Does God hate unborn children? Did God hate unborn Esau?


  Romans 9:11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good
  or bad ... 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I
  hated.”


How does this square with the concept that God loves everyone? How should I know He didn't hate me as a child?
Romans 9:13 is quoting one of my favorite verses in all of scripture - Malachi 1:2-5.  Here's what it says:

2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord.
“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’
“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals. ”
4 Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”
But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord. 5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’

A few things to note about the context:

Even this &quot;hatred&quot; is in the context of love. The whole point is God telling Israel how much He has and does love Israel.
This &quot;hatred&quot; is a comparative preference for Israel over its enemy Edom. If, say, my wife hates Rosie O'Donnell, she would, most likely, expect me to hold her in contempt as well.  (Note: I'm not saying what one should do, but rather, what one is likely to do. In any case, with Rosie O'Donnell, it's pretty universal, so the point is moot.) God blessed Jacob, just as he promised he would - and he didn't out and out give up on Edom. But, comparatively speaking, he clearly preferred Israel over its enemy.
This is talking not about unborn children, but about nations. Notice how the text seemlessly moves from Esau to his descendants, the nation of Edom. (Incidentally, Obadiah lists some of the complaints against Esau / Edom.)