Anger
Anger in Scripture appears both as righteous indignation against sin and injustice — God's wrath, Jesus in the Temple — and as an emotion that "slayeth the silly one" (Job 5:2). Paul tells believers to "be ye angry, and sin not" (Ephesians 4:26), guarding anger with speed, target, and duration. Scripture does not condemn anger as such but refuses to let it govern the day.
Key verses (12)
- Psalms 4:4Stand in awe, and sin not; commune with heart
“Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.”
- Psalms 37:8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath
“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”
- Proverbs 14:29Slow to wrath — great understanding
“He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.”
- Proverbs 15:1A soft answer turneth away wrath
“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”
- Proverbs 16:32He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty
“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taket...”
- Ecclesiastes 7:9Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry
“Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.”
- John 2:15Jesus cleansing the temple
“And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, a...”
- Ephesians 4:26Be ye angry, and sin not
“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:”
- Ephesians 4:27Neither give place to the devil
“Neither give place to the devil.”
- Colossians 3:8Put off anger, wrath, malice
“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your...”
- James 1:19Swift to hear, slow to wrath
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”
- James 1:20Wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God
“For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”
Relevant characters (4)
Moses
Struck the rock in wrath (Numbers 20:10-11)
Cain
Wroth when his offering was not accepted (Genesis 4:5-6)
Jonah
Angry at God's mercy on Nineveh (Jonah 4)
Jesus Christ
Cleansing of the Temple (John 2:13-17)
Further reading
- David Powlison — Good & Angry, New Growth Press (2016)
- Gary Chapman — Anger: Taming a Powerful Emotion, Moody Publishers (2007)
- Robert D. Jones — Uprooting Anger, P&R Publishing (2005)
Pastoral commentary
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