Judgment and Love

Love covereth all our sins
Proverbs 10:12

Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. (Proverbs 10:12)

Hatred actively seeks contention and strife. The Hebrew word medanim comes from the root word din, meaning to judge, as in a court of law. Hatred looks with ill-will at the transgressions of others and prosecutes at the bar of judgment for conviction. When we hate others, we accuse them before justice but excuse them before mercy.
Strife

Love, on the other hand, seeks to “cover” the transgressions of others. The Hebrew word tekhaseh comes from the root kasa, meaning to conceal or hide something entirely from view, like the flood waters that “covered” the whole earth (Gen. 7:19) or the Shechinah cloud that covered the Tabernacle (Num. 9:15). When we love others, we lose sight of that which leads us into accusation.
By means of His hand

The ultimate “covering of love” comes from the Lord Himself, who sacrificed His only Son so that our transgressions and sins would not be charged against us (Rom. 4:7-8). God’s love overlooks our misdeeds and sees us as a reconciled and redeemed people. Since God forgives us, we likewise ought to forgive others for whom the Lord Jesus shed His blood.

Of course, not all hatred is bad, since the Scriptures command us to hate evil (Psalm 21:5, 139:21-22, etc.). However, the hatred, aversion, and malice that men habitually express for their fellow man demonstrates the radical depravity of the human condition.

The Lord Jesus Himself taught us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us, thereby promoting the message of God’s “covering love” for a fallen and hurting world (Luke  6:27-35).

Ahavah - Love

Transliteration:
Proverbs 10:12 transliterated

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