hated (the opposite of loved in Malachi 1:2): Love and hate are opposite words in Old Testament legal and prophetic texts (see Deuteronomy 7:9–10; Amos 5:15). They often describe the separation caused by a broken covenant. Here, God says he rejected Esau and his descendants, the Edomites. Esau had despised and rejected a covenant relationship with the Lord (see Genesis 25:34; 26:34–35).
Esau was the ancestor of the Edomite nation. His inheritance, the territory of Edom, was on the southeastern edge of the Dead Sea. The mention of Jacob and Esau reminds us of the twin brothers’ rivalry (Genesis 25:23–26).