense is not merely emotion, but faithfulness, self-giving, and obedience to God. Hatred is not merely a word or feeling, but a condition of the heart that destroys relationships with God and with people.
Practically, this means: every day ask yourself not only, “What do I feel?” but, “What does my behavior say about my spirit?” If Christ lives in the heart, love will be manifested in patience, forgiveness, truthfulness, mercy, and faithfulness. Such love is the evidence that the gospel is at work in a person’s life.
