The Hebrew verb charah (H2734) means to be hot, to burn, or to be kindled — used almost entirely of anger, both human and divine. It describes intense emotional heat that demands action or response.
Charah is the standard verb for anger in biblical Hebrew. When paired with 'aph (nose/nostril), it creates the idiom 'his nostrils burned' — the image of flared, flaming nostrils visible in ancient Near Eastern iconography of divine wrath. God's anger in Scripture burns against injustice, idolatry, and mistreatment of the vulnerable. Cain's charah (Genesis 4:5) is the first recorded instance — God's gentle response shows that anger can be redirected through righteousness.