Luke 14:26
ESV - 26 If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
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The Greek (rather than Hebrew) word in the original New Testament text that was translated as "hate" in the cited verse was (in anglicized form) "miseo". According to Strong's Concordance (as noted on the biblehub.com website), forms of the word appear 41 times in the New Testament, always with the same connotation of strong or intense aversion. To me, this can be reconciled with the equally clear command from God to love others (including those noted in the cited verse) through a process of comparison. Our love for Christ must be so great that we will allow no earthly relationship (regardless of how close it may be) to surpass it or interfere with it. We must also be willing, as a last resort, to forsake any relationship where other individuals seek to come between us and Christ (such as by being unalterably opposed to our Christian faith or beliefs); or want us to abandon our faith in Christ or our obedience to Him; or demand a higher degree of love or devotion than that which we give to Christ.
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