Got Angry?

I recently got into a discussion with a friend wherein I said that I was upset, but not angry. He rejected the distinction and challenged me to offer Biblical support for my assertion. Whenever someone challenges you to support something from the Bible, in my opinion, they pretty much have their mind made up. From here you begin trading evidence and comparing authorities with little result except an increase in, well… anger. Although it might be frustration… or confusion… or some other word that represents an internal emotional state. 

Understanding the degree of emotional states related to anger requires an understanding of the linguistic concept of semantic range. Almost every word we use has a range of meaning, which can then be applied to various contexts. The context limits the application of the particular term: it defines the use of that word in that context. There are many examples that work well in English; Greek and Hebrew are no different. An easy one is the word ‘trunk.’ What does that word mean? You might identify an elephant’s nose, a box used to store clothes while traveling, the main branch of a tree or the rear storage compartment of a vehicle. So in my situation, I made a distinction between being upset and being angry that my friend rejected; but do the words of the Bible represent various degrees of emotion related to the internal emotional state we call anger?

One of the standard reference tools that deals with semantic range and biblical words is a lexicon (dictionary) that arranges words by ‘semantic domain.’ The title: ‘Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains,’ is not only catchy, but also clearly describes what the work intends to accomplish. It arranges the words used in Scripture according to the overlap in meaning. Section 88 deals with ‘Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior,’ subsection X deals with ‘Anger, Be Indignant With.’ This subsection lists 21 different words for anger which cover a diverse range of emotional states, all of which could be translated by the English word ‘anger.’ The context would then limit the focus of the word for anger to a specific situation. If I used the word: χολάω (cholaō), the basic use in various contexts indicates that the word means: ‘to have a strong feeling of displeasure and antagonism as the result of some real or supposed wrong.’ But other words are used in different contexts which indicate emotion that is out of control: θυμός (thumos) in various contexts means: ‘a state of intense anger, with the implication of passionate outbursts—anger, fury, wrath, rage;’ ἄνοια (anoia) is used to indicate: ‘a state of such extreme anger as to suggest an incapacity to use one’s mind.’ Each of these words can be translated by the English word ‘anger,’ but there is a substantial difference in what the words mean in context. 

So when I told my friend that I was upset, but not angry I meant that yes, I was disturbed at a perceived wrong, but no so consumed with emotion that I was unable to continue the dialogue. He still rejects the distinction, and I’ve dropped the discussion, deeming it more important to move on rather than continue to beat the proverbial dead horse. I suppose the lesson in all this is to choose your words carefully and be ready when someone disagrees with you to continue the dialogue and seek resolution. I am resolved with my friend and we have both taken ownership of poor communication having taken the time to listen to one another and seek the fellowship of believers in Christ. And that is more important than the distinction between terms.