To abhor is to experience a deep, visceral moral revulsion — not mere dislike, but holy hatred of what is opposed to God's nature. Scripture commands it: "Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good" (Rom 12:9). God Himself abhors wickedness, injustice, and false worship (Prov 6:16–19). The word implies that holiness is not passive — it is actively repelled by evil. The Psalms model this: "I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me" (Ps 101:3). Abhorrence of sin is not legalism — it is the natural response of a heart aligned with God's character. The inability to abhor evil is a symptom of spiritual deadness.
ABHOR, v.t. [Latin abhorreo; ab and horreo, to set up bristles, to shiver; allied to horror.] To hate extremely, or with contempt; to loathe, detest, or abominate. "Ye who love the Lord, hate evil" (Ps 97:10). To abhor is stronger than to dislike or to hate — it carries the sense of shuddering recoil from that which is morally repugnant.
Modern culture reframes all strong moral revulsion as intolerance, bigotry, or phobia. Any claim that something is genuinely abhorrent is pathologized — the one who abhors is cast as the problem, not the evil being denounced. Meanwhile, Scripture explicitly commands believers to abhor evil (Rom 12:9, Ps 97:10, Amos 5:15). The Christian who cannot abhor what God abhors has lost the moral backbone that genuine love requires. Tolerance has been redefined as the highest virtue — but a God who abhors nothing would be not loving, but indifferent.
• Romans 12:9 — "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good."
• Psalm 97:10 — "O you who love the LORD, hate evil!"
• Amos 5:15 — "Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate."
• Proverbs 6:16–19 — "There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him…"
• Psalm 101:3 — "I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless."