The Hebrew charown refers to burning, fierce anger — the intensity of wrath that blazes like fire. It almost always appears in the phrase charown aph ('burning of nostrils/anger'), describing the peak of righteous indignation.
Charown characteristically describes God's intense response to covenant violation — Israel's idolatry (Exodus 32:12), Balaam's unauthorized actions (Numbers 22:22), and the abominations of the nations (Deuteronomy 29:28). The phrase charown aph appears over 40 times in the Old Testament, always marking a critical moment of divine response to sin. Yet the anger of God is never capricious — it is always proportionate, purposeful, and ultimately in service of redemption. Moses interceded to turn back God's charown (Exodus 32:12), and throughout the prophets, repentance is the path to its abatement (Jonah 3:9).