What Does the Bible Say About Anger?
The Bible does not treat anger as automatically sinful — Ephesians 4:26 says "Be angry, and don't sin," acknowledging that anger can be a right response to injustice. Even Jesus showed anger at hardness of heart and at the exploitation in the temple. The danger lies in what anger does next: whether it drives righteous action or curdles into bitterness, cruelty, and revenge.
So Scripture counsels speed and restraint in opposite directions — be "swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger" (James 1:19) — and warns against letting anger fester overnight (Ephesians 4:26). Proverbs repeatedly praises the person who is slow to anger and controls their temper, and it prescribes the practical antidote: "A gentle answer turns away wrath."
Key Bible Verses
“"Be angry, and don't sin." Don't let the sun go down on your wrath, and don't give place to the devil.”
Ephesians 4:26-27 (WEB)
“So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man doesn't produce the righteousness of God.”
James 1:19-20 (WEB)
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Proverbs 15:1 (WEB)
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (public domain).
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is anger a sin in the Bible?
- Anger itself is not necessarily a sin. Ephesians 4:26 says 'Be angry, and don't sin,' recognizing that anger can be righteous. Sin enters when anger leads to hatred, revenge, cruelty, or lingering bitterness rather than just action.
- What is righteous anger?
- Righteous anger is anger at genuine sin and injustice, mirrored in Jesus' response to exploitation in the temple. It is controlled, aimed at wrong rather than people, and does not descend into personal vengeance.