Basic HTML Version
In 1 Chron. 28:19
is used to mean “something written,” such as an edict: “All
this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all
the works of this pattern.” The word also refers to a “register” (Ezra 2:62) and to
“scripture” (Dan. 10:21).
Two other related nouns are
and
!
occurs once to mean
something inscribed, specifically a “tatooing” (Lev. 19:28).
"
appears about 9 times
and means “something written, a writing” (Exod. 32:16; Isa. 38:9).
TO BE WROTH, ANGRY
A. Verb.
%
(
, 7107), “to be wroth, angry.” This verb appears 34 times and is found
mainly in the Pentateuch and in the prophets, and a few times in the historical books and
the poetic literature. The word is used in rabbinic Hebrew, but its use in modern Hebrew
has been displaced by other verbs. It is an ancient Canaanite word; as a gloss it appeared
in the Amarna Tablets with the meaning “to become worried,” or according to others, “to
be embittered.” The relation with the Arabic cognate
% 7
is doubtful.
The general meaning of
%
is a strong emotional outburst of anger, especially
when man is the subject of the reaction. The first usage of the word brings this out: “And
Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers … and he put them in [custody] …” (Gen.
40:2-3; cf. 41:10). Moses became bitterly angry with the disobedient Israelites (Exod.
16:20). The leaders of the Philistines “were wroth” with Achish (1 Sam. 29:4), and
Naaman was strongly irritated by Elisha’s lack of a sense of protocol (2 Kings 5:11).
Elisha expressed his anger with Joash, king of Israel (2 Kings 13:19). King Ahasuerus
deposed Vashti in his anger (Esth. 1:12). In these examples an exalted person (generally a
king) demonstrated his royal anger in radical measures against his subjects. He was in a
position “to be angered” by the response of his subjects. It is rarer for a person “to
become angry” with an equal. It is even rarer for a subject “to be angry” with his
superior: “… Two of the king’s chamberlains … were wroth, and sought to lay hand on
the king Ahasuerus” (Esth. 2:21).
The noun derived from
%
particularly refers to God’s anger. The verb
%
is
used 11 times to describe man’s anger and 18 times to refer to God’s anger. This fact,
coupled with the observation that the verb generally is an expression of a superior against
a subject, explains why the biblical text more frequently uses
%
to describe God’s
anger. The object of the anger is often indicated by the preposition (“against”). “For I
was afraid of the anger [ ] and hot displeasure [
], wherewith the Lord was
wroth [
%
] against [ ] you to destroy you” (Deut. 9:19). The Lord’s anger expresses
itself against disobedience (Lev. 10:6) and sin (Eccl. 5:5ff.). However, people themselves
can be the cause for God’s anger (Ps. 106:32). In the wilderness the Israelites provoked
God to wrath by their disobedience and lack of faith: “Remember, and forget not, how
thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst
depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious
against the Lord” (Deut. 9:7; cf. vv. 8, 22). Moses spoke about God’s wrath against
Israel’s disobedience which would in time be the occasion for the Exile (Deut. 29:27),