HEBREW WORD STUDY – UNRIGHTEOUS ANGER – KA’AS כעל Kap Ayin Lamed

Ecclesiastes 7:9: “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.”

I have written numerous times about the anger of God. Whenever we read in our English translations that God was angry the word used in Hebrew is aneph which in its Semitic root means the snorting of a camel. There are many reasons a camel may snort, it may be lonely, it may be frustrating, it may grieving, it may be in heat, that is desirous of an intimacy. Basically, aneph is simply the expression of a strong emotion. It does not have to be rendered in English as anger.

Even if we translate it as anger, we need to realize we are speaking of many possible emotions wrapped up in one word. A wife discovers her husband has been cheating on her, she will be aneph. We can call it anger, but that anger is comprised of many different emotions. She is heartbroken, she is fearful for her children, she is longing for an intimacy that she can no longer share with her husband, she is sad, rejected and feeling many other emotions. We see her enraged and call it anger. That is just like we do with God when we read that God was angry over the sin of his people. But the word is aneph which means that anger is the result of heartbreak, sorrow, grief, longing for intimacy, sadness. It does not mean bitterness, vengefulness, hatred or vindictiveness. That type of anger is a different word in Hebrew it is ka’as.

In English, we have one word, anger, which can be grief, sorrow, heartbreak and it could also mean vengefulness, hatred and vindictiveness. Yet, Hebrew has two words aneph which does not express animosity or malice towards the object of one’s anger and ka’as which expresses animosity and malice toward the object of your anger.

I have never yet read in the Hebrew where ka’as is associated with God. All I find is aneph being associated with God. If God is angry toward you it is not animosity, hatred or malice filled with the desire to bring harm. It is only aneph an emotion to express a broken heart, grief, or sorrow over the loss of intimacy.

So where is ka’as used in the Bible? Well, we find it in Ecclesiastes 7:9 where we are commanded to be not hasty in our spirit to be ka’as. Somebody beeps their horn at you and what is your response? Is it aneph, feeling bad that you might have inadvertently offended someone? Or is it ka’as where you beep your horn in return and shout: “I have a horn too buddy.”

I read in the news today where there is a rise in “angry” attacks against Republicans and supporters of the President. There are those with opposing views who respond with aneph feeling sad and fearful that those who oppose their view might bring harm to our country. They respond by challenging a debate, holding peaceful demonstrations, writing commentaries expressing their views hoping that those on the other side will see their logic. Then there are those who ka’as, rant, rave, curse, yell and even physically attack those who oppose their view and they feel totally justified that they are morally right to do so.

Yet, Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived calls them fools. For one thing, they are hasty in allowing their anger to build. The word hasty in Hebrew is bahal which means to be bewildered, shocked, dismayed. Thus, you can be bewildered or shocked by circumstances causing you to become ka’as. In other words, think it over. Why did that person beep their horn at you? They don’t know you, you don’t know them. Perhaps it is a misunderstanding? Think it through.

In a biography of Watchman Nee, I read where he was being falsely accused of things that he never said or did. People would ask him why he did not defend himself, why he did not get angry over these false statements. His reply was that there is an element of truth in every criticism and he wanted to find that element of truth and would not waste his time getting angry.

King Solomon tells us that to allow ka’as, anger that is filled with vengeance and malice, to reside in your bosom or cheqin Hebrew which is your inward parts, like the pit of your stomach you are a fool. The word fool is kasal which means to be conceited, selfish and stubborn. In other words, one who thinks only of themselves and puts themselves before others.