The linguistics of ‘hate’ in Luke 14:26

Sept. 23, 2019
Mary Pecci
San Francisco
 
A few years back, you published my comment regarding the Scripture reading Luke 14:26, which was repeated at this Sunday’s Mass, Sept. 8, 2019: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
 
Since many people find this Scripture upsetting and an actual turnoff, I would appreciate your re-publishing my comment for the sake of those who need reassurance of their faith in Jesus’ character.
 
I never cease to wonder who are these so-called “Bible scholars” who take it upon themselves to translate the sacred words of Scripture from one language to another, often to the detriment rather than to the enlightenment of the faithful?
 
Take, for example, Luke 14:26, which is translated as follows: “If anyone comes to me and does not HATE father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – such a person cannot be my disciple.”
 
Now consider for a moment how many people, Catholics as well as non-Catholics, have been totally turned off by the suggestion that Jesus, the supreme personification of love, would ever suggest, even in the extremist sense of hyperbole, that we hate? After wrestling with this problem and being fully convinced that there must be a mistranslation here somewhere, I decided to conduct a little research into the matter.
 
As it turns out, the word “hate” is a translation from the Greek and Aramaic word “miseo.” Unlike English, which has a rich choice of words to express the various degrees of each emotion, Greek and Aramaic have limited choices of words. Therefore, the word “miseo” includes several translations, such as, “hate,” “dislike,” and “esteem less.” Therefore, wouldn’t it be obvious that the choice of translation in concert with the “meaning” of this Scripture would clearly be “esteem less” rather than “hate?”
 
Check it out: “If anyone comes to me and does not esteem less father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple.”
 
Realize how much confusion, discomfort, and efforts to justify sacred Scripture would be avoided if this appropriate translation were used. Again, I ask, “Who are these so-called Bible scholars?” Give me a break!
 
 

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