Anger and Indignation

Ὅτι ὀργὴ ἐν τῷ θυμῷ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ζωὴ ἐν τῷ θελήματι αὐτοῦ.  Πρότερον εἶπε τὸ σκυθρωπον, ὀργὴν ἐν τᾡ θυμῷ τοῦ θεοῦ· εἶτα τὸ φαιδρότερον, τὴν ζωὴν ἐν τῷ θελήματι αὐτοῦ. Δοκεὶ ταυτολογία εἶναι τοὶς μὴ δυναμένοις τῆς ἀκριβείας τῶν σημαινομένων ἐφάπτεσθαι, τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος ὀργήν εἶναι ἐν τῷ θυμῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς τοῦ αὐτοῦ ὄντος ὀργῆς καὶ θυμοῦ· πλεὶστον δὲ τὸ διαπορον. Θυμὸς μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ἡ κρισις τοῦ ἐπαχθῆναι τάδε τινὰ τὰ σκυθρωπὰ τῷ ἀξίῳ ὀργὴ δὲ ὁ πόνος ἤδη, καὶ ἡ κόλασις ἡ ἀπὸ τοῦ δικαίου κριτοῦ κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῆς ἀδικίας ἐπασομένη. Ἀπο παραδείγματος δὲ σαφέστερον ὅ λέγω γενήσεται. Σημειωσάμενος ὁ ἰατρὸς τὸ φλεγμαῖνον μέρος καὶ ὕπουλον, ἐγκρίνει τὴν τομὴν ἀναγκαίαν εἴναι τῳ κάμνοντι. Τοῦτο θυμὸν ὀνομάζει ἡ Γραφή. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ βοηθήματι κρίσιν τοῦ ἰατροῦ ἐπακολουθει λοιπὸν ἡ ἐνέργεια εἰς ἔργον ἄγουσα τὰ κριθέντα, καὶ ὁ σίδυρος τέμνων καὶ ὀδύνην ἐμποιῶν τῷ διακοπτομένῷ. Ἐλθὲ τοὶνυν ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον, καὶ εὐρήσεις τὸ ἀκόλουθον τῆς ἐννοίας. Ὅτι ὀργὴ ἐν τῷ θυμῷ αὐτοῦ. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμός ΚΘ’

'For anger is in his indignation and life in his will' First he says that which is sorrowful, 'anger is in his indignation', then comes something more joyful, 'life in his will.' But when the Prophet says that anger is in the indignation of God it appears to be a tautology to those who are not able carefully to distinguish the meanings, as if anger and indignation were the same, but indeed they do differ. Indignation is a judgement which possesses a certain sorrow of suffering; anger is the operation of just judgement according to the measure of injustice. I shall give a clear example: a physician noting that an inflamed part is infected deep within, orders that an amputation is necessary. This is what Scripture names indignation. But after the prescription of the physician concerning the remedy, the action itself follows to make actual that which was commanded, and so the iron cuts and suffering is caused on it being administered. Thus now coming to the expression you will discover the meaning of 'For anger is in his indignation' . Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, Psalm 29