24. aganaktésis
Lexical Summary
aganaktésis: Indignation, displeasure

Original Word: ἀγανακτήσις
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: aganaktésis
Pronunciation: ag-an-ak-TAY-sis
Phonetic Spelling: (ag-an-ak'-tay-sis)
KJV: indignation
NASB: indignation
Word Origin: [from G23 (ἀγανακτέω - indignant)]

1. indignation

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
indignation.

From aganakteo; indignation -- indignation.

see GREEK aganakteo

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from aganakteó
Definition
indignation
NASB Translation
indignation (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 24: ἀγανάκτησις

ἀγανάκτησις, (εως, , indignation: 2 Corinthians 7:11. (From Plato on.)

Topical Lexicon
Usage in the New Testament

The noun ἀγανάκτησιν appears a single time, in 2 Corinthians 7:11. In Paul’s list of seven evidences of “godly sorrow,” indignation stands alongside earnestness, zeal, and readiness to see justice done. The rarity of the term underscores its precision: it is not a generalized anger but a focused moral revulsion that accompanies true repentance.

Historical Background in the Corinthian Correspondence

Paul’s “severe letter” (alluded to in 2 Corinthians 2:3–4 and 7:8) confronted the church over tolerated sin and a challenge to Paul’s apostolic authority. When Titus reported the Corinthians’ repentant response, Paul identified their ἀγανάκτησιν as part of a Spirit-worked transformation. The church moved from complacency to a corporate outrage toward the sin that had threatened its purity and witness.

Theological Significance: Holy Displeasure Leading to Holiness

Indignation can be either righteous or sinful; Scripture approves only the former. In 2 Corinthians 7:11 indignation is the fruit of “godly sorrow” (λύπη κατὰ Θεόν) contrasted with “worldly sorrow” that produces death (7:10). Holy displeasure:
• Springs from love for God’s honor (Psalm 69:9).
• Aims at restoration, never retaliation (Galatians 6:1).
• Aligns with divine wrath against evil while remaining free of personal bitterness (Ephesians 4:26–27).

Distinction from Sinful Anger

Whereas sinful wrath centers on self, godly indignation centers on God’s righteousness. James 1:20 warns that “man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness of God,” yet Mark 3:5 records Jesus looking “around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart.” The Corinthian example demonstrates that believers may—and at times must—share Christ’s holy resentment toward sin without crossing into fleshly hostility.

Old Testament Parallels

Hebrew narratives highlight moments of covenant-loyal indignation:
Numbers 25:11—Phinehas’s zeal averts wrath.
Nehemiah 5:6—Nehemiah “became very angry” over social injustice, leading to reform.
Psalm 119:53—“Rage seizes me because of the wicked who reject Your law.”

These accounts mirror the Corinthian experience: righteous indignation acts as a catalyst for communal purification.

Ministry Lessons

1. Discernment: Leaders must distinguish between godly indignation that restores and carnal anger that destroys (Proverbs 29:22).
2. Transparency: Paul openly praised the Corinthians’ indignation, modeling public affirmation of genuine repentance.
3. Balance: Indignation must be tempered by humility and love (Colossians 3:12–14).
4. Urgency: Delay in addressing sin dulls holy indignation and endangers the body (1 Corinthians 5:6).

Practical Application for Discipleship

• Examine motives when stirred to anger; ask whether the concern is God’s glory or personal offense.
• Let righteous indignation drive proactive steps—confession, restitution, and protection of the vulnerable.
• Cultivate sensitivity to sin through Word and prayer so that hearts remain tender, not calloused.
• Encourage corporate expressions of holy displeasure in church discipline, always pursuing restoration (Matthew 18:15–17).

Summary

Strong’s Greek 24 encapsulates a single yet potent New Testament instance where genuine repentance flowers into holy indignation. The Corinthian believers, once tolerant of sin, now loathed it. Their example calls the church in every age to embrace a sanctified resentment toward evil that honors Christ, safeguards the fellowship, and advances practical holiness.

Forms and Transliterations
αγανακτησιν αγανάκτησιν ἀγανάκτησιν αγανώθ aganaktesin aganaktēsin aganáktesin aganáktēsin
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
2 Corinthians 7:11 N-AFS
GRK: ἀπολογίαν ἀλλὰ ἀγανάκτησιν ἀλλὰ φόβον
NAS: of yourselves, what indignation, what
KJV: yea, [what] indignation, yea,
INT: [what] defense but anger but fear

Strong's Greek 24
1 Occurrence


ἀγανάκτησιν — 1 Occ.

23
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