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)
Jesus Christ
Cleansing of the Temple (John 2:13-17)
Cain
Wroth when his offering was not accepted (Genesis 4:5-6)
Moses
Struck the rock in wrath (Numbers 20:10-11)
Jonah
Angry at God's mercy on Nineveh (Jonah 4)
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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