Idolatry of Anger Bitterness and Judgment

Idolatry, in its broadest sense, is considered the "principal crime of the human race" and the "highest guilt charged upon the world" ^[10]. While often associated with bowing down to images or worshipping other gods, biblical and theological traditions expand the concept to include various attitudes and behaviors that displace God from His rightful place ^[5]. Anger, bitterness, and judgment can manifest as forms of idolatry when they become consuming forces in an individual's life, effectively serving as objects of worship or ultimate concerns.

Anger, defined as "the emotion of instant displeasure on account of something evil that presents itself to our view," is not inherently sinful ^[3]. However, it can become sinful when it is "causeless, or excessive, or protracted" ^[3]. The Apostle Paul lists "wrath" among the "works of the flesh" alongside "idolatry" and "hatred" in Galatians 5:20 ^[4]. The early Christian writer Hermas described anger as a wicked action that "overthrows the servants of God by its action, and turns them from righteousness," particularly affecting "thoughtless and doubting" individuals ^[12]. John Gill, in his commentary on Hosea, notes how Ephraim "provoked him to anger most bitterly" through their sins, indicating a profound and intense form of divine displeasure ^[9]. Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, discusses anger as a passion of the soul, noting that it arises from a "difficult evil already present" ^[7]. He also distinguishes between anger as a passion and anger as a "simple movement of the will" to inflict punishment based on reason, the latter of which, if lacking, can be a sin ^[8].

Bitterness is closely linked to anger and can be understood as a prolonged, festering form of displeasure. The book of Acts speaks of being in "the gall of bitterness, and bond of unrighteousness" ^[1]. This "gall of bitterness" suggests a deep-seated resentment that can enslave an individual. The Midrash Rabbah, commenting on Ecclesiastes 5:16, connects "much anger" with "illness and rage," describing how the generation of the Judges "would anger the Holy One blessed be He with their wicked deeds" ^[6]. This suggests a collective bitterness and rage that provoked divine displeasure.

Judgment, particularly when it is harsh and self-righteous, can also become an idolatrous act. When individuals take on the role of ultimate judge, they usurp a prerogative that belongs to God alone. Ezekiel 16:38 illustrates divine judgment: "So will I judge thee with the judgments meted out to adulteresses and shedders of blood" ^[2]. This passage highlights that judgment is ultimately God's domain, a response to sin and unrighteousness. When anger and bitterness lead to a judgmental spirit, they can become idols by placing one's own sense of justice and moral authority above God's. Charles Hodge emphasizes that idolatry involves "having any other God than Jehovah, or of giving to images... the external homage due to Him who is a spirit" ^[11]. By allowing anger, bitterness, and judgment to dominate one's inner life, individuals can effectively give these emotions the homage due to God, making them functional idols.

Sources

Acts “Acts 8:23 (YLT) — for in the gall of bitterness, and bond of unrighteousness, I perceive thee being.'”
Ezekiel “Ezekiel 16:38 (Rotherham) — So will I judge thee. with the judgments meted out to adulteresses and shedders of blood,- And will repay thee with the blood of indignation and jealousy;”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Anger — The emotion of instant displeasure on account of something evil that presents itself to our view. In itself it is an original susceptibility of our nature, just as love is, and is not necessarily sinful. It may, however, become sinful when causeless, or excessive, or protracted (Matt. 5:22; Eph. 4:26; Col. 3:8). As ascribed to God, it merely denotes his displeasure with sin and with sinners (Ps. 7:11).”
King James Version “[KJV] Galatians 5:20 — Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Idolatry — Forbidden -- Ex 20:2,3; De 5:7. Consists in Bowing down to images. -- Ex 20:5; De 5:9. Worshipping images. -- Isa 44:17; Da 3:5,10,15. Sacrificing to images. -- Ps 106:38; Ac 7:41. Worshipping other gods. -- De 30:17; Ps 81:9. Swearing by other gods. -- Ex 23:13; Jos 23:7. Walking after other gods. -- De 8:19. Speaking in the name of other gods. -- De 18:20. Looking to other gods. -- Ho 3:1. Serving other gods. -- De 7:4; Jer 5:19. Fearing other gods. -- 2Ki 17:35. Sacrificing to other gods. -- Ex 22:20. Worshipping the true God by an image, & c. -- Ex 32:”
Midrash Rabbah (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Midrash Rabbah, Kohelet Rabbah 5:16:1: “In addition, all his days, he eats in darkness, and has much anger, illness, and rage” (Ecclesiastes 5:16). “In addition, all his days, he” walks “in darkness” – this refers to the generation of the Judges. “And has much anger” – they would anger the Holy One blessed be He with their wicked deeds. “Illness and rage”: “illness” – this is suffering; “and rage” – that they enraged the Holy One blessed be He and said: “Why, Lord, God of Israel, has this been in Israel, to have one tribe lacking in Israel today?” (Judges 21:3). Another matter: “In addition, a”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part of the Second Part (Prima Secundae), How the Passions Differ from One Another, Art. 3: Article: Whether any passion of the soul has no contrariety? I answer that, The passion of anger is peculiar in this, that it cannot have a contrary, either according to approach and withdrawal, or according to the contrariety of good and evil. For anger is caused by a difficult evil already present: and when such an evil is present, the appetite must needs either succumb, so that it does not go beyond the limits of "sadness," which is a concupiscible passion; or else it”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of Anger, Art. 8: Article: Whether there is a vice opposed to anger resulting from lack of anger? I answer that, Anger may be understood in two ways. In one way, as a simple movement of the will, whereby one inflicts punishment, not through passion, but in virtue of a judgment of the reason: and thus without doubt lack of anger is a sin. This is the sense in which anger is taken in the saying of Chrysostom, for he says (Hom. xi in Matth., in the Opus Imperfectum, falsely ascribed to St. John Chrysostom): "Anger, when”
Hosea (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hosea 12:14: Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly,.... The Vulgate Latin version supplies it, me; that is, God, as Kimchi; or his Lord, as it may be supplied from the last clause of the verse; the sense is the same either way: it was God that Ephraim or the ten tribes provoked to stir up his wrath and vengeance against them; notwithstanding all the favours that they and their ancestors had received from him, they provoked him in a most bitter manner, to bitter anger, vehement wrath and fury: or, "with bitternesses" (n); with their sins, which are in their own nature bitter,”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. I.--WIDE SCOPE OF THE WORD IDOLATRY. (part 1): The principal crime of the human race, the highest guilt charged upon the world, the whole procuring cause of judgment, is idolatry.(1) For, although each single fault retains its own proper feature, although it is destined to judgment under its own proper name also, yet it is marked off under the general account of idolatry. Set aside names, examine works, the idolater is likewise a murderer. Do you inquire whom he has slain? If it contributes ought to the aggravation of the indictment, no stranger nor personal enemy”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 44: displeasure of God, and the most dreadful manifestations of his wrath, are the certain consequences of the sin of idolatry; that is, of the sin of having any other God than Jehovah, or of giving to images, to stocks and stones, the external homage due to Him who is a spirit, and who must be worshipped in spirit and in truth. The Lord, therefore, in this commandment, declares Himself to be “a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation; and showing mercy unto thousands (unto th”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 2: Hermas, Tatian, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria — CHAP. II. (part 1): "Hear now," said he, "how wicked is the action of anger, and in what way it overthrows the servants of God by its action, and turns them from righteousness. But it does not turn away those who are full of faith, nor does it act on them, for the power of the Lord is with them. It is the thoughtless and doubting that it turns away.(8) For as soon as it sees such men standing stedfast, it throws itself into their hearts, and for nothing at all the man or woman becomes embittered on account of occurrenc”

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