WG: Wrath / Anger¶
Overview¶
The NT anger/wrath concept involves a cluster of Greek words distinguishing types, intensities, and expressions of anger — from the hot flash of fury (thumos) to settled judicial displeasure (orgē), and the associated vices that accompany wrathful disposition.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G2372 | θυμός | thymós | noun | 18 | The passion (boiling fury) | G2372 |
| G3709 | ὀργή | orgē | noun | 33 | The settled anger (judicial wrath) | G3709 |
| G2373 | θυμόω | thymóō | verb | 1 | The action (to enrage) | TODO(need G2373 study) |
| G2371 | θυμομαχέω | thymomachéō | verb | 1 | The outburst (to fight furiously) | TODO(need G2371 study) |
| G3710 | ὀργίζω | orgízō | verb | 8 | The state (to be angry) | TODO(need G3710 study) |
| G3949 | παροργίζω | parorgízō | verb | 3 | The provocation (to cause anger) | TODO(need G3949 study) |
| G3950 | παροργισμός | parorgismós | noun | 1 | The result (state of provocation) | TODO(need G3950 study) |
| G2052 | ἐριθεία | eritheía | noun | 3 | Associated vice (selfish ambition) | TODO(need G2052 study) |
| G2549 | κακία | kakía | noun | 10 | Associated vice (malice) | TODO(need G2549 study) |
Relationships¶
Shared Roots¶
- θυμ- family: θυμός (G2372), θυμόω (G2373), θυμομαχέω (G2371) — all from θύω (G2380, "to rush/breathe hard")
- ὀργ- family: ὀργή (G3709), ὀργίζω (G3710), ὀργίλος (G3711) — from ὀρέγω ("to reach/stretch")
- παρ-οργ- family: παροργίζω (G3949), παροργισμός (G3950) — παρά + ὀργή (provoked anger)
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| θυμός (G2372) | ὀργή (G3709) | 6x | Paired for intensity: "fierceness and wrath" (Rev), vice lists (Eph, Col) |
| θυμός (G2372) | οἶνος (G3631) | 5x | "Wine of wrath" metaphor (Rev 14, 16, 18, 19) |
| θυμός (G2372) | ἐριθεία (G2052) | 3x | Vice-list pairings (Rom 2:8, 2 Cor 12:20, Gal 5:20) |
| θυμός (G2372) | κακία (G2549) | 2x | Vice-list pairings (Eph 4:31, Col 3:8) |
| ὀργή (G3709) | οἶνος (G3631) | 3x | "Wine of wrath" in Revelation |
| ὀργή (G3709) | κακία (G2549) | 2x | Vice lists (Eph 4:31, Col 3:8) |
Roles in the Concept¶
- Passionate eruption: θυμός — the boiling-over fury, the flash of intense rage (from "breathing hard")
- Settled disposition: ὀργή — the abiding anger, judicial displeasure, the deliberate verdict
- Provocation: παροργίζω / παροργισμός — what triggers anger, being stirred to wrath
- Action: θυμόω — to put into a passion; ὀργίζω — to be in a state of anger
- Extreme expression: θυμομαχέω — to fight in a fury (thumos + machē)
- Vice-list companions: ἐριθεία (factional strife), κακία (malice) — the social sins that cluster with anger
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Eph 4:31 — "Let all bitterness, and wrath (thumos), and anger (orgē), and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice (kakia)"
- Three group words in one verse: thumos + orgē + kakia
- Col 3:8 — "Put off all these; anger (orgē), wrath (thumos), malice (kakia), blasphemy"
- Three group words: orgē + thumos + kakia
- Rom 2:8 — "indignation (thumos) and wrath (orgē)" upon the unrighteous
- thumos + orgē paired for divine judgment
- Rev 16:19 — "the cup of the wine of the fierceness (thumos) of his wrath (orgē)"
- thumos + orgē combined for maximal eschatological intensity
- Rev 19:15 — "the winepress of the fierceness (thumos) and wrath (orgē) of Almighty God"
- thumos + orgē as the climactic expression of divine fury
Semantic Distinction: θυμός vs. ὀργή¶
These two words appear together 6 times, always in a specific pattern: - In vice lists (Eph 4:31, Col 3:8): listed as separate sins to mortify — thumos is the impulsive outburst, orgē is the harbored resentment - In divine judgment (Rom 2:8, Rev 14:10, 16:19, 19:15): combined to convey both the fierce intensity (thumos) and the judicial authority (orgē) of God's eschatological wrath - The KJV typically renders orgē as "anger" and thumos as "wrath" in vice lists, but reverses this in Revelation (orgē = "wrath," thumos = "fierceness")
Generated from: search_strongs.py, strongs_translations.db, co-occurrence queries Last updated: 2026-03-31