Dictionary of Bible Themes  »  5000 Humanity  »  5760 Human attitudes and behaviour  »  5883 impatience

A refusal to wait for people or developments, frequently displaying a lack of faith.

Examples of impatience

Genesis 16:1-2 Abraham and Sarah who did not wait for God to give them the son he had promised; Genesis 25:30 Esau's impatience cost him his birthright; Numbers 20:9-11 Moses

Israel:

Numbers 21:4; Psalm 106:13; Isaiah 59:7 1 Samuel 13:6-12 Saul made the offering without waiting for Samuel; 2 Samuel 13:2 Amnon with his half-sister, Tamar; 2 Samuel 14:29 Absalom with Joab; 2 Samuel 18:14 Joab with Absalom; 2 Kings 5:11-12 Naaman; 2 Kings 6:33 King Joram

Job:

Job 6:11; Job 21:4 Job 32:16 Elihu; Matthew 18:29-30 the unforgiving debtor; Luke 15:2 The younger son could not wait for his inheritance; John 21:3 Peter; Acts 20:16 Paul; 1 Corinthians 11:20-21 the Corinthian Christians at their communal meal; Revelation 6:10-11 the martyrs waiting for the Lord to avenge their deaths

Warnings against impatience

Psalm 37:7; Proverbs 19:2; Galatians 6:9; James 1:19-20 See also Proverbs 6:18; Proverbs 12:16; Proverbs 14:29; Proverbs 15:18; Proverbs 16:32; Proverbs 20:3

Haste leads to poverty:

Proverbs 21:5; Proverbs 28:22 Proverbs 25:8 the need to exercise caution in disputes

Warnings against hasty speech:

Proverbs 29:20; Ecclesiastes 5:2 Ecclesiastes 7:9; Ecclesiastes 8:3; Habakkuk 2:3

See also

1095  God, patience of
2060  Christ, patience of
5418  monotony
5925  rashness
5977  waiting
8318  patience
8459  perseverance
8613  prayer, persistence
8718  disobedience
8834  unbelief