ויקרא פרק כו, יז וְנָתַת ִי פָנַי ב ָכֶם םֶ תְפַ גִנְו לִפְנֵי אֹּיְבֵיכֶם וְרָ דו בָכֶם שׂנְאֵיכֶם וְנַסְת ֶם וְאֵין-רֹּדֵף אֶתְכֶם :
The scholars of the Hebrew language express the distinction between the word אויב and the word שונא, both of which mean an adversary. The noun אויב implies an enemy that hates in a revealed manner and actively does wrong. Whereas, the noun שונא is someone that hates only in their heart and does not take negative actions. This distinction in found in many verses in Tanach.
Rashi explains (Devarim 1, 44) on the verse, “They would pursue you like bees.” Just like when bees sting a person, the bee immediately dies, so should happen to one’s adversary that when they do bad to you, they should immediately die.
And this is the explanation of this verse. When an adversary (אויב) performs negative acts to the Jews, the result should be that the adversary should die (like the example of the bee that dies), and then the שונא (who hates internally) would be left to rule over us. Thus, the language of the verse is precise, that at first the adversary (אויב) would bother us, but die. And the שונא alone would rule over us.
