Deena Grant, «A Brief Discussion of the Difference between Human and Divine hmx», Vol. 91 (2010) 418-424
The term, hmx, is a frequent descriptor of anger in the Bible. Notably, its syntactic context depends on whether hmx describes human anger or the anger of God. The syntax of human hmx highlights the experience of being aggrieved whereas the syntax of divine hmx emphasizes the consequence of provocation. As such, human hmx tends to be the subject of intransitive verbs and the object of passive verbs that describe the experience of being provoked. By contrast, divine hmx tends to be the object of transitive verbs and the subject of passive verbs that describe God’s reprisal. Additionally, divine hmx occurs as part of the curious construct &alquo;cup of hmx&rlquo;. We believe that these observations reflect an underlying struggle to reconcile the anthropomorphic idea of an emotional God with an omnipotent and invulnerable deity.
420 DEENA GRANT
hears that Jacob stole his blessing, he experiences hatred and anger, and
determines to kill Jacob. Notably, the passage links Esau’s plot to kill
Jacob to his hatred for him — not his anger at him yja bq[y -ta hgrhaw yba
lba ymy wbrqy wblb wç[ rmayw wyba wkrk rça hkrbh-l[ bq[y-ta wç[ μfçyw (Gen
27,41). The Bible cites Esau’s anger only to disclose that when his hmj
will subside, he will forget what Jacob did to him wl tçy[-rça ta jkçw . . .
Èyja tmj bwçtArça d[ (Gen 27,44-45). Since it is unlikely that Esau will
forget the theft itself, perhaps the passage means to convey that when his
anger subsides, Esau will forget his experience of lethal hatred. Either
way, the Bible links Esau’s hatred to his lethal plan and Esau’s anger to
his internal state of remembering.
Esther 2 also underplays the role of hmj in punishing the provoker.
When Ahasuerus’s hmj subsides, he remembers not what he did to Vashti,
but what was done to her hyl[ rzgn-rça taw htç[-rça taw ytçw-ta rkz
çwrwçja Èlmh tmj Èçk as if it was not him, in his anger, that exiled her
(Esth 2, 1).
II. Divine hmj
By stark contrast with human hmj, whose syntactic context either
identifies or modifies the experience of being angry, the syntax of divine
hmj emphasizes the consequence of provocation. hmj is applied to God
around 90 times. It occurs most frequently as the object of transitive verbs
that describe a provocation 10. hmj occurs also as the subject of passive
verbs that depict God’s reprisal 11, and as an adverb that modifies God’s
punitive act against His provoker 12. Additionally, hmj occurs in the
Prophets as part of the curious construct, God’s “cup of hmj†13.
In contrast to humans who are afflicted with their own hmj, God uses
His hmj to punish transgressors. As such, whereas human hmj is
frequently the object of intransitive verbs that describe the experience of
being provoked (i.e. rises, abates), divine hmj is frequently the object of
transitive verbs that describe the effects of God’s hmj on His provoker.
God repays hmj to His adversaries wybyal lwmg wyrxl hmj μlçy l[k twlmg l[k
(Isa 59,18). He pours out hmj on the nations that do not know Him
Èw[dy-al rça μywgh l[ ÈtmjAÈpç (Jer 10,25). He vents and spends hmj at
Israel μb ytmj ytwjnhw and μb ytmj ytwlbb (Ezek 5,13).
It occurs in this context circa 32 times. E.g. Num 25,11; Deut 9,19; Isa
10
59,18 ; Jer 10,25; Ezek 5,13; Ps 79,6.
E.g. 2 Kgs 22,13; Jer 7,20; 2 Chr 12,7.
11
E.g. Ezek 19,12; 2 Chr 28,9; Ps 6,2.
12
Isa 51,17-21; Jer 25,15-33.
13
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