“Hate” is one of the strongest words in the English language. For someone to say, “I hate you,” burns down to the very depths of one’s soul. So, we often teach our children to not say “hate,” and we ourselves refrain from directing that word toward others (hopefully).
This makes Proverbs 26:28 all the more potent – “A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, And a flattering mouth works ruin.” When I choose to tell a lie (in order to protect myself or to cover something up or to gain some advantage), there are others who are affected by it (even if I do not realize it). Or, to use God’s words, there are others “who are crushed by it.” Because I have no regard for them (or the truth) and promote my best interests over their interests (and the truth), God says that when I lie to someone or about someone that I hate them!
While we would not be very likely to say to someone, “I hate you,” that is exactly what we do when we choose to lie. God hates lying (Prov. 6:16-19)! May we strive to be like Him!