Be angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your anger.

“For I trust that ye are well versed in the Sacred Scriptures, and that nothing is hid from you; but to me this privilege is not yet granted. It is declared then in these Scriptures, "Be ye angry, and sin not," and, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Happy is he who remembers this, which I believe to be the case with you. But may the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Son of God, and our everlasting High Priest, build you up in faith and truth, and in all meekness, gentleness, patience, long-suffering, forbearance, and purity; and may He bestow on you a lot and portion among His saints, and on us with you, and on all that are under heaven, who shall believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, and in His Father, who "raised Him from the dead." Pray for all the saints. Pray also for kings, and potentates, and princes, and for those that persecute and hate you, and for the enemies of the cross, that your fruit may be manifest to all, and that ye may be perfect in Him.”

“However, both the laws served the Word for the instruction of humanity, both that given by Moses and that by the apostles. What, therefore, is the nature of the training by the apostles, appears to me to require to be treated of. Under this head, I, or rather the Instructor by me, will recount; and I shall again set before you the precepts themselves, as it were in the germ. "Putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath; neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ hath forgiven you. Be therefore wise, followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us."...”

“Learn then now, that His is a spiritual armour and warfare, since you have already discovered that the captivity is spiritual, in order that you may further learn that this also belongs to Him, even because the apostle derived the mention of the captivity from the same prophets as suggested to him his precepts likewise: "Putting away lying," (says he, ) "speak every man truth with his neighbour; " and again, using the very words in which the Psalm expresses his meaning, (he says, ) "Be ye angry, and sin not; " "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.”

“But in his first steps he will be gentle, loveable, quiet, pious, pacific, hating injustice, detesting gifts, not allowing idolatry; loving, says he, the Scriptures, reverencing priests, honouring his elders, repudiating fornication, detesting adultery, giving no heed to slanders, not admitting oaths, kind to strangers, kind to the poor, compassionate. And then he will work wonders, cleansing lepers, raising paralytics, expelling demons, proclaiming things remote just as things present, raising the dead, helping widows, defending orphans, loving all, reconciling in love men who contend, and saying to such, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath;" and he will not acquire gold, nor love silver, nor seek riches.”

“That anger must be overcome, lest it constrain us to sin. In Solomon in the Proverbs: "Better is a patient man than a strong man; for he who restrains his anger is better than he who taketh a city." Also in the same place: "The imprudent man declareth his anger on the same day, but the crafty man hideth away his dishonour." Of this same thing to the Ephesians: "Be ye angry, and sin not. Let not the sun set upon your wrath." Also in the Gospel according to Matthew: "Ye have heard that it was said by the ancients, Thou shalt not kill; and whoever shall kill shall be guilty of the judgment. But I say unto you, That every one who is angry with his brother without cause shall be guilty of the judgment."”

“But because I had said that the anger of God is not for a time only, as is the case with man, who becomes inflamed with an immediate excitement, and on account of his frailty is unable easily to govern himself, we ought to understand that because God is eternal, His anger also remains to eternity; but, on the other hand, that because He is endued with the greatest excellence, He controls His anger, and is not ruled by it, but that He regulates it according to His will. And it is plain that this is not opposed to that which has just been said. For if His anger had been altogether immortal, there would be no place after a fault for satisfaction or kind feeling, though He Himself commands men to be reconciled before the setting of the sun. But the divine anger remains for ever against those who ever sin. Therefore God is appeased not by incense or a victim, not by costly offerings, which things are all corruptible, but by a reformation of the morals: and he who ceases to sin renders the anger of God mortal.”

“Be ye therefore righteous judges, peacemakers, and without anger. For "he that is angry with his brother without a cause is obnoxious to the judgment." But if it happens that by any one's contrivance you are angry at anybody, "let not the sun go down upon your wrath; " for says David, "Be angry and sin not; " that is, be soon reconciled, lest your wrath continue so long that it turn to a settled hatred, and work sin. "For the souls of those that bear a settled hatred are to death," says Solomon. But our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ says in the Gospels: "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift to God." Now the gift to God is every one's prayer and thanksgiving. If, therefore, thou hast anything against thy brother, or he has anything against thee, neither will thy prayers be heard, nor will thy thanksgivings be accepted, by reason of that hidden anger.”

“Observe his wisdom. He both speaks to prevent our sinning, and, if we do not listen, still does not forsake us; for his fatherly compassion does not desert him. For just as the physician prescribes to the sick what he must do, and if he does not submit to it, still does not treat him with contempt, but proceeding to add what advice he can by persuasion, again goes on with the cure; so also does Paul. For he indeed who does otherwise, aims only at reputation, and is annoyed at being disregarded; whereas he who on all occasions aims at the recovery of the patient, has this single object in view, how he may restore the patient, and raise him up again. This then is what Paul is doing. He has said, "Lie not." Yet if ever lying should produce anger, he goes on again to cure this also. For what saith he? "Be ye angry, and sin not." It were good indeed never to be angry. Yet if ever any one should fall into passion, still let him not fall into so great a degree. "For let not the sun," saith he, "go down upon your wrath." Wouldest thou have thy fill of anger? One hour, or two, or three, is enough for thee; let not the sun depart, and leave you both at enmity. It was of God's goodness that he rose: let him not depart, having shone on unworthy men. For if the Lord of His great goodness sent him, and hath Himself forgiven thee thy sins, and yet thou forgivest not thy neighbor, look, how great an evil is this! And there is yet another besides this. The blessed Paul dreads the night, lest overtaking in solitude him that was wronged, still burning with anger, it should again kindle up the fire. For as long as there are many things in the daytime to banish it, thou art free to indulge it; but as soon as ever the evening comes on, be reconciled, extinguish the evil whilst it is yet fresh; for should night overtake it, the morrow will not avail to extinguish the further evil which will have been collected in the night. Nay, even though thou shouldest cut off the greater portion, and yet not be able to cut off the whole, it will again supply from what is left for the following night, to make the blaze more violent. And just as, should the sun be unable by the heat of the day to soften and disperse that part of the air which has been during the night condensed into cloud, it affords material for a tempest, night overtaking the remainder, and feeding it again with fresh vapors: so also is it in the case of anger.”

“Having set forth above the general admonition, that they should put on newness, here the Apostle sets down specific precepts. Concerning this he does two things. First, he forbids them the interior sins that corrupt the spirit; second, the exterior sins, which corrupt the flesh, at "but fornication," etc. The first is divided into two. First he prohibits sins which consist in the disordering of oneself; second, sins which consist in the disordering of another, at "let no evil speech," etc. The first is again divided into three, because first he prohibits the sin corrupting the rational power; second, the sin disordering the irascible power, at "be angry, and sin not," etc.; third, the sin pertaining to the concupiscible power, at "he who stole," etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First, because he prohibits one of these; second, he leads them toward the other; third, he assigns the reason. He therefore first prohibits that which pertains to the old man, so that this text is expository of what he had said before: "put on the new man" — for the putting on of which he first forbids lying, because by this sin of the mouth the truth of reason is corrupted. Hence he says "wherefore," namely that the new man is to be put on, "be" — understand this — "putting away lying," because, as it is said in Psalm 5:7: "You will destroy all who speak lying," namely pernicious lying. And afterward he leads them toward newness, saying, Zechariah 8:16: "Speak the truth, each one with his neighbor." And why? "Because we are members one of another." For members love one another and help one another mutually in truth. Romans 12:5: "We are one body in Christ, and each one members one of another." There follows: "Be angry," etc. Here he prohibits the sin corrupting the irascible power. Concerning this he does three things. First he sets down the admonition; second he expounds it, at "let not the sun go down," etc.; third he gives the reason, at "give no place," etc. Now he sets down the admonition when he says "be angry," etc. This can be expounded in two ways, because there is a twofold species of anger, one good, one bad. It is bad indeed when it tends inordinately toward vengeance, namely against justice; but it is good when it tends toward due vengeance, that is, when someone is angry when it is fitting, with whom it is fitting, and as much as is fitting. And it can be expounded of either. If of the bad, the sense is thus: he does not command, but permits; as if he were to say: if it is so that a movement of anger arises — which is human — do not sin, that is, do not carry it through to effect by consent. 1 Corinthians 10:13: "Let no temptation take hold of you but such as is human." For certainly, whoever is angry with his brother otherwise will be liable to judgment, as it is said in Matthew 5:22. Concerning this anger Joseph warned his brothers, Genesis 45:24: "Do not be angry on the way." But if it is expounded of the good, then it is taken not only permissively, as at first, but imperatively: "be angry," namely against your sins, since there is a twofold vengeance which man seeks. One concerning himself sinning, and thus penance is a certain vengeance which a man exacts and takes upon himself. And this is good anger, and of this it is said imperatively, "be angry," namely against your sins, "and sin not," namely henceforth, nor commit such things against which it would again be necessary to be angry. Now some believe that a man can safely be angry at himself on account of his own sins, but not at his neighbor on account of his; but it is not so: for just as one is angry against himself on account of his own sins, so also against his neighbor on account of his; therefore, be angry against the vices of others, and this with zeal. Numbers 25:11: "Phinehas turned away my wrath from the children of Israel, because he was moved with zeal for me against them." Thus Elijah, 3 Kings 19:10: "With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts, because the children of Israel have forsaken the covenant of the Lord," etc. And do not sin by getting ahead of reason, but rather by following it. James 1:19: "Let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger," etc. There follows: "Let not the sun go down," etc. Here he expounds what he had said, and, according to the three aforesaid expositions, it can be expounded in three ways. For if of bad anger, then thus: "the sun," etc., that is: do not persist in anger once conceived, but put it away before the setting of the sun, because although the movement is permitted, on account of frailty, delay is not permitted. If of the good, and this against one's own sins, then thus: "the sun," that is Christ — Malachi 4:2: "To you who fear my name, the sun of justice shall arise," etc. — "let it not go down upon your anger," that is, upon your sins, for which it would again be necessary for you to be angry and to punish yourselves. If against the sins of others, then the sun is taken thus, namely of reason. Ecclesiastes 12:1: "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the time of affliction comes, and the years draw near of which you shall say: They please me not — before the sun grows dark," etc. "Let not the sun go down upon your anger," that is, let not the dictate of reason be darkened. Job 5:2: "Anger kills the foolish man." There follows: "Give no place to the devil," where he assigns the reason for the admonition. For the devil has a place in us through sin, or through consent. John 13:2: "When the devil had now put into the heart that Judas should betray him," etc. And it follows there, that after the morsel Satan entered into him. Now passions of this kind greatly incline one toward consent, and especially when they pervert the judgment of reason, and this anger does in a special way, which consists in the kindling of the blood, which indeed, by reason of the swiftness of its movement, precedes the judgment of reason. And because, when we are thus disturbed, the devil begins to have a place in us, therefore he says "give no place to the devil," as if to say: do not persist in anger, because by this you give place to the devil, for the whole devil is wrathful. Psalm 17:48: "My deliverer from my wrathful enemies." Now he enters man with fury and anger. Apocalypse 12:12: "The devil has come down to you, having great wrath." But he cannot do this, at least in the soul, so long as a man is just. But this justice is lost through anger, because "the anger of man does not work the justice of God," as it is said in James 1:20. If therefore you do not wish to give place to the devil, at least in the soul, let not the sun go down upon your anger. Ecclesiastes 11:10: "Remove anger from your heart."”

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,.... As unsavoury speech, foolish talking, light and frothy language, that which is filthy, unprofitable, noxious, and nauseous, and all that is sinful; such as profane oaths, curses, and imprecations, unchaste words, angry ones, proud, haughty, and arrogant expressions, lies, perjury, &c. which may be called corrupt, because such communication springs from a corrupt heart; is an evidence of the corruption of it; the subject matter of it is corrupt; and it conveys corruption to others, it corrupts good manners; and is the cause of men's going down to the pit of corruption: wherefore a restraint should be laid upon the lips of men; men have not a right to say what they please; good men will be cautious what they say, otherwise their religion is in vain; and conscious of their own weakness, they will pray to God to set a watch before their mouth, and to keep the door of their lips, and not suffer anything to come out, but that which is good for the use of edifying: or "for edification", as the Syriac version renders it; the Arabic version reads, "for the edification of all"; that is, that hear; and the Vulgate Latin version and Claromontane exemplar, "for the edification of faith": for the building up of saints on their most holy faith, and for the encouragement and increase of the grace of faith: in the Greek text it is literally, "for the edification of use"; for useful edification, or what is useful for edification; and is suited to the present want or opportunity, as the word is by some rendered: and that must be "good", which answers such an end; meaning not that the language should be formally and grammatically good, though to speak with propriety is useful and serviceable, and tends the more to instruction and edification; but that which is materially good, or the subject of it is good; that which is true, pure, pleasant, and profitable: that it may minister grace unto the hearers; may be grateful and acceptable to them, or may minister the grace of God to them; that is, the doctrine of grace, the Gospel of the grace of God; and be a means of conveying the principle of grace into the hearts of the hearers, and of drawing it forth into exercise where it is; and such speech or communication which springs from a gracious heart, and from a principle of grace in the heart, and is upon the subject of the grace of God, is most likely to be thus useful and edifying: agreeably to all this are some sayings of the Jews (h), "says R. Joshua ben Levi, for ever let not a man suffer any thing "that is filthy", or unseemly, to proceed out of his mouth; says R. Ishmael, for ever let a man discourse , "in a pure language";'' not corrupt. (h) T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 3. 1.”

“Be ye angry, and sin not - Οργιζεσθε, here, is the same as ει μεν οργιζεσθε, If Ye be angry, do not sin. We can never suppose that the apostle delivers this as a precept, if we take the words as they stand in our version. Perhaps the sense is, Take heed that ye be not angry, lest ye sin; for it would be very difficult, even for an apostle himself, to be angry and not sin. If we consider anger as implying displeasure simply, then there are a multitude of cases in which a man may be innocently, yea, laudably angry; for he should be displeased with every thing which is not for the glory of God, and the good of mankind. But, in any other sense, I do not see how the words can be safely taken. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath - That is: If you do get angry with any one, see that the fire be cast with the utmost speed out of your bosom. Do not go to sleep with any unkind or unbrotherly feeling; anger, continued in, may produce malice and revenge. No temper of this kind can consist with peace of conscience, and the approbation of God's Spirit in the soul.”

“Be angry, and sin not, as it is said Psalm iv. 5. Anger, as a passion of the mind, may proceed from a good motive and be guided by reason; as our Saviour, Christ, (Mark iii. 5.) is said to have looked about at the Jews with anger, i.e. with a zeal against their blindness and malice. — Let not the sun go down upon your anger. If moved to anger, return without delay to a calmness of mind and temper. (Witham) — Be angry when reason or necessity compels you; but even then, so restrain your anger that you neither offend God nor scandalize your neighbour. Moreover, lay it aside as soon as you are able, so that the sun go not down upon your anger. (Jansenius)”

“Be ye angry, and sin not--So the Septuagint, Psa 4:4. Should circumstances arise to call for anger on your part, let it be as Christ's "anger" (Mar 3:5), without sin. Our natural feelings are not wrong when directed to their legitimate object, and when not exceeding due bounds. As in the future literal, so in the present spiritual, resurrection, no essential constituent is annihilated, but all that is a perversion of the original design is removed. Thus indignation at dishonor done to God, and wrong to man, is justifiable anger. Passion is sinful (derived from "passio," suffering: implying that amidst seeming energy, a man is really passive, the slave of his anger, instead of ruling it). let not the sun go down upon your wrath--"wrath" is absolutely forbidden; "anger" not so, though, like poison sometimes used as medicine, it is to be used with extreme caution. The sense is not, Your anger shall not be imputed to you if you put it away before nightfall; but "let no wrath (that is, as the Greek, personal 'irritation' or 'exasperation') mingle with your 'anger,' even though, the latter be righteous, [TRENCH, Greek Synonyms of the New Testament]. "Put it away before sunset" (when the Jewish day began), is proverbial for put it away at once before another day begin (Deu 24:15); also before you part with your brother for the night, perhaps never in this world to meet again. So JONA, "Let not night and anger against anyone sleep with you, but go and conciliate the other party, though he have been the first to commit the offense." Let not your "anger" at another's wickedness verge into hatred, or contempt, or revenge [VATABLUS].”