Ephesians 4:26 kjv
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Ephesians 4:26 nkjv
"Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
Ephesians 4:26 niv
"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
Ephesians 4:26 esv
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
Ephesians 4:26 nlt
And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry,
Ephesians 4 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ephesians 4:26 | Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger | Ephesians 4:26 |
| Psalm 4:4 | Be angry, and do not sin; commune with your own heart on your bed, and be still. | Psalm 4:4 |
| Psalm 37:8 | Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! do not fret; it only leads to evil. | Psalm 37:8 |
| Proverbs 14:29 | Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered displays folly. | Proverbs 14:29 |
| Proverbs 15:18 | A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is slow to anger calms a dispute. | Proverbs 15:18 |
| Proverbs 15:1 | A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. | Proverbs 15:1 |
| Proverbs 19:11 | Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression. | Proverbs 19:11 |
| Proverbs 22:24-25 | Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. | Proverbs 22:24-25 |
| Proverbs 29:22 | A man of quick temper stirs up strife, and everyone who is hotheaded makes a dispute worse. | Proverbs 29:22 |
| Ecclesiastes 7:9 | Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry. | Ecclesiastes 7:9 |
| Matthew 5:22 | But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment... | Matthew 5:22 |
| Mark 3:5 | And when he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved, at the hardness of their hearts, Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” | Mark 3:5 |
| Romans 12:19 | Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” | Romans 12:19 |
| Romans 14:19 | So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. | Romans 14:19 |
| 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 | Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful... | 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 |
| Galatians 5:19-22 | Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. | Galatians 5:19-22 |
| Colossians 3:8 | But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. | Colossians 3:8 |
| James 1:19-20 | Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. | James 1:19-20 |
| 1 Peter 2:1 | So put away all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. | 1 Peter 2:1 |
| Revelation 6:16-17 | They said to the mountains and to the rock, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb... | Revelation 6:16-17 |
Ephesians 4 verses
Ephesians 4 26 Meaning
Do not let your anger control your actions or lead you to sin. The anger should be transient, and not carried into the night. This principle promotes reconciliation and avoids festering bitterness.
Ephesians 4 26 Context
This verse is found within Ephesians chapter 4, which Paul dedicates to practical Christian living, particularly focusing on unity within the body of Christ. He urges believers to live a life worthy of their calling, which involves abandoning former sinful behaviors and adopting new, Christ-like attitudes and actions. Specifically, verses 17-32 address the renewal of the mind and the transformation from the old life of sin to the new life in Christ. This includes putting off falsehood, speaking truthfully, controlling anger, working honestly, and letting kind, forgiving words build others up.
Historically, Greco-Roman society often viewed anger as a legitimate expression of honor or a sign of strength when controlled, but also recognized its destructive potential. The emphasis in this verse aligns with Stoic philosophy's ideal of apatheia (freedom from disturbing passions), though Paul grounds it in divine revelation and the character of Christ, rather than human reason alone. The command "do not let the sun go down on your anger" likely stems from ancient rabbinic teachings which viewed harboring anger overnight as particularly grievous.
Ephesians 4 26 Word Analysis
- ἐνθυμοῦ (enthymou): Present imperative active of θυμόω (thymoo). Literally "to be angry." The imperative indicates a command.
- ὀργίζεσθε (orgizesthe): Present imperative middle/passive of ὀργίζω (orgizo). It means "to be angry." The middle/passive voice suggests that anger can come upon someone or that one can be subject to anger.
- καὶ (kai): Conjunction meaning "and." Connects the two clauses.
- μὴ (mē): Negative particle.
- ἁμαρτάνετε (hamartanete): Present imperative active of ἁμαρτάνω (hamartanō). It means "to miss the mark," "to sin," or "to do wrong." The continuous present tense indicates an ongoing action of sinning, not to be continually committed.
- οὐ (ou): Stronger negative particle.
- διδετε (didote): Present imperative active of δίδωμι (didōmi), meaning "to give." Here it means "give an opportunity" or "allow."
- τῷ (tō): Definite article, dative case. "to the."
- διαβόλῳ (diabolō): Dative case of διάβολος (diabolos), meaning "devil" or "accuser." Here it signifies the devil or Satan.
- ὑμῶν (hymōn): Possessive pronoun, second person plural, "your."
- ὀργὴ (orgē): Noun meaning "anger," "wrath," or "indignation."
- μὴ (mē): Negative particle, used with the indicative mood in temporal clauses.
- δύη (duē): Third person singular subjunctive active of δύω (duō), "to sink" or "to set." Used here with "sun" to indicate the setting of the sun.
- ὁ (ho): Definite article, masculine nominative singular, referring to the sun.
- ἥλιος (hēlios): Noun meaning "sun."
Word Group Analysis
- "Be angry and do not sin" (ὀργίζεσθε καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε - orgizesthe kai mē hamartanete): This is a paradoxical command. It acknowledges that anger itself is not inherently sinful, but that it becomes sinful when it leads to or is expressed in sin. It’s an allowance for righteous indignation, but a strict prohibition against the sinful outworking of anger. The emphasis is on controlling the emotion, not necessarily eradicating it entirely.
- "do not let the sun go down on your anger" (μὴ διδετε τῷ διαβόλῳ ὑμῶν ὀργὴ μὴ δύη ὁ ἥλιος - mē didote tō diabolō hymōn orgē mē duē ho hēlios): This phrase emphasizes the need for swift reconciliation and the avoidance of harboring bitterness or resentment. Unresolved anger becomes an opportunity for the devil (who thrives on division and strife) to work within an individual or within the community. The setting of the sun signifies the end of a day and implies that unresolved anger should not carry over into a new period.
Ephesians 4 26 Bonus Section
The concept of "righteous anger" finds precedents in the Old Testament, where God Himself expresses anger at sin and injustice (e.g., God’s anger with Israel’s idolatry). However, human anger is often prone to self-righteousness and sin. The New Testament emphasis, particularly from Jesus’ teachings (Matthew 5:22), stresses controlling one's anger to avoid judgmentalism and enmity. The "devil" (diabolos) in this context represents the forces of evil that exploit unresolved conflict and bitterness to sow discord among Christians, thereby undermining the unity Paul advocates for throughout Ephesians 4. The urgency of reconciliation is echoed in Jesus' instruction about leaving gifts at the altar to reconcile with a brother first (Matthew 5:23-24).
Ephesians 4 26 Commentary
Paul provides a balanced perspective on anger. He does not condemn all anger, recognizing that there are times for righteous indignation when injustice or sin is encountered, akin to Jesus’ anger in Mark 3:5. However, he sternly warns against allowing anger to fester or lead to destructive actions or attitudes. The critical point is the sinfulness that arises from anger, not the emotion itself. Unchecked anger opens the door for the devil’s influence, creating division and hindering fellowship. The directive to not let the sun go down on one's anger is a practical instruction to resolve conflicts and forgive quickly, preventing bitterness from taking root. This cultivates an environment of peace and mutual edification within the body of believers, as exhorted in Romans 14:19.
- Practical Example: If you have an argument with a fellow believer, address the issue that same day. Seek understanding, apologize if you are at fault, and offer forgiveness if wronged. Do not let pride or stubbornness keep you from resolving the matter before the end of the day, thus denying any foothold for resentment or the adversary.