Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Be angry without sinning, and let every wrath be ended the same day before the sun goes down and before sleep, so that no day is passed in known sin. Anger is not always sinful, for indignation stirred by zeal for God's glory, concern for the oppressed, and holy abhorrence of depravity can be righteous, while anger from self-love, wounded ambition, supposed provocation, or indulged temper is sinful and darkens life. Anger or resentment held over provocation opens the heart to Satan and gives place to the devil, so bitterness and animosity must be banished and passion kept under discipline. In the home every quarrel and petty hurt must be confessed and made right the same evening before sleep, with kindness and mutual yielding, so that harmony reigns there as in heaven. Any ill feeling toward a brother or sister must likewise be removed before sunset by confession by the offender and forgiveness by the wronged, in humility, meekness, patience and love that puts away bitterness and wrath.
Meaning in Its Context
Anger is permitted only on condition that it does not pass into sin, and any wrath must be laid down the same day before the sun sets and before sleep comes, so that anger is never carried through the night and no day closes with known sin unconfessed and unsettled. The instruction is not abstract counsel but a lesson to be lived out in daily conduct, shaping how believers act toward one another. Prompt settlement of every difficulty in this way is victory over self.
The command belongs to the truth as it is in Jesus, in which those who have learned Christ no longer walk as the Gentiles walk in vanity of mind, with darkened understanding, alienation from the life of God, ignorance, blindness of heart, loss of feeling, and uncleanness. Instead they put off the former corrupt old man that is corrupt according to deceitful lusts, are renewed in the spirit of the mind, and put on the new man created after God in righteousness and true holiness, so that words and deeds become fragrant with the holiness of truth. Within that new life, being angry without sinning and ending wrath quickly stands together with putting away lying and speaking truth with neighbors as members one of another, giving no place to the devil, stealing no more but laboring with the hands in order to give to the needy, letting no corrupt communication proceed but only speech that edifies and ministers grace, not grieving the Holy Spirit of God by whom believers are sealed unto the day of redemption, putting away all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking with all malice, and being kind and tenderhearted and forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven. Holding wrath overnight gives place to the devil and opens the way for evil agencies warring against believers to lead them to say and do what pleases the enemy, and where members allow the enemy to work by and through them in unbelief toward one another and refusal of repentance, this creates separation from God that keeps Him from working in the church.
The chapter containing the command is God's plain and simple revelation of His plan, given so that all His children may lay hold upon the truth, appointing the means to keep unity, oneness, and agreement in His church so that its members reveal a healthy and healthful religious experience to the unbelieving world. It calls for obedience to the commandments of God, unity in the faith of the Scriptures, and oneness in Christ Jesus with lives hid with Christ in God, practiced by doing to others as they would have others do to them. Lived out, this bears a living and abiding testimony that the Father loves believers even as He loves His Son, even His only begotten Son, shows appreciation for God's great gift and heaven's provision made at infinite cost, and uses that provision to draw souls to obedience to God's holy law. By consistent courtesy, unwavering fidelity, justice, and mercy, believers thus become laborers together with God, channels for His work in cooperation with heavenly agencies, and partakers of the divine nature who have escaped the corruption in the world through lust, magnifying God's law and making it honorable before the world and demonstrating that the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul, as members of one family in Christ helped onward together in the unity that exists between the Father and the Son. The teaching of the chapter harmonizes with the Old Testament and calls for loyalty to God's law, and obedience to that law brings life and blessing.
The verse sounds a purposeful warning that every soul must take to heart, to stand at the post on guard over self and, having done all, to withstand in the evil day. It calls for a great reformation in words and works and spiritual understanding for those who have become hard-spirited as strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit, so that they may daily breathe the atmosphere of heaven and catch the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts. It calls for the churches to be set in order and the door of unbelief to be closed, for straight paths to be made for the feet so that the weak will not be turned out of the way, and for the rescue of imperiled souls that do not see their own spiritual danger, guarding against the increasing seducing power of Satan that would deceive even the very elect.
Righteous Versus Sinful Anger
Anger is not necessarily sinful, for there is anger without sin when it is holy indignation at the total depravity of the human heart. Righteous indignation is stirred by zeal for God's glory and honor, by concern for seeing the innocent oppressed, by holy feeling against aggravating sin and human depravity, and it can remain in harmony with God while possessing love and mercy. It is not unholy passion nor retaliation against those who give offense. By contrast, anger prompted by self-love or wounded ambition, by supposed provocation, by indulged natural passion, or by a cultivated perverse temper is sinful. Giving way to such temper and cultivating it does not bring happiness, but darkens family life and diminishes joy, so appetites must be restrained, passions controlled, and the whole person brought under discipline with the strength promised for that work.
Moses' anger when Israel dishonored God by idolatry, by breaking the covenant, and by worshiping the idol was righteous indignation arising from zeal for God's glory rather than from self-love or wounded ambition. His breaking of the stone tablets expressed the people's breach of their covenant with God.
Anger or resentment indulged over provocation opens the heart to Satan and gives place to the devil. Evil agencies are then allowed to lead believers to say and do what pleases the enemy. Therefore bitterness and animosity must be banished in order to live in harmony with heaven.
Settling Wrath Every Day
Disagreements and quarrels must be kept out of the home circle and settled the same day, with anger ended before sleep and not carried past sunset. Parents are to enforce this rule and teach quarreling children to hold no unpleasant, angry feelings overnight and to leave no sin unconfessed at the close of day, but to confess and make peace before the day ends. Husband and wife especially are to yield their own way in little things of small consequence instead of persisting until bitterness and wrath enter the home, being kind and considerate to each other, confessing personal weakness, lifting the weight from one another, and making right the same evening the little pettish difficulties that hurt and bruise the soul. Life is too short and too full of sorrow to spend in bruising any sore, tempted heart, and those who belong to Christ must help afflicted souls rather than hinder them and allow nothing to hurt and destroy peace of mind. This daily settling is required so that harmony reigns in the home as it reigns in the heavenly courts, because the family on earth is to be the symbol of the family in heaven.
If ill feeling or disunion toward a brother or sister arises in the heart there must be no disunion carried overnight, but the feeling must be removed the same day before sunset. Prompt reconciliation keeps thoughts on heaven and heavenly things and retains the blessing of God. Anyone who has injured another should confess it to that person and try to make things right, while anyone who has been wronged should show regard and seek to end contention and division. Even if the other person rejects the kindness, doing one’s duty fulfills the obligation, and God gives peace and grace. Preserving Christian love and unity in this way prepares the heart to approach God in faith and confidence and to pray and bring an offering to God.
Settling every difficulty before sunset gains victory over self, for self struggles hard for existence and must be gotten dead, with Jesus Christ formed within as the hope of glory. When alienation, fussing and wrath are put away the same day and not let continue overnight, words and actions and spirit demonstrate belief in the truth and show the Lord is present, with the Holy Spirit striving through believers to reach others. Every soul should also review the week when the Sabbath comes and remove whatever wrong has taken place. The day should not end in darkness, gloom and despair, but wrongs should be made right and despair refused.
The command belongs to the changed life of those who have learned Christ, together with putting away all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking and malice, and practicing kindness and tenderheartedness and forgiveness. Its daily conduct is shaped by humility, meekness, patience and love to preserve unity, in which a gentle answer to a cruel thrust turns away wrath.
Be angry without sinning, and let every wrath be ended the same day before the sun goes down and before sleep, so that no day is passed in known sin. Anger is not always sinful, for indignation stirred by zeal for God's glory, concern for the oppressed, and holy abhorrence of depravity can be righteous, while anger from self-love, wounded ambition, supposed provocation, or indulged temper is sinful and darkens life. Anger or resentment held over provocation opens the heart to Satan and gives place to the devil, so bitterness and animosity must be banished and passion kept under discipline. In the home every quarrel and petty hurt must be confessed and made right the same evening before sleep, with kindness and mutual yielding, so that harmony reigns there as in heaven. Any ill feeling toward a brother or sister must likewise be removed before sunset by confession by the offender and forgiveness by the wronged, in humility, meekness, patience and love that puts away bitterness and wrath.
Meaning in Its Context
Anger is permitted only on condition that it does not pass into sin, and any wrath must be laid down the same day before the sun sets and before sleep comes, so that anger is never carried through the night and no day closes with known sin unconfessed and unsettled. The instruction is not abstract counsel but a lesson to be lived out in daily conduct, shaping how believers act toward one another. Prompt settlement of every difficulty in this way is victory over self.
The command belongs to the truth as it is in Jesus, in which those who have learned Christ no longer walk as the Gentiles walk in vanity of mind, with darkened understanding, alienation from the life of God, ignorance, blindness of heart, loss of feeling, and uncleanness. Instead they put off the former corrupt old man that is corrupt according to deceitful lusts, are renewed in the spirit of the mind, and put on the new man created after God in righteousness and true holiness, so that words and deeds become fragrant with the holiness of truth. Within that new life, being angry without sinning and ending wrath quickly stands together with putting away lying and speaking truth with neighbors as members one of another, giving no place to the devil, stealing no more but laboring with the hands in order to give to the needy, letting no corrupt communication proceed but only speech that edifies and ministers grace, not grieving the Holy Spirit of God by whom believers are sealed unto the day of redemption, putting away all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking with all malice, and being kind and tenderhearted and forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven. Holding wrath overnight gives place to the devil and opens the way for evil agencies warring against believers to lead them to say and do what pleases the enemy, and where members allow the enemy to work by and through them in unbelief toward one another and refusal of repentance, this creates separation from God that keeps Him from working in the church.
The chapter containing the command is God's plain and simple revelation of His plan, given so that all His children may lay hold upon the truth, appointing the means to keep unity, oneness, and agreement in His church so that its members reveal a healthy and healthful religious experience to the unbelieving world. It calls for obedience to the commandments of God, unity in the faith of the Scriptures, and oneness in Christ Jesus with lives hid with Christ in God, practiced by doing to others as they would have others do to them. Lived out, this bears a living and abiding testimony that the Father loves believers even as He loves His Son, even His only begotten Son, shows appreciation for God's great gift and heaven's provision made at infinite cost, and uses that provision to draw souls to obedience to God's holy law. By consistent courtesy, unwavering fidelity, justice, and mercy, believers thus become laborers together with God, channels for His work in cooperation with heavenly agencies, and partakers of the divine nature who have escaped the corruption in the world through lust, magnifying God's law and making it honorable before the world and demonstrating that the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul, as members of one family in Christ helped onward together in the unity that exists between the Father and the Son. The teaching of the chapter harmonizes with the Old Testament and calls for loyalty to God's law, and obedience to that law brings life and blessing.
The verse sounds a purposeful warning that every soul must take to heart, to stand at the post on guard over self and, having done all, to withstand in the evil day. It calls for a great reformation in words and works and spiritual understanding for those who have become hard-spirited as strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit, so that they may daily breathe the atmosphere of heaven and catch the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts. It calls for the churches to be set in order and the door of unbelief to be closed, for straight paths to be made for the feet so that the weak will not be turned out of the way, and for the rescue of imperiled souls that do not see their own spiritual danger, guarding against the increasing seducing power of Satan that would deceive even the very elect.
Righteous Versus Sinful Anger
Anger is not necessarily sinful, for there is anger without sin when it is holy indignation at the total depravity of the human heart. Righteous indignation is stirred by zeal for God's glory and honor, by concern for seeing the innocent oppressed, by holy feeling against aggravating sin and human depravity, and it can remain in harmony with God while possessing love and mercy. It is not unholy passion nor retaliation against those who give offense. By contrast, anger prompted by self-love or wounded ambition, by supposed provocation, by indulged natural passion, or by a cultivated perverse temper is sinful. Giving way to such temper and cultivating it does not bring happiness, but darkens family life and diminishes joy, so appetites must be restrained, passions controlled, and the whole person brought under discipline with the strength promised for that work.
Moses' anger when Israel dishonored God by idolatry, by breaking the covenant, and by worshiping the idol was righteous indignation arising from zeal for God's glory rather than from self-love or wounded ambition. His breaking of the stone tablets expressed the people's breach of their covenant with God.
Anger or resentment indulged over provocation opens the heart to Satan and gives place to the devil. Evil agencies are then allowed to lead believers to say and do what pleases the enemy. Therefore bitterness and animosity must be banished in order to live in harmony with heaven.
Settling Wrath Every Day
Disagreements and quarrels must be kept out of the home circle and settled the same day, with anger ended before sleep and not carried past sunset. Parents are to enforce this rule and teach quarreling children to hold no unpleasant, angry feelings overnight and to leave no sin unconfessed at the close of day, but to confess and make peace before the day ends. Husband and wife especially are to yield their own way in little things of small consequence instead of persisting until bitterness and wrath enter the home, being kind and considerate to each other, confessing personal weakness, lifting the weight from one another, and making right the same evening the little pettish difficulties that hurt and bruise the soul. Life is too short and too full of sorrow to spend in bruising any sore, tempted heart, and those who belong to Christ must help afflicted souls rather than hinder them and allow nothing to hurt and destroy peace of mind. This daily settling is required so that harmony reigns in the home as it reigns in the heavenly courts, because the family on earth is to be the symbol of the family in heaven.
If ill feeling or disunion toward a brother or sister arises in the heart there must be no disunion carried overnight, but the feeling must be removed the same day before sunset. Prompt reconciliation keeps thoughts on heaven and heavenly things and retains the blessing of God. Anyone who has injured another should confess it to that person and try to make things right, while anyone who has been wronged should show regard and seek to end contention and division. Even if the other person rejects the kindness, doing one’s duty fulfills the obligation, and God gives peace and grace. Preserving Christian love and unity in this way prepares the heart to approach God in faith and confidence and to pray and bring an offering to God.
Settling every difficulty before sunset gains victory over self, for self struggles hard for existence and must be gotten dead, with Jesus Christ formed within as the hope of glory. When alienation, fussing and wrath are put away the same day and not let continue overnight, words and actions and spirit demonstrate belief in the truth and show the Lord is present, with the Holy Spirit striving through believers to reach others. Every soul should also review the week when the Sabbath comes and remove whatever wrong has taken place. The day should not end in darkness, gloom and despair, but wrongs should be made right and despair refused.
The command belongs to the changed life of those who have learned Christ, together with putting away all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking and malice, and practicing kindness and tenderheartedness and forgiveness. Its daily conduct is shaped by humility, meekness, patience and love to preserve unity, in which a gentle answer to a cruel thrust turns away wrath.