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.
Listen first, speak slowly, be slow to anger: human anger does not bring about what God wants.
Bible Verses About Anger
The Bible does not say that anger is always wrong. It says “Be ye angry, and sin not” (Ephesians 4:26), and James asks us to be “slow to wrath.” These verses help you tell anger that protects from anger that harms, and show what to do with it before the sun goes down.
A verse for you
James 1:19-20
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.
Listen first, speak slowly, be slow to anger: human anger does not bring about what God wants.
KJV16 Bible verses about anger
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Anger is not forbidden, but do not let it settle in overnight.
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
God Himself is slow to anger and full of mercy, and that is how He treats you.
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
Wisdom for an ordinary argument: a gentle answer cools anger, harsh words inflame it. It is never your job to soothe someone who is hurting you.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Let anger go before it pushes you into doing harm. Fretting only leads toward evil.
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.
Bitterness, rage and harsh words are set down, and kindness, tenderness and forgiveness take their place.
He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
Being slow to anger is a sign of real understanding; a quick temper puts foolishness on display.
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Angry or shaken, do not sin: talk it over with your own heart on your bed, and be still.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Mastering your own temper takes more strength than conquering a city.
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.
Jesus was angry, grieved at hard hearts, and His anger moved Him to heal, not to harm.
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Anger, malice and cruel words belong to the old life, to be taken off like old clothes.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
You do not have to get even. Leaving justice in God’s hands is part of forgiving.
The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
Patience slows anger, and letting a wrong go can be a kind of glory.
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
The end of a thing is better than its beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one. Do not be quick to anger.
A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
Saying everything you feel in the heat of the moment is folly; wisdom waits until it can speak well.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
What God’s Spirit grows in a person: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
What the Bible says
Anger is not a sin in itself. God is described as “slow to anger” (Psalm 103:8), not as never angry, and Jesus looked at the hard-hearted “with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts” before He healed a man on the Sabbath (Mark 3:5). Anger at injustice, cruelty or abuse can be the right response to something truly wrong. Paul quotes a psalm to say so: “Be ye angry, and sin not.”
The tension is in the second half of that sentence. The same Bible warns that “the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God” and lists wrath and anger among the things to “be put away from you” (Ephesians 4:31). Anger turns harmful when it is nursed, when it wants revenge (Romans 12:19 leaves that to God), or when it comes out as shouting, contempt or force. That is why Paul adds, “let not the sun go down upon your wrath.”
Scripture’s practical advice is old and still works. Listen first and speak slowly (James 1:19). Answer softly: “A soft answer turneth away wrath.” Take it to God before you take it to the person: “commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.” Slow to anger does not mean pretending you are not angry. The psalms are full of honest anger brought to God in prayer, and naming what hurt you is often the first step to handling it well instead of burying it until it explodes.
Anger at home needs a word of its own. If someone’s anger frightens you, with shouting that turns into threats, broken things, hitting or control over where you go and whom you see, that is not something you must pray away or put up with. Getting safe comes first. In the US, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233; elsewhere, call your local emergency number. And if your own anger is frightening the people you love, telling someone and getting help, from a pastor, a counselor or an anger-management group, is an act of love, not a defeat.
A prayer
Lord, You are merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. You know what I am angry about, and why. Help me to be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath, and to answer softly when I want to strike back. Where I have been wronged, I leave the justice in Your hands. Where my anger has hurt others, forgive me and show me how to make it right. Do not let the sun go down on my wrath. Amen.
Questions people ask
Is it a sin to be angry?
Not in itself. “Be ye angry, and sin not” (Ephesians 4:26) assumes anger will come, and Jesus Himself was angry at hardness of heart (Mark 3:5) and at the money-changers in the temple (John 2:15-16). The sin is in what anger turns into: grudges, revenge, cruel words or violence.
What does “let not the sun go down upon your wrath” mean?
Deal with anger soon, before it settles into resentment. It is not a rule that every conflict must be solved by bedtime; some take longer, and some conversations are not safe to have. It means not feeding anger overnight. The next verse adds why: “Neither give place to the devil.”
What is the best Bible verse for controlling anger?
James 1:19: be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” For a heated moment, Proverbs 15:1: “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”
What does the Bible say about righteous anger?
It exists: God is angered by injustice, and Jesus was angry at hearts hardened against a suffering man. Righteous anger is usually about a wrong done to others rather than a blow to our pride, and it moves toward putting things right. It still does not license sin: even just anger can become cruel, and vengeance belongs to God (Romans 12:19).
What if someone’s anger at home frightens me?
Your safety comes first. Anger that turns into threats, hitting, breaking things or controlling you is abuse, and nothing in the Bible asks you to stay where you are being harmed. Tell someone you trust and make a plan. In the US, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233; if you are in danger, call 911. Elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
Keep exploring
Bible Verses About ForgivenessKey Bible verses about forgiveness are Ephesians 4:32, 1 John 1:9 and Psalm 103:12.Bible Verses About PatienceBible verses about patience people turn to most are Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 37:7 and…Bible Verses About PeaceThe Bible verses about peace people turn to most are John 14:27, Philippians 4:6-7 and…Bible Verses for RelationshipsFor relationships, the Bible verses people turn to most are 1 Corinthians 13:4-7…Bible Verses About FamilyBible verses about family that people choose most are Psalm 127:1, Ephesians 4:2-3 and…Bible Verses About StressWhen there is too much to carry, Jesus does not hand you a better schedule first.