Divine Wrath

The wrath of God or divine wrath are concepts used in both the OT and NT that invite
readers to consider the anger of God in contrast to his mercy. The concept of divine
wrath emphasizes the danger of opposing the divine will and expresses, in human
terms, the emotional reaction provoked in God by sin and rebellion.

Concept Summary
The Hebrew Bible uses a number of terms to express the concept of divine wrath. These are
‫( עֶבְר ָה‬ʿebrâ, “wrath”);‫קצ ֶף‬
ֶ (qeṣep, “anger”);‫( אַף‬ʾap, “anger”); ‫( זַעַם‬zaʿam,
“fury”); ‫ָכָּעַס‬ (kāʿas, “to provoke to anger”); ‫ַכַּעַס‬ (kaʿas, “anger”); ‫חמָה‬
ֵ (ḥēmâ,
“rage”); and finally, ‫( חָרוֹן‬ḥārôn, “anger”). The NT, too, knows the notion of God’s rage,
and when it describes that wrath it uses a number of words, including ὀργή (orgē, “wrath”);
προσοχθίζω (prosochthizō, “to be angry”); and θυμός (thymos, “anger”). It is important to
note that the idea of wrath or anger is a human emotion that the biblical authors apply to
God in an attempt to explain the consequences of turning from or disobeying God. Indeed,
the concept is implicit in many words not primarily translated as “wrath” or “anger,” such
as ἅγιος (hagios, “holy”); κρίνω (krinō, “to judge”); and μακροθυμία (makrothymia,
“forbearance”), because the biblical notion of divine wrath is closely associated with God’s
holiness, judgment, and compassion (e.g., Num 14:18).

Theological Overview
The idea of God’s wrath is part of the biblical tradition because the people of the ancient
Near East made a connection between their God (or gods) and misfortunes that happened in
their lives and concluded that the misfortunes they endured had a direct connection to the
pleasure or the wrath of God (Amos 3:6). Accordingly, the anger of God manifested itself
in punishments of various sorts, such as illness, disease, famine, plague, disorder,
malformation, storms, earthquakes, eclipses, and virtually any natural activity that brought
discomfort or death (Num 11:33; Isa 30:30; Ezek 7:15). In the ancient Near Eastern
tradition, divine anger was sometimes brought on by human transgressions, such as defiling
a sacred space or breaking a divine command, but other times resulted solely from
inexplicable divine caprice. In the biblical tradition, God’s wrath is almost always explicitly
linked with human sinfulness generally (Josh 7:11–12; Isa 10:12) or Israel’s forsaking
Yahweh’s covenant specifically (Deut 11:13–17).
Descriptions of the wrath of God can be found in virtually every part of the Hebrew
Bible through the NT. Examples abound, including the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah
(Gen 19), the flood (Gen 6), the expulsion from the garden (Gen 3), the utterances of nearly
every one of the prophets (e.g., Ezek 7; Joel 2), the actions of Jesus in the temple (Matt 21),
the denunciations of the Judaizers by Paul (Gal 1–2), and, of course, the destruction in hell
of all unbelievers and liars as so graphically described by the author of Revelation (Rev 20–
21). Divine wrath is associated with the “Day of Yahweh,” a time when Yahweh intervenes
to judge the world for its sin and rebellion, but the biblical depictions of that day blend
elements of immediate and partial judgment with the reality of future and total judgment
(e.g., Isa 13:1–22).
There can be no doubt that divine wrath plays an important conceptual role for ancient
Israel, early Judaism, and early Christianity. However, the exact nature of that role is
unclear. At one level, the frequent reminder of the punishment of God if his people
transgress could simply be an attempt to hold sinful acts in check. But more profoundly, the
wrath of God serves to remind people that God wishes their best and is willing to take
physical action to inhibit the self-destructiveness of human rebellion. Said another way,
God’s wrath is the twin of God’s mercy. Mercy without correction is mere permission, and
mere permission never has the best interests of the person in mind. God’s wrath, then, is
God’s mercy. And God’s mercy is, because of the nature of God’s love, sometimes made
known in God’s punishment of wrongdoing and wrongdoers.

Lexical Information

Old Testament

‫( אַף‬ʾap). n. masc. anger, nose. Refers literally to the nose as a physical facial feature but
more commonly designates anger, either divine or human.
The noun ʾap is the most common OT word for anger, used over 200 times with that
sense and referring to either the anger of mankind or God. In Genesis, the word is only used
for human anger. In Exodus 4:14, God’s growing annoyance with Moses’ excuses is
indicated by his ʾap being kindled (‫חר ָה‬ ָ , ḥārâ). The noun ʾap is regularly used with ḥārâ
and related terms like ‫חר ִי‬
ֳ (ḥŏrî, “heat”) or ‫( חָרוֹן‬ḥārôn, “anger”) to describe “burning
anger” (Exod 32:10–12). These modifiers may express increasing degrees of anger. Other
words for anger occur in connection with ʾap, including ‫חמָה‬ ֵ (ḥēmâ), ‫( עֶבְר ָה‬ʿebrâ),
and ‫קצ ֶף‬ֶ (qeṣep). Repetition and piling up of synonyms is a common rhetorical technique
in biblical Hebrew. For example, in Jer 32:37, Yahweh says, “I am going to gather them
from all the lands to which I driven them in my anger (ʾap), and in my fury (ḥēmâ), and in
great wrath (qeṣep).”

‫( אָנ ַף‬ʾānap). vb. to be angry. Refers to the state of being angry.

The verb ʾānap is much less common than ʾap, used only 14 times, and is probably a
denominative verb derived from that noun (see BDB). In every case, the verb relates
somehow to divine anger, often describing God’s anger over sin or apostasy (1 Kgs 8:46;
11:9; 2 Kgs 17:18; Ezra 9:14; Isa 12:1). The warning against the anger of the “son” in Psa
2:12 comes in context of an assertion that the Davidic king is Yahweh’s “son” and is
empowered to rule with Yahweh’s power and sovereignty. In this sense, the reference to the
“son” getting angry relates the wrath of the king to the wrath of God. The psalm concludes
with dual exhortations related to the fear of Yahweh and the anger of the “son.”
‫חמָה‬
ֵ (ḥēmâ). n. fem. rage, wrath, fury. Refers to the emotion of anger or fury.
The noun ḥēmâ frequently appears parallel with ʾap (Deut 29:23; Jer 44:6). The
combination is used in expressions of “wrath and anger” or “anger and wrath” that
emphasize the severity of divine wrath, especially directed toward sin and disobedience
(Deut 29:27–28). After ʾap, ḥēmâ is the most common noun for anger or wrath in the OT.

‫חר ָה‬
ָ (ḥārâ). vb. to burn (with anger). Refers to anger being kindled or the act of
becoming angry.
This verb for burning is most commonly used with the meaning of “burn with anger.”
Sometimes this is made explicit with a phrase like “his anger (ʾap) was kindled” (Gen
39:19), but on other occasions, the verb occurs alone with the sense of burning with anger
or becoming angry (Gen 31:36). The expression is used for both human and divine anger.
With reference to God, his anger burns in response to sin and rebellion (Exod 22:23; Num
11:1), usually the sin and rebellion of Israel.

‫( חָרוֹן‬ḥārôn). n. masc. anger, burning anger. Refers to divine wrath as a burning anger.
This noun, related to the verb ḥārâ (“to burn”), often occurs in combination with ‫אַף‬
(ʾap) as ‫( חָרוֹן אַף‬ḥārôn ʾap) to mean “burning anger” (Exod 32:12), sometimes
translated “fierce anger.” The word is always used with reference to God’s anger and only
appears a handful of times without ʾap (Exod 15:7; Psa 2:5; Ezek 7:12; Neh 13:18).

‫עֶבְר ָה‬ (ʿebrâ). n. fem. wrath, anger, rage, fury, outburst. Describes anger as an
outburst or overflow of feeling that can no longer be contained.
The noun ʿebrâ occurs 34 times in the OT, usually for the rage or wrath of persons or
God (Gen 49:7; Psa 7:6), though in some contexts the word refers to abundant insolence or
arrogance (e.g., Jer 48:30). Words for God’s wrath are often used in multiples, with the
biblical writers piling up synonyms to stress the severity of God’s anger. For example, in
Isa 13:9, 13, ʿebrâ is used along with ‫( אַף‬ʾap) and ‫( חָרוֹן‬ḥārôn). In Ezekiel 21:31, ʿebrâ
is used with ‫( זַעַם‬zaʿam).

‫( עָב ַר‬ʿābar). vb. to become angry. Refers to the state of being angry or full of wrath.
This verb, related to the noun ʿebrâ, is only used eight times in the OT. It refers to
divine wrath in Deut 3:26, where Moses recounts how Yahweh was angry (ʿābar) with him,
so he could not enter the promised land. Elsewhere, it only refers to divine wrath in Psalms,
three times in Psa 73 summarizing Israel’s history (Psa 78:21, 59, 62) and once in Psa
89:38 with reference to divine judgment.

‫( ָכָּעַס‬kāʿas). vb. to be angry, provoke to anger. Refers to the state of being angry, the
experience of being provoked to anger, or the act of provoking another to anger.
This verb is frequently used to describe Israel’s behavior, especially idolatry, and how
that behavior “provoked Yahweh to anger” (Judg 2:12; compare Deut 32:16; 1 Kgs 14:9).
Overall, the verb is used 54 times in the OT and can be used for provoking human anger as
well as divine (1 Sam 1:6–7).
‫( ַכַּעַס‬kaʿas)ׂ‫ַכַּעַש‬, (kaʿaś). n. masc. anger, vexation, indignation. Refers to the abstract
feeling of vexation, anger, or frustration.
In its usual form ‫( ַכַּעַס‬kaʿas), this word is used 21 times. The variant spelling, ׂ‫ַכַּעַש‬
(kaʿaś), is used four times, all in the book of Job (Job 5:2; 6:2; 10:17; 17:7). Outside of the
Wisdom books (e.g., Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes), kaʿas often describes God’s
indignation or anger with Israel over idolatry (2 Kgs 23:26; Ezek 20:28). God’s kaʿas is
more abstract and is not described as growing hot or being kindled like ʾap.

‫קצ ַף‬
ָ (qāṣap). vb. to be angry, to provoke to anger. Refers to the state of being angry or
the act of provoking or being provoked to anger.
The verb qāṣap occurs with reference to human anger as well as divine anger. The
context is the anger of God in roughly two-thirds of its occurrences (22 out of 34 uses; Deut
1:34; 9:7, 8, 19, 22; Psa 106:32; Eccl 5:6; Lam 5:22; Zech 1:2, 15; 8:14). Apart from divine
anger, the anger denoted by qāṣap is frequently connected with the anger of an authority
figure at someone failing to heed instructions (Exod 16:20; Num 31:14; Lev 10:16; Esth
1:12). Divine wrath can be provoked by improper worship (Lev 10:6), open rebellion (Num
16:22), and apostasy (Josh 22:18). In Isaiah, divine wrath is presented as justified but
limited in duration with the turn toward mercy and restoration imminent (Isa 47:6; 54:9;
57:16, 17; 64:5, 9).

‫קצ ֶף‬
ֶ (qeṣep). n. masc. wrath, anger. Refers to the experience of anger or wrath, usually
with reference to God’s wrath.
This noun occurs 28 times and usually refers to God’s wrath or anger (the exceptions
are Eccl 5:16; Esth 1:18). The word may appear with other synonyms for anger (Pss 38:1;
102:10). Some uses of the term emphasize the way God’s wrath becomes evident through
tangible experiences of suffering, death, and upheaval (Num 16:46; Judg 21:5; Jer 10:10).

‫( זָעַם‬zāʿam). vb. to be indignant or angry. Refers to the state of being angry, perhaps
outwardly displayed through indignant speech or visible displeasure.
The verb zāʿam can describe the act of verbally denouncing or cursing someone as well
as the state of feeling indignant. Zāʿam only describes God’s anger or indignation five
times (Psa 7:11; Prov 22:14; Isa 66:14; Zech 1:12; Mal 1:4).

‫זַעַם‬ (zaʿam). n. masc. indignation, fury, wrath. Refers to wrath and indignation,
especially as manifested in action through judgment and punishment.
This noun is regularly used in parallel with other synonyms for anger such as ʾap,
ʿebrâ, ḥārôn, and qeṣep (Pss 69:24; 78:49; 102:10; Isa 10:5). In many examples, the divine
wrath is not a feeling as much as it is an overflowing of destructive power. Many of the
uses of zaʿam reflect this aspect of wrath as destructive power (Isa 10:5, 25; 13:5; Jer
50:25; Pss 69:24; 78:49; Lam 2:6; Ezek 21:31).

New Testament
ὀργή (orgē). n. fem. wrath, anger. Refers generally to human anger or divine wrath.
This is the most commonly used lemma in the NT and suggests, like several of its
Hebrew counterparts, the rage or wrath of man or God. The orgē of God can describe the
result of wrath, that is, punishment of sin (Rom 4:15), or the looming punishment and
divine judgment that ultimately awaits all who have rejected God’s truth (John 3:36; Rom
1:18; 2:5).
ὀργίζω (orgizō). vb. to be angry. Refers to the experience of becoming angry.
This verb, which is related to orgē, does not explicitly describe God’s anger in the NT,
but Jesus uses the term in two parables meant to illustrate the reality of God’s wrath. In the
parable of the unforgiving slave (Matt 18:21–35), the master (representing God) forgives a
slave who owed an enormous debt, but that slave does not show the same mercy to others.
The injustice of the slave incites the master’s anger (orgizō), and he hands over the slave to
punishment (Matt 18:34). Jesus also uses orgizō in the parable of the wedding feast (Matt
22; Luke 14) to describe the king’s reaction to rejection at the hands of those who had been
invited to the feast (Matt 22:7). In Matthew’s version of the parable, the king’s reaction was
accompanied by action—the destruction of those who had spurned his offer. In Luke’s
parable, the master becomes angry (Luke 14:21) that those whom he had invited are not
coming, but he immediately extends the invitation out to still more who had not been
invited initially. Both parables invoke the imagery of divine wrath but ultimately emphasize
a greater point about divine mercy.
προσοχθίζω (prosochthizō). vb. to be angry, offended, provoked. Refers to the experience
of being provoked to anger or being offended by another’s actions.
This verb occurs in the NT only twice, both times in the book of Hebrews. In Hebrews
3:17, the reference alludes to Israel’s provoking God to anger during the wilderness
wanderings. The other occurrence, in Heb 3:10, is quoting Psa 95:10 from the Septuagint
(Psa 94:10 LXX).
θυμός (thymos). n. masc. anger, wrath, rage. Refers generally to anger or wrath, both
human and divine.
Outside of the book of Revelation, thymos only refers to God’s wrath in Rom 2:8,
where it is in combination with orgē. The NT uses are often with reference to the human
emotion (e.g., 2 Cor 12:20). The term is used 10 times in Revelation, most often to refer to
God’s wrath being poured out on the earth in response to the rebellion of the beast and the
devil (Rev 14:10; 16:19). Thymos is used once for the devil’s wrath (Rev 12:12) and twice
for the immoral passion of the woman Babylon (Rev 14:8; 18:3).
JIM WEST

See Also
• Related Concepts: Abhorrence; Apostasy; Divine Sovereignty; Holiness; Idolatry;
Judgment, Final; Mercy and Compassion; Punishment; Sin
• Bible Sense Lexicon: anger (emotion), anger (state), to anger, angry, to be angry, to be
propitious, to be wrathful, atonement, fury, fury (fleeting), punishment ⇔ fury, to
propitiate, propitiation, propitiatory place, to provoke to anger, to provoke to wrath,
short-tempered, wrath, wrath (punishment)
• Anger Dictionary of Biblical Imagery
• Divine Anger New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis
• Orgē (Wrath) The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
 • Orgē (Wrath) The Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament
• Wrath of God The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary
• Wrath of God Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible1

1 West, J. (2014). Divine Wrath. D. Mangum, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, & R. Hurst

(Eds.), Lexham Theological Wordbook. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.