As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text uses "loved" and "hated" to highlight God's distinct purposes, not necessarily to imply intense personal emotion or an equal and opposite response for both individuals. This distinction, rooted in God's sovereign choice before the twins even acted, points to His freedom to bestow favor as He wills.
As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing the apparent contradiction that God's promises to Israel seem to have failed since many Jews rejected Jesus. He explains that God's plan has always involved a distinction, not based on outward heritage but on His sovereign choice, as seen even in the twin brothers Jacob and Esau, where God declared His love for Jacob and His rejection of Esau before they were even born. This divine selection, predating any good or bad deeds, highlights that God's purposes stand independent of human actions or lineage.
The words 'loved' and 'hated' in this verse sound intense, almost harsh. What do they really mean when God speaks them?
When God says "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated," it's not about His emotional feelings in the human sense. The biblical context shows us that 'hate' here doesn't mean active malice or wishing ill. Instead, it signifies a deliberate choice, a preference, and a withholding of favor.
Think of it like this:
Jacob and Esau hadn't even been born when God declared His choice. What does this tell us about the basis of God's election?
Paul pulls this statement from Malachi, but he places it within a larger argument about God's sovereign choice. The crucial detail here, and in the surrounding verses (like Romans 9:11), is that this choice was made before Jacob and Esau had done anything good or evil.
This means:
Ask a follow-up
When God speaks of loving Jacob and hating Esau, is He just talking about two brothers, or something bigger?
While Jacob and Esau were individuals, Paul uses this declaration to speak about their descendants and the nations they would represent – Israel (from Jacob) and Edom (from Esau). The Old Testament context, particularly Malachi, addresses the relationship between these two peoples.
This broader perspective shows:
It's vital to remember that Paul uses this to illustrate God's sovereign choice, not to condemn every individual descendant of Esau to hell or guarantee salvation for every descendant of Jacob.
This verse draws directly from the prophecy of Malachi, emphasizing that God's choices are not based on human merit but on His sovereign will, a truth Paul uses to address the inclusion of Gentiles and the rejection of some ethnic Israelites.
~1000 BC
Malachi Prophesies
The prophet Malachi delivers God's message to a post-exilic Jewish community, including the declaration about loving Jacob and hating Esau, referring to the enduring historical relationship between their descendants.
~400 BC
Malachi Canonized
The book of Malachi is accepted into the Jewish scriptures, preserving the prophetic word that Paul later quotes.
c. AD 50-60— this verse
Paul Writes Romans
The Apostle Paul writes his letter to the church in Rome from Corinth, grappling with complex questions about God's faithfulness to Israel and the inclusion of Gentiles.
This passage is the direct source of Paul's quotation, showing God's declared preference for Jacob and His disposition towards Esau's lineage even before their descendants existed.
Genesis 25:23This verse records the prophecy given to Rebekah before Jacob and Esau were born, stating 'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be separated from birth,' highlighting God's preordain selection.
Matthew 10:37Jesus uses a similar comparative language of 'loving' and 'hating' to emphasize that loyalty to Him must surpass even the deepest earthly family bonds, showing this linguistic pattern in Scripture.
Luke 14:26Jesus states, 'If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple,' demonstrating that 'hate' here signifies a lesser degree of love or a prioritizing choice.
cambridgeRomans 9:13: "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."
13 . As it is written ] In Malachi 1:2-3 . Nearly verbatim from LXX.—The prophet is there appealing, in God’s name, to the people to remember His distinguishing and unmerited choice of Jacob over Esau to inherit the land. Not the quotation merely, but the context, is to the purpose here. have I loved ] Lit., and better, did I love ; when I gave him the preference. So below, did I hate . hated ] Cp. Genesis 29:33 ; Genes…
bengelRomans 9:13: "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."
Romans 9:13 . Καθὼς , as ) The word spoken by Malachi, at a period so long subsequent, agrees with that spoken in Genesis.— τὸν Ἰακὼβ ἠγάπησα κ . τ . λ .) Malachi 1:2 , LXX., ἠγάπησα τὸν Ἰακὼβ κ . τ . λ .— ἠγάπησα — ἐμίσησα , I have loved—I have hated ) The reference is not to the spiritual state of each of the two brothers: but the external condition of Jacob and Esau, in like manner as the corporeal birth of Isaac is…
The text uses "loved" and "hated" to highlight God's distinct purposes, not necessarily to imply intense personal emotion or an equal and opposite response for both individuals. This distinction, rooted in God's sovereign choice before the twins even acted, points to His freedom to bestow favor as He wills.
Paul is addressing the apparent contradiction that God's promises to Israel seem to have failed since many Jews rejected Jesus. He explains that God's plan has always involved a distinction, not based on outward heritage but on His sovereign choice, as seen even in the twin brothers Jacob and Esau, where God declared His love for Jacob and His rejection of Esau before they were even born. This divine selection, predating any good or bad deeds, highlights that God's purposes stand independent of human actions or lineage.
Paul is addressing the apparent contradiction that God's promises to Israel seem to have failed since many Jews rejected Jesus. He explains that God's plan has always involved a distinction, not based on outward heritage but on His sovereign choice, as seen even in the twin brothers Jacob and Esau, where God declared His love for Jacob and His rejection of Esau before they were even born. This divine selection, predating any good or bad deeds, highlights that God's purposes stand independent of human actions or lineage.
"As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”" — The text uses "loved" and "hated" to highlight God's distinct purposes, not necessarily to imply intense personal emotion or an equal and opposite response for both individuals. This distinction, roo…
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Last reviewed October 2026