Bible verses about anger
The Bible's key verse on anger is Ephesians 4:26: "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Scripture does not call every angry feeling sin, but it warns against holding on to anger, acting on it quickly, or using it for revenge (James 1:19-20, Romans 12:19).
The Bible talks about anger often, and it is honest that anger can be right or wrong. Jesus looked on hard-hearted people with anger (Mark 3:5). Cain's anger, on the other hand, led to the first murder.
The verses are grouped as Scripture tends to teach them: anger itself, putting it away, the words that cool it or stir it up, stories of angry people, and God, who is slow to anger.
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Ephesians 4:26 · KJV
Be angry, and sin not
Slow down before anger turns into action.
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.
Ephesians 4:26-27Allows for anger but sets a limit: deal with it before sundown, or it gives place to the devil.
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Psalm 4:4Stand in awe, and sin not; think it over on your bed and be still before you act.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
James 1:19-20Swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, because man's wrath does not produce God's righteousness.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:9Warns against being hasty to anger, for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
Proverbs 14:29Slowness to wrath is a sign of great understanding; a hasty spirit puts folly on display.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Proverbs 16:32Ruling your own spirit is worth more than capturing a city.
Put it away
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31-32Bitterness, wrath and anger are replaced with kindness and forgiveness, as God forgave you.
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Colossians 3:8Lists anger and wrath among things to put off like old clothes.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Psalm 37:8Cease from anger and forsake wrath, because fretting leads toward doing evil.
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, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Matthew 5:22Jesus traces murder back to the angry heart and the insult, not just the act.
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Matthew 5:23-24Reconciliation comes first: leave your gift at the altar and go make peace with your brother.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Galatians 5:19-20Wrath and strife appear in Paul's list of the works of the flesh.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Romans 12:19Do not avenge yourself; Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21The answer to wrong done to you: overcome evil with good.
Words that cool anger, and words that stir it
Proverbs is full of practical wisdom about temper.
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
Proverbs 15:1A soft answer turns away wrath; grievous words stir up anger.
A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
Proverbs 15:18The wrathful man starts strife; the one slow to anger calms it.
A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
Proverbs 29:11A fool says everything on his mind; a wise man holds it in till afterwards.
An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.
Proverbs 29:22An angry man stirs up strife and abounds in transgression.
A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.
Proverbs 12:16A fool's wrath shows immediately; a prudent man covers an insult.
The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
Proverbs 19:11It is a man's glory to pass over a transgression rather than react to it.
Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.
Proverbs 22:24-25Do not make friends with an angry man, lest thou learn his ways.
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
Proverbs 25:28A man with no rule over his own spirit is like a city with broken-down walls.
Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
Proverbs 30:33Forcing wrath brings forth strife as surely as churning milk makes butter.
Anger in Bible stories
And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Genesis 4:6-7God warned the angry Cain that sin lieth at the door and that he must rule over it.
Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
Jonah 4:4When Jonah was angry that God spared Nineveh, God asked him one question: Doest thou well to be angry?
And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
Jonah 4:9Jonah insisted he did well to be angry, even unto death, over a withered gourd.
And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
Mark 3:5Jesus looked on his critics with anger, grieved for the hardness of their hearts, and then healed.
And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
John 2:15-16Jesus drove the money changers from the temple; verse 17 calls it zeal for his Father's house.
God is slow to anger
And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Exodus 34:6God's own description of himself to Moses: merciful, gracious, longsuffering.
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Psalm 103:8Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Psalm 145:8Repeats the same pattern: gracious, full of compassion, slow to anger.
The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
Nahum 1:3Slow to anger does not mean weak: the LORD is also great in power and just.
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Psalm 30:5God's anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life.
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Common questions
Is anger a sin according to the Bible?
Not always. Ephesians 4:26 says "Be ye angry, and sin not," and Mark 3:5 says Jesus looked on people with anger. The Bible warns against anger that is hasty, held overnight, or acted out in revenge.
What does let not the sun go down upon your wrath mean?
It comes from Ephesians 4:26. It means not to carry anger past the day, and to deal with it before it settles in. Verse 27 adds that lingering anger gives place to the devil.
What is righteous anger?
The phrase is not in the Bible, but people use it for anger at real wrong, like Jesus' anger at hard hearts in Mark 3:5. Even then, James 1:20 warns that "the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God," so Christians are cautious about claiming it.
What does the Bible say about controlling anger?
Be slow to anger (James 1:19), answer softly (Proverbs 15:1), hold your words till afterwards (Proverbs 29:11), and leave revenge to God (Romans 12:19). Proverbs 16:32 says ruling your spirit is better than taking a city.
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