Outrage
Jump to: ISBEWebster'sConcordanceThesaurusGreekLibrarySubtopicsTerms
Topical Encyclopedia
Outrage, in the biblical context, refers to acts of extreme anger, violence, or indignation that violate moral or divine law. It is often associated with actions that provoke intense emotional responses and are considered offensive or unjust. The Bible addresses the concept of outrage in various forms, highlighting both human reactions to perceived injustices and divine responses to human sinfulness.

Old Testament References

In the Old Testament, outrage is frequently depicted in narratives involving violence and injustice. One notable example is the outrage committed by the men of Gibeah against the Levite's concubine in Judges 19. This horrific act of violence led to a civil war within Israel, illustrating the severe consequences of unchecked outrage and immorality. The text states, "But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go" (Judges 19:25).

The prophets also speak against acts of outrage, often in the context of social injustice and oppression. The prophet Amos condemns those who "trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted" (Amos 2:7). Such actions are seen as an outrage against God's covenant and His call for justice and righteousness.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, outrage is addressed in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. Jesus Himself experienced outrage from the religious leaders of His time, who were indignant at His teachings and actions. In Luke 4:28-29, the people of Nazareth were filled with wrath at Jesus' words and attempted to throw Him off a cliff: "On hearing this, all the people in the synagogue were enraged. They got up, drove Him out of the town, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him off the cliff" .

The apostle Paul also speaks to the issue of outrage in the context of Christian conduct. In Ephesians 4:31, he exhorts believers to "get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice" . This instruction underscores the importance of self-control and forgiveness, contrasting the destructive nature of outrage with the peace and unity that should characterize the Christian community.

Divine Outrage

The Bible also describes instances of divine outrage, where God's righteous anger is kindled against sin and rebellion. This is evident in the account of the golden calf in Exodus 32, where God's wrath burns against the Israelites for their idolatry. Moses intercedes on behalf of the people, appealing to God's mercy and covenant promises. The text records, "So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people" (Exodus 32:14).

Divine outrage is not capricious but is rooted in God's holiness and justice. It serves as a warning against sin and a call to repentance. The ultimate expression of divine outrage and mercy is found in the cross of Christ, where God's wrath against sin is satisfied through the sacrificial death of His Son, offering redemption and reconciliation to humanity.

Moral and Ethical Implications

The biblical treatment of outrage calls for a response that aligns with God's character and commands. Believers are encouraged to respond to personal and societal injustices with righteous indignation that leads to constructive action, rather than destructive anger. The call to "be angry, yet do not sin" (Ephesians 4:26) emphasizes the need for discernment and self-control in addressing issues that provoke outrage.

In summary, the concept of outrage in the Bible encompasses both human and divine responses to sin and injustice. It serves as a reminder of the need for justice, mercy, and humility in the face of wrongdoing, reflecting the character of God and the teachings of Scripture.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) A grossly offensive or violent act.

2. (n.) Injurious violence or wanton wrong done to persons or things; a gross violation of right or decency; excessive abuse; wanton mischief; gross injury.

3. (n.) Excess; luxury.

4. (n.) To commit outrage upon; to subject to outrage; to treat with violence or excessive abuse.

5. (n.) Specifically, to violate; to commit an indecent assault upon (a female).

6. (v. t.) To be guilty of an outrage; to act outrageously.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
OUTRAGE; OUTRAGEOUS

out'-raj, out-ra'-jus: The noun (from the French outre plus age, "that which goes beyond") only in the heading to Psalm 10 the King James Version; the adjective in Proverbs 27:4, the King James Version and the English Revised Version, for sheTeph, "flood." "Anger is overwhelming" (American Standard Revised Version), is much better.

Greek
3075. lumainomai -- to outrage, to corrupt
... to outrage, to corrupt. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: lumainomai Phonetic
Spelling: (loo-mah'-ee-nom-ahee) Short Definition: I ravage, harry, devastate ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3075.htm - 6k

5195. hubrizo -- to run riot, to outrage, insult
... to run riot, to outrage, insult. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: hubrizo Phonetic
Spelling: (hoo-brid'-zo) Short Definition: I insult Definition: I insult ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5195.htm - 7k

1796. enubrizo -- to insult
... to insult. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: enubrizo Phonetic Spelling:
(en-oo-brid'-zo) Short Definition: I insult, outrage, treat contemptuously ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1796.htm - 7k

5196. hubris -- wantonness, insolence, an act of wanton violence
... Noun, Feminine Transliteration: hubris Phonetic Spelling: (hoo'-bris) Short Definition:
insult, damage, loss Definition: (a) insult, injury, outrage, (b) damage ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5196.htm - 7k

1282. diaprio -- to saw asunder, cut to the heart
... the heart is "ripped in two" ("cut to the quick") -- ie when a person is "split
down the center" (emotionally) when overcome with indignation (envy, outrage). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1282.htm - 7k

Library

The Jews Commit Another Outrage Upon the Christians and are ...
... Book VII. Chapter XVI."The Jews commit Another Outrage upon the Christians
and are punished. Soon afterwards the Jews renewed ...
/.../chapter xvi the jews commit another.htm

Of Lucretia, who Put an End to Her Life Because of the Outrage ...
... The City of God.Book I. Chapter 19."Of Lucretia, Who Put an End to Her
Life Because of the Outrage Done Her. This, then, is our ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 19 of lucretia who put.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, John x. 30, "I and the Father are One. ...
... grace of God be added to them. For they imagine that by their outrage of
the Son they honour the Father. When you say to him, "Thou ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon lxxxix on the words.htm

Letter Xlvi. To a Fallen virgin.
... Phinehas, the zealous, because he can now no more take his spear into his hands
and avenge the outrage on the bodies; and John the Baptist, because he cannot ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter xlvi to a fallen.htm

Man Would be More Unfavourably Situated than the Beasts if There ...
... myriads, could not by one death make restitution for these deeds; and the man who
holds no true opinion concerning God, but lives in all outrage and blasphemy ...
/.../the treatise on the resurrection of the dead/chapter xix man would be more.htm

The Agony Cont.
... heart. At every stage an outrage. Every outrage an appeal to the indignation
of Him who held them in the hollow of His hand. Surely ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 14 34-42 the agony cont.htm

The Church Spiritual.
... ye may become partakers of the spirit." If we say that the flesh is the church and
the spirit Christ, then it follows that he who shall offer outrage to the ...
/.../keith/the epistles of clement/chapter xiv the church spiritual.htm

By what Judgment of God the Enemy was Permitted to Indulge his ...
... true consolation, if you maintain a good conscience, and know that you did not consent
to the sins of those who were permitted to commit sinful outrage upon you ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 28 by what judgment of.htm

Acts iii. 12
... But at this point he proceeds to enlarge upon the outrage, and exalts the heinousness
of the deed, no longer, as before, throwing a veil over it. ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily ix acts iii 12.htm

The Demoniac
... fiends incarnate " the men who take pleasure in unrighteousness, in the seduction
and ruin of their fellows, in the infliction of torture and outrage, in the ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 1 23-28 the demoniac.htm

Thesaurus
Outrage (3 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) To commit outrage upon; to subject to outrage; to treat with violence or
excessive abuse. ... 6. (vt) To be guilty of an outrage; to act outrageously. Int. ...
/o/outrage.htm - 8k

Gibeah (52 Occurrences)
... It was here that the terrible outrage was committed on the Levite's concubine which
led to the almost utter extirpation of the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 19; 20 ...
/g/gibeah.htm - 30k

Violation (6 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) Interruption, as of sleep or peace; disturbance. 5. (n.) Ravishment; rape;
outrage. Multi-Version Concordance Violation (6 Occurrences). ...
/v/violation.htm - 8k

Violate (14 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To disturb; to interrupt. 4. (vt) To commit rape on; to ravish; to
outrage. Multi-Version Concordance Violate (14 Occurrences). ...
/v/violate.htm - 10k

Violence (98 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Injury done to that which is entitled to respect, reverence, or observance;
profanation; infringement; unjust force; outrage; assault. ...
/v/violence.htm - 38k

Opposition (22 Occurrences)
... 1 Thessalonians 2:2 But, as you will remember, after we had already met with suffering
and outrage at Philippi, we summoned up boldness, by the help of our God ...
/o/opposition.htm - 13k

Outpourings (1 Occurrence)

/o/outpourings.htm - 6k

Outraged (3 Occurrences)

/o/outraged.htm - 7k

Outrageous (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) Exceeding the limits of right, reason, or decency;
shocking; atrocious. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. OUTRAGE; OUTRAGEOUS. ...
/o/outrageous.htm - 7k

Trophimus (3 Occurrences)
... The occasion of this outrage was that the Jews supposed that Paul had "brought Greeks
also into the temple, and.... defiled this holy place" (Acts 21:28). ...
/t/trophimus.htm - 15k

Resources
What is rape culture? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about sexism? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that God is just? | GotQuestions.org

Outrage: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Outrage (3 Occurrences)

1 Thessalonians 2:2
But, as you will remember, after we had already met with suffering and outrage at Philippi, we summoned up boldness, by the help of our God, to tell you God's Good News amid much opposition.
(WEY)

1 Timothy 1:13
though I was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and had been insolent in outrage. Yet mercy was shown me, because I had acted ignorantly, not having as yet believed;
(WEY)

Proverbs 30:9
lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is Jehovah? or lest I be poor and steal, and outrage the name of my God.
(DBY)

Subtopics

Outrage

Related Terms

Outrage (3 Occurrences)

Outrageous (1 Occurrence)

Tamar (28 Occurrences)

Abstinence (2 Occurrences)

Abiathar (29 Occurrences)

Retribution (14 Occurrences)

Nahum (3 Occurrences)

Wisdom (320 Occurrences)

Anem (1 Occurrence)

Outpourings
Top of Page
Top of Page