Anger is a subject that touches every life at some point. We all experience it sooner or later. And we all are affected by the anger of others. The real question is, “How do we deal with anger in our lives?” YAHWEH’s Word has much to say about anger in its many forms. Here we can find teachings about what to do when we are angry, or how to handle things when someone else is angry.
If this is an area you struggle with why not look at what YAHWEH's Word has to say on the subject. Perhaps you’ll discover a new and more effective way to deal with the anger you encounter – either in yourself or in others.
There are several different words used to express this concept. Not all of them carry the same meaning. Anger can range from a mild irritation to a sense of frustration, or all the way to full-blown rage, or wrath – where someone is angry enough to want to kill someone. And there are several levels in between.
Typically, one of the first things we might think about that we’ve often heard quoted from Scripture is, “Be angry and sin not.” Ephesians 4.26. We know anger can be sinful, but it is not always so. There is a place for “righteous anger”. The struggle is discerning when it’s appropriate and when it’s really sinful.
The very first occurrence of the term "angry" occurs in Genesis 18. Within three verses it occurs twice. Abraham is pleading with YAHWEH to spare the city of Sodom from destruction because of its sin. Abraham is questioning YAHWEH about the basis for the destruction that’s been foretold. In the midst of that questioning we find him asking Him not to be angry (actually, furious) with him for being so bold as to wonder what it would take for Him to spare the city.
What this reveals to us is Abraham’s awareness that YAHWEH is also capable of being angry. We must consider that anger is not always sinful in light of this, for YAHWEH is not capable of sin. This could be very reassuring for us when we become angry. But we need to understand that it’s the reason behind the anger – the motivation of the heart – that really determines whether or not our own anger is an act of sin.
Below, in chronological order as they occur in Scripture, are some of the verses that deal with anger. Please study these verses carefully and prayerfully. Look up the rest of the passage where each verse is found. Try to understand the context of the usage. This will help you understand what's really being said about the anger involved.
Genesis 18:30 And he said unto him, Oh let not YAHWEH be angry, and I will speak: Perhaps there shall thirty be found there. And He said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. (Sodom & Gomorrah)
Genesis 45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here: for YAHWEH sent me before you to preserve life. (Joseph with his brothers in Egypt.)
Exodus 4:14 And the anger of YAHWEH was kindled against Moses, and He said, Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he comes forth to meet you: and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. (Moses, grumbling before YAHWEH.)
Exodus 11:8 And all these your servants shall come down to me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, "You get out, and all the people that follow you" And after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger. (Moses before Pharoah.)
Deuteronomy 4:25 When you shall beget children, and children’s children, and you shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of YAHWEH your Elohim, to provoke Him to anger: (Provoking YAHWEH to anger.)
Deuteronomy 9:8 Also in Horeb you provoked YAHWEH to wrath, so that YAHWEH was angry with you to have destroyed you. (Israel about to enter the Promised Land.)
Deuteronomy 29:27 And the anger of YAHWEH was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book: 28 And YAHWEH rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day. (YAHWEH’s response to worshipping other gods.)
Joshua 23:16 When you have transgressed the covenant of YAHWEH your Elohim, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of YAHWEH be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land which He has given unto you.
1 Samuel 17:28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why did you come down here, and with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the naughtiness of your heart; for you have come down that you mightest see the battle. (Man’s jealous anger.)
1 Kings 8:46 If they sin against you, (for there is no man that sins not,) and you are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; (Solomon’s prayer for the people of Israel.)
1 Kings 11:9 And YAHWEH was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from Yahweh, The Elohim of Israel, who had appeared unto him twice, (Solomon turned away from following YAHWEH.)
2 Kings 17:17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke Him to anger. 18 Therefore Yahweh was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of His sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. (YAHWEH’s anger against the nation of Israel.)
Nehemiah 5:6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. (Nehemiah’s “righteous anger”.)
Psalm 6:1 Oh, Yahweh, rebuke me not in your anger, neither chasten me in your hot displeasure.
Psalm 7:11 Yahweh judges the righteous, and Yahweh is angry with the wicked every day.
Psalm 30:5 For His anger endures but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not yourself in any manner to do evil.
Psalm 38:3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of your anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
Psalm 76:7 You, even You, are to be feared: and who may stand in Your sight when once You are angry?
Psalm 78:38 But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath.
Psalm 78:49 He cast upon them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them. 50 He made a way to His anger; He spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
Psalm 103:8 YAHWEH is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9 He will not always chide: neither will He keep his anger for ever.
Proverbs 14:17 He that is soon angry deals foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
Proverbs 15:18 A wrathful man stirs up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeases strife.
Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city.
Proverbs 19:11 The discretion of a man defers his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
Proverbs 21:19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.
Proverbs 22:24 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man you shalt not go:
Proverbs 29:22 An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression.
Isaiah 12:1 And in that day you shalt say, Oh YAHWEH, I will praise You: though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comforted me.
Isaiah 13:9 Behold, the day of YAHWEH comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
Isaiah 13:13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of YAHWEH Tsaba, and in the day of His fierce anger.
Jeremiah 10:24 Oh YAHWEH, correct me, but with judgment; not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
Jeremiah 21:5 And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.
Ezekiel 16:42 So will I make My fury toward you to rest, and My jealousy shall depart from you, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry. (There is a time for anger to cease.)
Hosea 14:4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for My anger is turned away from him.
Joel 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto YAHWEH your Elohim: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and He repents of the evil.
Jonah 4:9 And YAHWEH said to Jonah, Do you do well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. (Jonah’s selfish anger.)
Micah 7:18 Who is a YAHWEH like unto You, that pardons iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy.
Nahum 1:3 YAHWEH is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. YAHWEH has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.
Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. But whosoever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. YAHUSHUA's teaching on anger.)
Mark 3:5 And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He said unto the man, "Stretch forth your hand." And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
Luke 15:28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore his father came out, and intreated him. (The brother to the prodigal son.)
John 7:23 If a man on the sabbath day receives circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are you angry at Me because I have made a man every bit whole on the sabbath day? (The anger of the Scribes and Pharisees against YAHUSHUA.)
Romans 12.19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says YAHWEH.
Ephesians 4:26 Be angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Colossians 3:8 But now you also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Colossians 3:21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Titus 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of YAHWEH; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; (Characteristics of church leaders.)
Revelation 11:18 And the nations were angry, and Your wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should give reward unto Your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear Your name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth.
Anger can be used for a good purpose at times. However, more often than not we use it incorrectly. Such use brings with it serious consequences if we fail to correct our actions. We also see that Yahweh becomes angry with His people when they disobey Him. The potential consequences of that situation are horrendous.
We need to be careful how we handle our anger. There is a place for it, but we need to do our best to avoid creating anger in others, especially YAHWEH Himself. We put ourselves at risk when we stir it up in others. YAHWEH teaches us to be very patient and slow to anger. We would do well to follow that teaching. When we do get angry we certainly need to try to keep it from turning into an opportunity for sin.