θυμόω (thumoō)
thumoō
to anger
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb thumoō describes a sudden, intense burst of anger that erupts into action. In the New Testament, it appears only once, recording King Herod’s reaction when he realized he had been outwitted by the Magi (Matthew 2:16). The word captures a rage so fierce it compels immediate, violent response rather than lingering resentment.
Its root lies in thymos, referring to spirited passion or wrath. While often translated simply as "anger," this term carries a sharper edge of fury that drives decisive, often destructive behavior. Herod’s thumoō led directly to the massacre of infants, illustrating how unchecked anger can escalate into severe consequences.
Translators typically render it as "was furious" or "was enraged," emphasizing the explosive nature of the emotion. The rarity of its usage highlights its intensity; when Scripture employs this word, it marks a moment where anger overrides reason and justice.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word thumoō describes a sudden, intense burst of anger that erupts into action. In the New Testament, it appears only once, recording King Herod’s reaction when he realized he had been outwitted by the Magi (Matthew 2:16). The word captures a rage so fierce it compels immediate, violent response rather than lingering resentment.
Its root lies in thymos, referring to spirited passion or wrath. While often translated simply as "anger," this term carries a sharper edge of fury that drives decisive, often destructive behavior. Herod’s thumoō led directly to the massacre of infants, illustrating how unchecked anger can escalate into severe consequences.
Translators typically render it as "was furious" or "was enraged," emphasizing the explosive nature of the emotion. The rarity of its usage highlights its intensity; when Scripture employs this word, it marks a moment where anger overrides reason and justice.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- was enraged1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐθυμώθη1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 2:16
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men.
This verse uniquely records Herod’s thumoō, showing how sudden fury can override reason and lead to destructive action.