Sense: anger <=> spirit
n. — anger that is directed at a real or supposed grievance.
A fool gives full vent to anger (רוּחַ), but the wise quietly holds it back.
Pr 29:11 (NRSV)
Translations of Proverbs 29:11 vary significantly. The NRSV and NIV render the common Hebrew word רוּחַ as “anger.” However, the ESV and NASB read as follows:
A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. (ESV)
A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back. (NASB)
What is probably happening in this case is that we have an extended meaning of רוּחַ, which is often rendered as “wind,” “spirit,” or “breath.” There is some variance between “anger” (NRSV, NIV) and “temper” (NASB). So, this particular translation issue may merit some extra study, but the BSL alerts us that something is going on with its label. And, the concordance entry points us to other verses that we may want to look at in conjunction with Proverbs 29:11 to think about this meaning of רוּחַ, such as Judges 8:3: “God has given into your hands the captains of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; what have I been able to do in comparison with you?” When he said this, their anger (רוּחַ) against him subsided” (NRSV).
What is the Bible Sense Lexicon?
Sense of the Day is based on content from Logos’ Bible Sense Lexicon, which organizes biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words by meaning based on a variety of semantic relationships. Sense of the Day provides examples of senses in context, along with insight into their application for theology and interpretation.
The Bible Sense Lexicon is a Logos dataset available in Logos 5 Gold and higher base packages. If you’re enrolled in the Logos Academic Discount Program, you can also find the Bible Sense Lexicon in the Biblical Languages base package. Take your studies even further by exploring semantic domains, engaging the biblical text like never before.
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