Two Types of Anger in the Bible

To feel angry is part of being human, but uncontrolled anger can harm both the person who harbors it as well as those around him/her. There are many passages about anger in the Bible, including stories of Bible characters who lost their tempers, and what it tells us is that anger in and of itself is not necessarily sinful, but often what we do with it can lead us to sin or not.

Two Types of Anger in the Bible

Righteous anger

Righteous anger is a reaction to sin or injustice. It’s being angry about things that are evil, and that God opposes. It attacks the sin, not the sinner. An example of righteous anger in the Bible is Jesus’ anger toward the people in the temple courts who were misusing the house of the Lord.

Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “My house will be called a house of prayer,” but you are making it “a den of robbers.” – Matthew 21:12-13, NIV

Sinful anger

Sinful anger is anger directed toward someone who has hurt you or offended you in some way, with an intent to retaliate or seek revenge. Letting it consume your thoughts and actions will end up leading you down a sinful path with sometimes dire consequences. Read on to learn about some examples of sinful anger in the Bible.

Lessons about Anger from People in the Bible

Cain (Genesis 4:1-16)

Cain was a farmer. His younger brother, Abel, was a shepherd. Both of them bought offerings to God, but God favored Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s. This made Cain very angry with God and jealous of his brother. Instead of judging Cain for his anger,

God gave him a chance to overcome his sin:

The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” – Genesis 4:6-7, ESV

Cain refused to see things the way they were, and instead of addressing his heart issues and trying to determine why God had not been pleased with his offering, he allowed his sin to get the better of him. Cain took his anger out on Abel and murdered him. As a result, God banished him from his home and condemned him to be a wanderer for the rest of his life.

Lesson: Unchecked anger can lead to disastrous consequences.

Moses (Numbers 20:1-12)

Moses had been leading the people of Israel through the desert on their way to the Promised Land. They were thirsty and discontented and complained once again about how they should never have left Egypt. Moses asked God for help, and the Lord told him to speak to the rock and it would bring forth water.

However, Moses was feeling so exasperated by the people’s constant whining and lack of gratitude to God for delivering them out of slavery, that instead of giving glory to God by speaking to the rock as he had been told, he lost his temper and angrily struck it twice with his staff. “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:10b), he said, ascribing the provision of water to himself rather than giving God the credit and the glory.

Water gushed out of the rock and the people, and their livestock got to drink their fill, but as a result of this act of disobedience, God kept Moses from entering the Promised Land. “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” (Numbers 20:12, NIV).

Lesson: Anger demands an immediate reaction. It wants you to act impulsively instead of pausing first to weigh all the facts and reflect on the consequences. Instead of controlling his anger, Moses let his anger control him, which led him to sin and cost him dearly.

Nehemiah (Nehemiah 5:6-13)

Nehemiah had been sent to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. He faced opposition from without, and conflict from within. When he heard how the wealthy Jews were exploiting the poor ones in disregard of the Mosaic law, this made him very angry. However, he did not let his anger control him.

He carefully thought about what he had heard and prayed about the situation before acting. Then he confronted those at fault for their wrongdoing, showing them biblically what they had done wrong, set a godly personal example, and as a result, the evildoers felt convicted, agreed to restore what they had taken, and obey what Nehemiah said they should do.

Lesson: God-honoring anger in response to sin is righteous anger that seeks to restore rather than destroy.

Nine Verses about Anger in the Bible

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. – Psalm 37:8, ESV

Acting impulsively on your negative emotions can lead to words or actions you later regret. Calm down and don’t do anything rash.

Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. – Ecclesiastes 7:9, ESV

It is foolish to give in to anger. Anger cripples reason and can lead to impulsive, illogical, and damaging behavior.

Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. – Psalm 4:4, ESV

When you feel angry, be quiet and give it some thought rather than react impulsively in a way you may later regret.

A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. – Proverbs 29:11, ESV 

How you react when you feel angry is a good indicator of your character. Fools let their anger take over. Wise people stay calm and hold their anger in check.

Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. – Proverbs 22:24-25, ESV

We tend to become like the people we associate with. It’s best not to keep company with hotheaded people lest it rub off on you and you start acting like them.

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. – Proverbs 15:18, ESV

Angry people tend to start fights, whereas levelheaded people can help calm them down and end the conflict.

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. – Proverbs 15:1, ESV

When an angry person confronts you, try to be gracious and respond to them as calmly and as gently as possible.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. – James 1:19-20, ESV

Giving vent to your anger does not bring about anything productive and can easily lead to sin, causing you to act in a way that is not pleasing to God. Being slow to anger, and listening to what people say and evaluating it before jumping to conclusions can help you deal with conflict appropriately, and build good relationships with others.

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. – Ephesians 4:26-27, ESV

When you feel angry, deal with it right away instead of allowing it to simmer and enable the devil to use it to gain control of your attitudes and actions.

Christian Counseling for Anger Issues

Christian counseling involves a combination of Biblical principles and clinical intervention. If you are struggling with anger and are having trouble handling the process on your own, please give us a call today. We would be happy to answer your questions and/or set up an appointment to discuss how we can help you manage the challenges you are facing and walk you through the healing process.