Wrathful
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The term "wrathful" refers to the intense anger or indignation that is often associated with divine judgment or human emotion. In the biblical context, wrath is primarily attributed to God as a response to sin and disobedience, but it can also describe human anger when it aligns with righteous indignation.

Divine Wrath

God's wrath is a central theme in the Bible, reflecting His holiness and justice. It is not capricious or arbitrary but is a measured response to sin and rebellion against His divine order. The wrath of God is depicted as a righteous and necessary reaction to uphold His moral law and covenant with humanity.

In the Old Testament, God's wrath is often demonstrated through direct intervention in human affairs, such as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24-25) and the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7-12). The prophets frequently warned of God's impending wrath as a consequence of Israel's idolatry and unfaithfulness. For instance, Nahum 1:2 states, "The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and full of wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on His foes and reserves wrath for His enemies."

The New Testament continues to affirm the reality of divine wrath, particularly in the context of eschatological judgment. Romans 1:18 declares, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the ungodliness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness." This passage underscores the ongoing nature of God's wrath against sin, culminating in the final judgment.

Human Wrath

While divine wrath is just and holy, human wrath is often cautioned against in Scripture due to its potential for sinfulness and lack of control. James 1:19-20 advises, "My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man's anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires."

However, there are instances where human wrath is portrayed positively, particularly when it aligns with God's righteous standards. Ephesians 4:26 instructs, "Be angry, yet do not sin." This suggests that anger, when directed against sin and injustice, can be appropriate if it is controlled and does not lead to sin.

The Wrath of the Lamb

In the book of Revelation, the "wrath of the Lamb" is a unique expression of divine wrath associated with Jesus Christ. Revelation 6:16-17 describes a time of great tribulation, where people will call to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?" This passage highlights the dual role of Christ as both Savior and Judge, emphasizing the seriousness of rejecting His offer of salvation.

Appeasement of Wrath

The Bible teaches that God's wrath can be appeased through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 5:9 assures believers, "Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!" The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross is the ultimate means by which God's wrath is satisfied, offering reconciliation and peace to those who believe.

In summary, the concept of wrath in the Bible serves as a reminder of God's holiness and justice, the seriousness of sin, and the necessity of repentance and faith in Christ to escape divine judgment.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (a.) Full of wrath; very angry; greatly incensed; ireful; passionate; as, a wrathful man.

2. (a.) Springing from, or expressing, wrath; as, a wrathful countenance.

Strong's Hebrew
2534. chemah -- heat, rage
... 1), fury (9), heat (2), hot displeasure (1), hot-tempered (3), poison (2), rage
(3), venom (5), wrath (86), wrath and raging (1), wrathful (2), wrathful* (1). ...
/hebrew/2534.htm - 6k

7107. qatsaph -- to be angry
... root Definition to be angry NASB Word Usage angry (21), became angry (1),
became...angry (1), become wrathful (1), enraged (1), furious (3), provoked (1 ...
/hebrew/7107.htm - 6k

2740. charon -- (burning of) anger
... fierceness (3), fury (1), wrath (3). sore displeasure, fierceness, fury,
fierce wrathful. Or (shortened) charon {khaw-rone'}; from ...
/hebrew/2740.htm - 6k

1167. baal -- owner, lord
... master's (1), masters (1), men (14), owner (15), owners (2), possessors (2), relative
by marriage (1), schemer* (1), who has (1), who practice (1), wrathful* (1 ...
/hebrew/1167.htm - 6k

Library

Demonstration xxi. --Of Persecution.
... him, it was very contemptible in my eyes, and I said to him:""Inasmuch as the words
of the Prophet were said in wrath, is the whole passage wrathful, or is ...
/.../aphrahat/aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration xxi of persecution.htm

The Testament of Dan Concerning Anger and Lying.
... There is blindness in anger, my children, and no wrathful man regardeth any person
with truth: for though it be a father or a mother, he behaveth towards them ...
/.../the testaments of the twelve patriarchs/vii the testament of dan concerning.htm

Jesus Christ the Mediator
... of his Son, even more now being reconciled by his blood we shall be saved from wrath
through him." [68] However, when God is said to be wrathful, this does not ...
/.../augustine/handbook on faith hope and love/chapter x jesus christ the.htm

An Explanation of Three Things which Most of all Might be Likely ...
... AN EXPLANATION OF THREE THINGS WHICH MOST OF ALL MIGHT BE LIKELY TO BE REPUGNANT
TO A LOVING HEART IN GOD."ONE IS, HOW HE CAN APPEAR SO WRATHFUL AND YET BE ...
/.../suso/a little book of eternal wisdom/chapter viii an explanation of.htm

Fix Thou Our Hearing, that it be not Loosed and Wander!
... 3. Let us learn in what way that Being is spiritual and appeared as corporeal;
and how it also is tranquil and appears as wrathful. ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn iii fix thou our.htm

Psalm LXXXV.
... Thou wouldest not see them: "Thou hast covered all their sins." "Thou hast appeased
all Thy anger: Thou hast turned Thyself from Thy wrathful indignation" (ver ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxxxv.htm

The Apology of Aristides the Philosopher. Translated from the ...
... man, to whom at times when he looks for joy, there comes trouble, and when he looks
for laughter there comes to him weeping,"who is wrathful and covetous and ...
/.../kay/the apology of aristides the philosopher/the apology of aristides the.htm

Treatise v. An Address to Demetrianus.
... saith the Lord." [3414]. 7. Behold, the Lord is angry and wrathful, and
threatens, because you turn not unto Him. And you wonder or ...
/.../cyprian/the treatises of cyprian/treatise v an address to.htm

Hymns on the Nativity. Hymn i. This is the Day that Gladdened Them ...
... The wrathful man if he wakes, fretful with wrath his wake will be, and
his watching proves to him full of rage and of cursings. ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymns on the nativity hymn.htm

A Little Sanctuary
... the rain pours down. If the wrath of man is made to praise the Lord, then
let man be wrathful if he wills. Brethren, let us brace ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 34 1888/a little sanctuary.htm

Thesaurus
Wrathful (11 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Full of wrath; very angry; greatly incensed; ireful;
passionate; as, a wrathful man. ...Wrathful (11 Occurrences). ...
/w/wrathful.htm - 9k

Rebukes (13 Occurrences)
... an instruction and an astonishment, to the nations that are around you, when I shall
execute judgments on you in anger and in wrath, and in wrathful rebukes; (I ...
/r/rebukes.htm - 10k

Chastisements (5 Occurrences)
... an instruction and an astonishment, to the nations that are around you, when I shall
execute judgments on you in anger and in wrath, and in wrathful rebukes; (I ...
/c/chastisements.htm - 7k

Stirs (23 Occurrences)
... (WEB NAS RSV NIV). Proverbs 15:18 A wrathful man stirs up contention, but
one who is slow to anger appeases strife. (WEB NAS RSV NIV). ...
/s/stirs.htm - 12k

Strife (71 Occurrences)
... (See NAS RSV). Proverbs 15:18 A wrathful man stirs up contention, but one who is
slow to anger appeases strife. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV). ...
/s/strife.htm - 27k

Execute (83 Occurrences)
... an instruction and an astonishment, to the nations that are around you, when I shall
execute judgments on you in anger and in wrath, and in wrathful rebukes; (I ...
/e/execute.htm - 34k

Wroth (65 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Full of wrath; angry; incensed; much exasperated;
wrathful. Multi-Version Concordance Wroth (65 Occurrences). ...
/w/wroth.htm - 26k

Wraths (1 Occurrence)

/w/wraths.htm - 6k

Indignant (22 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Displeased; annoyed; exasperated; affected with
indignation; wrathful; passionate; irate; feeling wrath, as when a person is ...
/i/indignant.htm - 12k

Dregs (7 Occurrences)
... wring (the American Standard Revised Version "drain") them out and drink them"
(Psalm 75:8), ie God gives to the wicked the cup of wrathful judgment, which ...
/d/dregs.htm - 9k

Resources
What is the biblical understanding of the wrath of God? | GotQuestions.org

What is hellfire preaching? Is hellfire preaching biblical? | GotQuestions.org

What are the religious / spiritual beliefs of Native Americans? | GotQuestions.org

Wrathful: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Wrathful (11 Occurrences)

Leviticus 10:6
And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.
(See NAS)

Leviticus 26:28
Then my wrath will be burning against you, and I will give you punishment, I myself, seven times for your sins.
(See NAS)

Deuteronomy 9:19
For I was full of fear because of the wrath of the Lord which was burning against you, with your destruction in view. But again the Lord's ear was open to my prayer.
(See NAS)

Psalms 69:24
Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.
(KJV WBS)

Proverbs 15:18
A wrathful man stirs up contention, but one who is slow to anger appeases strife.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS)

Proverbs 22:24
Make no friendship with a man that is given to anger; And with a wrathful man thou shalt not go:
(See JPS ASV RSV)

Proverbs 29:22
An angry man stirs up strife, and a wrathful man abounds in sin.
(WEB JPS ASV)

Ezekiel 5:15
So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment, to the nations that are around you, when I shall execute judgments on you in anger and in wrath, and in wrathful rebukes; (I, Yahweh, have spoken it;)
(WEB ASV)

Ezekiel 25:17
I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes; and they shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall lay my vengeance on them.
(WEB ASV NAS RSV)

Nahum 1:2
The LORD is a jealous and avenging God, the LORD avengeth and is full of wrath; the LORD taketh vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserveth wrath for His enemies.
(See NAS RSV)

Habakkuk 3:8
Was Jehovah wrathful with the rivers? Was thine anger against the rivers? Was thy rage against the sea, That thou didst ride upon thy horses, Thy chariots of salvation?
(DBY)

Subtopics

Wrathful

Related Terms

Wrathful (11 Occurrences)

Wreak (1 Occurrence)

Enmities (1 Occurrence)

Discord (7 Occurrences)

Parties (13 Occurrences)

Sects (3 Occurrences)

Lest (282 Occurrences)

Wrath upon Israel
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