anger

Click here to view graphically

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “anger” in English in this verse is translated with a variety of solutions (Bratcher / Nida says: “Since anger has so many manifestations and seems to affect so many aspects of personality, it is not strange that expressions used to describe this emotional response are so varied).”

  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “be warm inside”
  • Mende: “have a cut heart”
  • Mískito: “have a split heart”
  • Tzotzil: “have a hot heart”
  • Mossi: “a swollen heart”
  • Western Kanjobal: “fire of the viscera”
  • San Blas Kuna: “pain in the heart”
  • Chimborazo Highland Quichua: “not with good eye”
  • Citak: two different terms, one meaning “angry” and one meaning “offended,” both are actually descriptions of facial expressions. The former can be represented by an angry stretching of the eyes or by an angry frown. The latter is similarly expressed by an offended type of frown with one’s head lowered. (Source: Graham Ogden)

See also God’s anger.

complete verse (Colossians 3:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Colossians 3:8:

  • Uma: “But at this time, we release / let-go-of all behavior like that. Don’t be angry, don’t hold-grudges, don’t be-hateful. Don’t let disparaging, critical or profane words be-uttered from our lips.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But now you ought to abandon your customs which are bad, like anger, hating and having bad thoughts toward your companion. You must/ought not to slander your companion or talk obscenely to your companion.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And now it’s necessary that we (incl.) abandon every kind of evil behavior like getting angry and being against other people, harming people, gossip, and insulting anyone.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But now you must avoid all these-things: don’t get-angry, don’t think-about treating-your fellows -maliciously, and don’t speak-evil of them. Don’t also come-out-with (lit. cause-to-come-out) filthy words.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But now throw away from your lives the spurning/ignoring and anger/hatred against your fellowman, that being the origin of your wanting to harm them. Drop now abusive-speech toward others. You must not now rudely-criticise your companions.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But now in this day separate from all this I will tell you here: Don’t be angry, don’t want to just to dispute, don’t be insulters. Don’t want to be enemies. Don’t speak bad words.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Colossians 3:8

Now: Translator’s New Testament takes it not as simply temporal, but as a consequence of the preceding argument, and translates “now as Christians” (see Note). But it would appear that now is best interpreted as suggesting a contrast with the temporal expression at one time in the previous verse.

You must get rid of all these things must undergo rather considerable change in some languages if the correct meaning is to be preserved. In the first place, these things refer to actions and emotions, not to objects, and you must get rid of must often be expressed as “you must no longer do” or “you must stop doing.” Such phrases can then be best linked directly with the wrong attitudes or actions by saying “you must no longer be angry.”

This verse lists five sins which the Colossians are to get rid of (see the same verb in Rom 13.12; Eph 4.22, 25; 1 Peter 2.1; James 1.21). The first two are practically synonymous: anger and passion. Some commentators see the first (orgē) as the settled condition and the second one (thumos) as occasional outbursts of passion. Anger and passion are frequently expressed in metaphorical language. For example, anger may be referred to as “being hot in the face” or “burning in your heart,” and passion is sometimes referred to as “exploding with anger” or “his heart is fighting.”

Hateful feelings translates a Greek word which means “evil” or “wickedness” in its most general aspect. The more specific “malice” (Revised Standard Version) is a possible interpretation (also Phillips New English Bible New American Bible New International Version). An ancient Greek lexicographer, Suidas, defined kakia thus: “the eagerness to harm one’s neighbor”f 9 fr 3.8 ft Quoted by Abbott, op. cit., p. 144. (so Lightfoot, Peake). Kakia may thus be translated as “desire to do bad to others,” or “desire to harm others,” or “… cause them to suffer.”

Insults (Good News Translation) or “slander” (Revised Standard Version and others) is abusive speech against someone by telling lies or otherwise insulting him. (The word may mean “blasphemy,” that is, irreverent speech about God, but this meaning is hardly possible here.) Since insulting is an element of universal behavior, there is generally no difficulty involved in finding an adequate term to express such actions. In some cases, however, a more descriptive expression may be used, for example, “saying bad things about people.”

“Foul talk” (Revised Standard Version) represents a Greek word which occurs only here in the NT (see a close parallel in Eph 5.4). New English Bible has “filthy talk,” New American Bible New International Version “filthy language.”

Obscene talk may simply be expressed as “using words that should never be spoken” or as in some instances, “speaking taboo words.”

Why “from your mouth” (Revised Standard Version) is added is hard to tell, since the last sin mentioned is by definition a matter of speaking. It is not necessary to represent this phrase formally in translation as Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version have done; see Jerusalem Bible Phillips New English Bible New American Bible. Rather than from your lips many languages use “from you mouth,” or “from your tongue,” or “from your throat.” It is, however, usually more natural to say “you must not insult people or use bad words,” rather than to speak of insults and obscene talk “coming from one’s lips.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .