Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Ver. 9. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry.] The hasty man, we say, never wants woe. For wrath is an evil counsellor, and enwrappeth a man in manifold troubles, mischiefs, and miseries. It makes man like the bee, that vindictive creature, which, to be revenged, loseth her sting, and becomes a drone; or, like Tamar, who, to be even with her father-in-law, defiled him and herself with incest. "Cease, therefore, from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in anywise to do evil." Psa 37:8 Athenodorus counselled Augustus to determine nothing rashly, when he was angry, till he had repeated the Greek alphabet. Ambrose taught Theodosius, in that case, to repeat the Lord's Prayer. What a shame it is to see a Christian act like Hercules furens, or like Solomon's fool, that casts firebrands, or as that demoniac, Mar 2:3 out of measure fierce! That demoniac was "among the tombs," but these are among the living, and molest those most that are nearest to them.
For anger resteth in the bosom of fools.] Rush it may into a wise man's bosom, but not rest there, lodge there, dwell there; and only where it dwells it domineers, and that is only where a fool is master of the family. Thunder, hail, tempest, neither trouble nor hurt celestial bodies. See that the sun go not down upon this evil guest: see that the soul be not soured or impured with it, for anger corrupts the heart, as leaven doth the lump, or vinegar the vessel wherein it doth continue. a
a Aug., epist. 87.