Ephesians 4:26

Lexham English Bible

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger,

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger,

King James Version (1611)
Be ye angry and sinne not, let not the Sunne go down vpon your wrath:

King James Version
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

English Standard Version
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

New American Standard Bible
BE ANGRY, AND YET DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

New Century Version
When you are angry, do not sin, and be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

Legacy Standard Bible
Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

Berean Standard Bible
"Be angry, yet do not sin." Do not let the sun set upon your anger,

Contemporary English Version
Don't get so angry that you sin. Don't go to bed angry

Complete Jewish Bible
Be angry, but don't sin — don't let the sun go down before you have dealt with the cause of your anger;

Darby Translation
Be angry, and do not sin; let not the sun set upon your wrath,

Easy-to-Read Version
"When you are angry, don't let that anger make you sin," and don't stay angry all day.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Bee angrie, but sinne not: let not the sunne goe downe vpon your wrath,

George Lamsa Translation
Be angry, but sin not: and let not the sun go down upon your anger;

Good News Translation
If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day.

Literal Translation
"Be angry but do not sin;" do not let the sun go down on your wrath, LXX-Psa. 4:4; MT-Psa. 4:5

Amplified Bible
BE ANGRY [at sin—at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], YET DO NOT SIN; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down.

American Standard Version
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Bible in Basic English
Be angry without doing wrong; let not the sun go down on your wrath;

Hebrew Names Version
"Be angry, and don't sin." Don't let the sun go down on your wrath,

International Standard Version
"Be angry, yet do not sin."Psalm 4:4">[fn] Do not let the sun go down on your wrath,Psalm 4:4; 37:8;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Be angry and sin not, and let not the sun set upon your wrath,

Murdock Translation
Be ye angry, and sin not: and let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Be ye angry, and sinne not, let not the sunne go downe vpon your wrath,

English Revised Version
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

World English Bible
"Be angry, and don't sin." Don't let the sun go down on your wrath,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath,

Weymouth's New Testament
If angry, beware of sinning. Let not your irritation last until the sun goes down;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Be ye wrooth, and nyle ye do synne; the sunne falle not doun on youre wraththe.

Update Bible Version
Be angry, and don't sin: don't let the sun go down on your wrath:

Webster's Bible Translation
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

New English Translation
Be angry and do not sin ; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger.

New King James Version
"Be angry, and do not sin": Psalms 4:4">[fn] do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

New Living Translation
And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry,

New Life Bible
If you are angry, do not let it become sin. Get over your anger before the day is finished.

New Revised Standard
Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Be ye angry, and not committing sin, let not the sun be going down upon your angry mood,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Be angry: and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your anger.

Revised Standard Version
Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Be angrye but synne not let not the sonne go doune apon your wrathe

Young's Literal Translation
be angry and do not sin; let not the sun go down upon your wrath,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Be angrie, but synne not. Let not ye Sonne go downe vpo youre wrath:

Mace New Testament (1729)
are you angry? have a care you don't sin. "let not the sun go down upon your wrath,"

THE MESSAGE
Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Don't let anger control you. Don't let the sun set while you are fuming or bitter.

Contextual Overview

¹⁷ This therefore I say and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the Gentiles walk: in the futility of their mind, ¹⁸ being darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart, ¹⁹ who, becoming callous, gave themselves over to licentiousness, for the pursuit of all uncleanness in greediness. ²⁰ But you did not learn Christ in this way, ²¹ if indeed you have heard about him, and you were taught by him (just as truth is in Jesus), ²² that you take off, according to your former way of life, the old man, who is being destroyed according to deceitful desires, ²³ be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and put on the new man (in accordance with God), who is created in righteousness and holiness from the truth. ²⁵ Therefore, putting aside the lie, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are members of one another. ²⁶ Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ye: Ephesians 4:31, Ephesians 4:32, Exodus 11:8, Exodus 32:21, Exodus 32:22, Numbers 20:10-13, Numbers 20:24, Numbers 25:7-11, Nehemiah 5:6-13, Psalms 4:4, Psalms 37:8, Psalms 106:30-33, Proverbs 14:29, Proverbs 19:11, Proverbs 25:23, Ecclesiastes 7:9, Matthew 5:22, Mark 3:5, Mark 10:14, Romans 12:19-21, James 1:19

let: Deuteronomy 24:15

Reciprocal: Genesis 27:41 - then Genesis 30:2 - anger Genesis 31:36 - was wroth Exodus 16:20 - and Moses Exodus 32:19 - anger Leviticus 10:16 - angry Numbers 16:15 - very wroth Numbers 31:14 - wroth Deuteronomy 24:13 - the sun 1 Samuel 11:6 - his anger 1 Samuel 20:34 - in fierce 1 Samuel 25:21 - Surely 2 Samuel 13:22 - hated Job 32:2 - kindled Amos 1:11 - kept Matthew 18:22 - but Mark 6:19 - a quarrel 2 Corinthians 7:11 - indignation Colossians 3:8 - anger 1 John 2:1 - that

Cross-References

Genesis 4:14
Look, you have driven me out today from the face of the ground, and from your face I must hide. I will be a wanderer and a fugitive on the earth, and it will happen that whoever finds me will kill me."

Genesis 4:15
Then Yahweh said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Cain will be avenged sevenfold." Then Yahweh put a sign on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him.

Genesis 4:17
And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And when he built a city he named the city after his son, Enoch.

Genesis 4:18
And to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech.

Genesis 12:8
And he moved on from there to the hill country, east of Bethel. And he pitched his tent at Bethel on the west, and at Ai on the east. And he built an altar there to Yahweh. And he called on the name of Yahweh.

Genesis 26:25
And he built an altar there and called on the name of Yahweh. And he pitched his tent there, and the servants of Isaac dug a well there.

1 Kings 18:24
Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh, and it shall be that the god who answers by fire, he is God." Then all the people answered and said, "The word is good!"

Psalms 116:17
I will offer to you a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and proclaim the name of Yahweh.

Isaiah 44:5
This one will say, ‘I belong to Yahweh!' And that one will be called by the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand ‘Yahweh's' and take the name of Israel."

Isaiah 48:1
Hear this, house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and came out from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of Yahweh, and invoke the God of Israel, but not in truth and not in righteousness.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Be ye angry, and sin not,.... There is anger which is not sinful; for anger is fouled in God himself, in Jesus Christ, in the holy angels, and in God's people; and a man may be said to be angry and not sin, when his anger arises from a true zeal for God and religion; when it is kindled not against persons, but sins; when a man is displeased with his own sins, and with the sins of others: with vice and immorality of every kind; with idolatry and idolatrous worship, and with all false doctrine; and also when it is carried on to answer good ends, as the good of those with whom we are angry, the glory of God, and the promoting of the interest of Christ: and there is an anger which is sinful; as when it is without a cause; when it exceeds due bounds; when it is not directed to a good end; when it is productive of bad effects, either in words or actions; and when it is soon raised, or long continues: the Jews have a like distinction of anger; they say e,

"there is an anger and an anger; there is an anger which is blessed above and below, and it is called blessed, as it is said Genesis 14:19 and there is an anger which is cursed above and below, as it is said Genesis 3:14''

And these two sorts are compared to "Ebal" and "Gerizzim", from the one of which proceeded blessing, and from the other cursing: anger for the most part is not only sinful, but it tends to sin, and issues in it; hence that saying of the Jews, לא תרתח ולא תחטי, "be not angry, and thou wilt not sin" f: the spring of it is a corrupt heart, it is stirred up by Satan, encouraged by pride, and increased by grievous words and reproachful language:

let not the sun go down upon your wrath; there is an allusion to

Deuteronomy 24:10 it seems to be a proverbial expression; and the design of it is to show, that anger should not be continued; that it should not last at furthest more than a day; that when the heat of the day is over, the heat of anger should be over likewise; and that we should not sleep with it, lest it should be cherished and increased upon our pillows; and besides, the time of the going down of the sun, is the time of evening prayer, which may be greatly interrupted and hindered by anger. R. Jonah g has an expression or two like to this;

"let not the indignation of anyone abide upon thee; and let not a night sleep with thee, and anger be against any one:''

it should be considered, that as God is slow to anger, so he does not retain it for ever; and that to retain anger, is to gratify the devil; wherefore it follows,

e Zohar in Gen. fol. 104. 1. f T. Bab. Beracot fol. 80. 3. g Apud Capell. in Matt. v. 23.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Be ye angry and sin not - It has been remarked that the direction here is conformable to the usage of the Pythagoreans, who were bound, when there were any differences among them, to furnish some token of reconciliation before the sun set. Burder, in Ros. Alt. u. neu. Morgenland, in loc. It is implied here:

(1) That there “may” be anger without sin; and,

(2) That there is special danger in all cases where there is anger that it will be accompanied with sin. “Anger” is a passion too common to need any description. It is an excitement or agitation of mind, of more or less violence, produced by the reception of a real or supposed injury, and attended commonly with a desire or purpose of revenge. The desire of revenge, however, is not essential to the existence of the passion, though it is probably always attended with a disposition to express displeasure, to chide, rebuke, or punish; compare Mark 3:5. To a great extent the sudden excitement on the reception of an injury is involuntary, and consequently innocent. Anger is excited when a horse kicks us; when a serpent hisses; when we dash our foot against a stone - and so when a man raises his hand to strike us. The “object or final cause” of implanting this passion in the mind of man is, to rouse him to an immediate defense of himself when suddenly attacked, and before his reason would, have time to suggest the proper means of defense. It prompts at once to self-protection; and when that is done its proper office ceases. If persevered in; it becomes sinful malignity. or revenge - always wrong. Anger may be excited against a “thing” as well as a “person;” as well against an act as a “man.” We are suddenly excited by a wrong “thing,” without any malignancy against the “man;” we may wish to rebuke or chide “that,” without injuring “him.” Anger is sinful in the following circumstances:

(1) When it is excited without any sufficient cause - when we are in no danger, and do not need it for a protection. We should be safe without it.

(2) When it transcends the cause, if any cause really exists. All that is beyond the necessity of immediate self-protection, is apart from its design, and is wrong.

(3) When it is against “the person” rather than the “offence.” The object is not to injure another; it is to protect ourselves.

(4) When it is attended with the desire of “revenge.” That is always wrong; Romans 12:17, Romans 12:19.

(5) When it is cherished and heightened by reflection. And,

(6) When there is an unforgiving spirit; a determination to exact the utmost satisfaction for the injury which has been done. If people were perfectly holy, that sudden “arousing of the mind” in danger, or on the reception of an injury; which would serve to prompt us to save ourselves from danger, would exist, and would be an important principle of our nature. As it is now, it is violent; excessive; incontrollable; persevered in - and is almost always wrong. If people were holy, this excitement of the mind would obey the first injunctions of “reasons,” and be wholly under its control; as it is now, it seldom obeys reason at all - and is wholly wrong. Moreover, if all people were holy; if there were none “disposed” to do an injury, it would exist only in the form of a sudden arousing of the mind against immediate danger - which would all be right. Now, it is excited not only in view of “physical” dangers, but in view of the “wrongs” done by others - and hence it terminates on the “person” and not the “thing,” and becomes often wholly evil.

Let not the sun go down - Do not cherish anger. Do not sleep upon it. Do not harbor a purpose of revenge; do not cherish ill-will against another. “When the sun sets on a man’s anger, he may be sure it is wrong.” The meaning of the whole of this verse then is, “If you be angry, which may be the case, and which may be unavoidable, see that the sudden excitement does not become sin. Do not let it overleap its proper bounds; do not cherish it; do not let it remain in your bosom even to the setting of the sun. Though the sun be sinking in the west, let not the passion linger in the bosom, but let his last rays find you always peaceful and calm.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 26. 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.