The Hebrew noun chemah derives from a root meaning heat and refers to burning wrath, fury, or rage — both human and divine. It also appears in the context of the heat of poison (snake venom). It describes emotion at maximum intensity.
Chemah is the heat of wrath — not cold calculation but burning fury. When God's chemah is kindled, it is terrifying and consuming (Numbers 25:11; Ezekiel 5:13). Yet Scripture also distinguishes holy wrath from sinful anger: God's chemah is always proportionate, purposeful, and ultimately aimed at restoration. The remarkable restraint of divine anger is highlighted in Isaiah 63:6: God treads down nations in His fury. Proverbs repeatedly warns against human chemah as destructive (Proverbs 15:1; 19:19). In Numbers 25:11, Phinehas the priest turns aside God's chemah through zealous action — suggesting that intercession and righteous action can actually affect the course of divine wrath.