Does God get angry?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

God created mankind to reflect His glory and holiness, so our sin ignites His anger. This is because it is contrary to who He is (Habakkuk 1:13a) and to how He created us as very good (Genesis 1:31). Because He is holy (Isaiah 6:3), to maintain His holiness, He must respond fiercely and fully to sin. So, yes, when there is sin, God is very angry (Romans 1:18).

However, though God has real emotion, He expresses His emotion perfectly and completely consistent with His character. For example, God never changes (Malachi 3:6a), is holy (Isaiah 6:2a, 3), and is just (Deuteronomy 32:4). When God expresses anger, it is never a sinful, rash, or “over the top” type of anger. Instead, His emotional response to sin is perfect, settled, and intentional.

Though God will pour out His wrath against sin, we also learn that He holds back His anger out of His mercy and patience. Therefore, the anger we see now is limited—He gives us many graces in this life. However, when Jesus returns (Revelation 19:11–18), He will no longer hold back His anger. At that time He will unleash it in full, consuming all unrepentant sinners once-and-for-all.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Old Testament repeatedly attests that God gets angry (Exodus 32:10; Deuteronomy 9:7–8; Judges 2:12–14), but God is never sinfully angry (Deuteronomy 32:4; Malachi 3:6).
• God created us in His image to reflect His righteousness (Genesis 1:26–27), but when Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying His command (Genesis 3:6; 2:17), they corrupted that purpose—prompting God's righteous anger against sin, sinners, and His enemies (Psalm 5:4–5; Exodus 32:9–10; Isaiah 34:2).
• God’s anger is repeatedly shown against individuals and the nation of Israel when they rebel. When Moses doubted God's call, “the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses” (Exodus 4:14). Later, while Moses received the Ten Commandments, the Israelites made an idol and engaged in sinful acts, prompting God to say, “Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn hot against them and that I may consume them” (Exodus 32:10). Even after entering the promised land, Israel continued in idolatry, and “...the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel…” (Judges 2:11–14), leading God to hand them over to their enemies.
• God’s anger is seen against His enemies: “For the LORD is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host; he has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter.” (Isaiah 34:2). Because the nations persecuted His people, Israel—largely as punishment to Israel for being rebellious (i.e., Isaiah 10)—God’s anger burned against them.
• God does get angry, but unlike us, His anger is always righteous—never sinful—because He never changes (Malachi 3:6), is perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:2a, 3), perfectly just (Deuteronomy 32:4), and perfectly loving (Psalm 136:1); His anger flows not from fluctuating moods but from His unchanging, holy character in response to sin and rebellion.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• God’s wrath is revealed against all sin as people suppress the truth of His existence seen in creation (Romans 1:18–20); though He patiently delays judgment to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4), continued stubbornness only stores up more wrath (Romans 2:5), and those who reject truth and follow unrighteousness will ultimately face His righteous judgment (Romans 2:8).
• God's wrath falls on unbelievers because of their sin—such as immorality, greed, and idolatry—which disqualifies them from His kingdom and provokes His righteous anger (Ephesians 5:3–6).
• Because God is merciful, He sent His perfect Son, Jesus, as the only escape from His wrath (John 3:16).
• Jesus expressed righteous anger (John 2:15–17) yet remained in perfect control, willingly submitting to death for our sake (Matthew 26:53).
• Jesus died as a propitiation for believers, satisfying God’s wrath so the Father remains just while declaring sinners righteous (Romans 3:25–26).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

God does get angry, but His anger is always just and measured, burning fiercely against unrepentant sinners. While His wrath has been clearly displayed at times in history, much of it now simmers quietly as God patiently offers us the chance to repent. Yet this patience does not mean judgment is absent—John warns that God’s wrath already rests on those who reject Him (John 3:36b).

For unbelievers, the urgent call is to flee the coming wrath (Matthew 3:7b). Jesus promises that everyone who comes to Him will never be cast out (John 6:37b). Though He is the Son of God who will execute God’s righteous judgment (Revelation 19:15b), He also offers Himself now as the only way of escape (John 14:6). All who repent and trust in Jesus will be saved from the final, eternal punishment reserved for sinners (Romans 5:9; Romans 10:9).

For believers, this truth urges us not to grow complacent or forget what we were saved from. Many people in our lives remain unrepentant, facing a just and certain judgment. They will receive the wages of sin (Romans 6:23a), and God will be righteous in His justice. Yet His mercy still stands—calling us to warn, plead, and pray for those around us, sharing the hope found only in God’s precious gift, His Son (Romans 6:23b).

UNDERSTAND

• God does get angry, but His anger is always holy, just, and consistent with His unchanging character.
• God’s anger is directed against sin and unrepentant sinners.
• God’s mercy delays judgment and offers salvation through Jesus.

REFLECT

• How do you personally respond to the truth that God’s anger is real but always holy and just?
• How does knowing God patiently holds back His wrath encourage you to examine your own life and choices?
• How does the reality of God’s righteous anger affect your urgency to share the gospel with those around you?

ENGAGE

• How do we balance the truth of God’s righteous anger with His mercy when we talk about sin and salvation?
• What does Jesus’ example of righteous anger teach us about managing our own emotions toward sin and injustice?
• How does understanding God’s perfectly righteous anger alongside His abundant mercy challenge or deepen our view of His character and how we reflect Him to a world that desperately needs Him?