anger

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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.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 15:18

“A hot-tempered man stirs up strife”: “A hot-tempered man” is literally “a man of wrath.” “Wrath” is the same word used in verse 1. “A hot-tempered man” is a person who is quick-tempered or easily angered. He is the opposite of the person who is “slow to anger” in the next line. “Stirs up strife” means “causes arguments” or “. . . disputes.”

“But he who is slow to anger quiets contention”: Note that New Revised Standard Version avoids the strictly male language with “those who” in both lines of this verse. “Slow to anger”, as in 14.29, means that such a person does not become angry quickly. “Quiets contention” means “calms fighting people,” or “cools the hearts of quarrelers.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .