Bird's-eye view
This proverb, like so many in Solomon's collection, is a sharp, two-part observation about human character and its consequences. It functions as a diagnostic tool for a particular kind of fool: the man enslaved to his temper. The verse establishes an unbreakable link between a man's internal disposition, specifically his anger, and the external chaos he inevitably creates. The first clause states that an angry man is a strife-generator. He is a walking powder keg, and wherever he goes, explosions of conflict follow. The second clause intensifies the diagnosis: the hot-tempered man doesn't just stumble into sin occasionally; he "abounds in transgression." His anger is not an isolated flaw but a fountainhead of sin, gushing forth all manner of rebellion against God and man. At its root, this proverb is a warning against the profound spiritual danger of an ungoverned spirit, showing that a short fuse leads to a long list of sins.
The wisdom here is not merely psychological but deeply theological. The angry man is not simply a personality type; he is a man at war with the world because he is fundamentally at war with God's created order. He wants the world to bend to his will, and when it refuses, he erupts. This eruption is strife, and the constant state of eruption is a life abounding in transgression. The gospel provides the only true answer, not by giving us a ten-step anger management plan, but by crucifying the proud self that is the source of all such anger. Christ, the truly meek man who was slow to anger, absorbed the ultimate strife on the cross to bring us peace with God, and it is only by being united to Him that a man can find true rule over his own spirit.
Outline
- 1. The Character and Consequence of Unruly Anger (Prov 29:22)
- a. The Cause: The Angry Man's Disposition (Prov 29:22a)
- b. The Effect: The Generation of Strife (Prov 29:22a)
- c. The Escalation: The Hot-Tempered Man's Nature (Prov 29:22b)
- d. The Result: A Life Overflowing with Sin (Prov 29:22b)
Context In Proverbs
Proverbs 29 is part of a larger collection of Solomon's wisdom, likely compiled and edited in the court of Hezekiah (Prov 25:1). This chapter, like those around it, consists of a series of mostly disconnected couplets that contrast the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish. A recurring theme throughout this section is the nature of good governance, both in the civil realm and in the realm of the individual soul. Verse 22 fits squarely within this theme. It follows verses about justice, pride, and the fear of man, and precedes verses about theft and seeking a ruler's favor. The placement of this proverb highlights that a man's personal lack of self-control, his anger, has profound public consequences. A society filled with hot-tempered men will be a society filled with strife and transgression. This is a foundational principle of social order: a peaceful community is built from peaceful men, and peaceful men are those who have learned, by the grace of God, to govern their own spirits.
Key Issues
- The Connection Between Internal Character and External Action
- The Nature of Sinful Anger
- Anger as a Source of Broader Transgression
- The Social Consequences of a Lack of Self-Control
- The Biblical Virtue of Meekness and Patience
The Sin Factory
We live in a therapeutic age that likes to make excuses for bad behavior. A man's explosive temper is often chalked up to a difficult childhood, a stressful job, or simply "how he's wired." But the Bible, and this proverb in particular, cuts through all that fog. It doesn't treat anger as a pitiable condition but as a moral fault with devastating consequences. The hot-tempered man is not a victim of his emotions; he is a perpetrator of strife and a prolific sinner. His heart is a factory, and the assembly line is constantly churning out transgression.
This verse is a classic example of Hebrew parallelism, where the second line reinforces and expands upon the first. The "angry man" in the first half is synonymous with the "hot-tempered man" in the second. The "strife" he stirs up is a specific example of the "transgression" in which he abounds. The picture is not of a good man who occasionally loses his cool. The picture is of a man whose defining characteristic, his hot temper, is the very engine of his sinful life. To deal with the sin, you must deal with the anger. And to deal with the anger, you must go to the root, which is a proud heart that demands its own way.
Verse by Verse Commentary
22 An angry man stirs up strife,
The first clause is a simple statement of cause and effect. The cause is the character of the man, he is an angry man. This is not describing a momentary flash of righteous indignation. This is describing a settled disposition, a man whose default setting is irritation, resentment, and fury. The effect is strife. The Hebrew word for strife points to contention, discord, and quarrels. The angry man is a catalyst for conflict. Put him in a peaceful room, and before long, an argument will break out. He manufactures discord wherever he goes. Why? Because his anger is rooted in pride. He believes he has a right to certain treatment, a right to have things go his way. When the world, or the people in it, fail to meet his demands, he responds with wrath. This wrath poisons relationships, disrupts peace, and creates a constant atmosphere of tension. He is like a man walking through a dry field tossing lit matches everywhere.
And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.
The second clause takes the principle and broadens its application. The "hot-tempered man" is literally a "master of heat." His fury is his defining quality. And the result is that he abounds in transgression. The word "abounds" means he is rich in it; he has a surplus. His sin is not scarce. Strife is just the beginning. Think of all the sins that flow from a hot temper: harsh and cruel words, slander, bitterness, physical violence, murder, resentment, unforgiveness, impatience, and a general rebellion against the sovereignty of God. The hot-tempered man is not just breaking one of God's laws; he is in a state of constant, multi-front warfare against the entire law of God. His anger is a gateway sin that opens the door to a legion of other sins. He is not just a nuisance to his neighbors; he is a man whose soul is drowning in wickedness.
Application
This proverb should serve as a sharp warning to us. It is easy to compartmentalize our sin, to think of our "temper problem" as a minor character flaw, separate from our "real" spiritual life. This verse demolishes that way of thinking. An uncontrolled temper is not a small thing; it is a sin-geyser. If you are an angry man, you are a man who abounds in transgression. Your first order of business must be to repent of this, not just of the outbursts, but of the prideful, demanding heart that fuels them.
But how? Mere willpower is not enough. You cannot simply decide to stop being angry, any more than a leopard can decide to change its spots. The only solution is a supernatural one. You must look to the cross of Jesus Christ. On that cross, God's own wrath was poured out on His Son for the sins of His people, including the sin of your hot temper. Jesus, the only truly patient man, took your impatience and strife upon Himself. He absorbed the ultimate conflict so that you could have ultimate peace. When you, by faith, see that your sin is what nailed Him there, it has a way of killing the pride that is the root of your anger. The gospel does not just forgive your past outbursts; it offers you a new identity. In Christ, you are no longer defined as an "angry man." You are a new creation, indwelt by the Holy Spirit who produces the fruit of peace, patience, and gentleness.
Therefore, the fight against anger is a fight of faith. It is about continually turning from your own self-righteous demands and looking to Christ's righteousness. It is about confessing your sin honestly when you fail, receiving the free grace of forgiveness, and getting back up to walk in the Spirit. The angry man stirs up strife, but the man who is being remade by the gospel of grace learns to be a peacemaker, for he has been given a peace that passes all understanding.