“Gnashing Of Teeth” as Status Resentment

Jesus described Gehenna as a place characterized by “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The vivid phrase, “gnashing of teeth,” is often equated with sorrow and regret, as if it were synonymous with “weeping.” That is, the unrighteous would anguish over their separation from God, realizing they missed his glorious presence for eternity.

Rather, “gnashing teeth” represents anger and hostility. BDAG defines the dramatic response as “a sign of violent rage,” which most scholars now accept. However, the phrase appears to connote a specific type of anger, not just anger in general. Namely, “gnashing of teeth” means “resentment over lost status.” People who expected certain recognition are reacting to the loss of their presumed status. They are furious for not being honored as they had anticipated. To argue this point, this post looks at OT and NT instances of the phrase “gnashing of teeth,” then offers a theological interpretation.

Old Testament

 In the Psalms, those who “gnash their teeth” are aggressors attacking someone. The phrase describes the posture of the unrighteous towards the righteous. The violent gesture asserts a desired status hierarchy over others.

• Psalm 35:16— “Like the ungodly, they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me.”
• Psalm 37:12— “The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;”
• Lamentations 2:16—“All your enemies open their mouths wide against you; they scoff and gnash their teeth and say, ‘We have swallowed her up.”

Strikingly, the language is also used of God. Job 16:9 uses the predator-like imagery to describe how he perceives God’s harsh treatment of him—

• Job 16:9—“God assails me and tears me in his anger and gnashes his teeth at me; my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.”

The “gnashing of teeth” also involves lamenting the absence of one’s desired status hierarchy. This is the response of the unrighteous to situations in which their social claims are not recognized.

• Psalm 112:10— “The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.”

In sum, “gnashing teeth” in the OT is an embodied response of intense anger and hostility towards the righteous. It is usually linked to one’s desire or expectation for status recognition. Gnashing of teeth performs one’s perceived superiority.

New Testament

 The phrase “gnashing of teeth” occurs eight times in the New Testament. In two occurrences (Matt 8:12; Luke 13:26), Jesus describes the future response of those who unexpectedly find themselves excluded from the Messianic feast. He says that many will come from the east and west (i.e., Gentiles) to eat with the Patriarchs, but kingdom subjects (i.e., Israelites) will find themselves on the outside. In response to this loss of status, they will weep and gnash their teeth. In this saying, the grinding of teeth conveys “status resentment.”

Five occurrences of “gnashing teeth” appear at the end of Matthean parables about the final judgment.

1. Parable of the Weeds (Matt 13:42)–The tares growing alongside the wheat will be separated and burned.
2. Parable of the Net (Matt 13:50)–The bad fish that swam and were caught alongside the good fish will be cast aside.
3. Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matt 22:13)–The guest enjoying the meal will be tied up and tossed out.
4. Parable of the Un/Faithful Servant (Matt 24:51)–The presumptuous servant who lorded over others will be torn to pieces and placed with the phonies.
5. Parable of the Talents (Matt 25:30)–The final servant who hid the funds has his money taken away.

All of these parables follow a similar template. There is a triadic relationship with two subordinates (one positive and one negative) and a superior figure who judges them. The two subordinates co-existed together, creating the expectation of equality and inclusion. But when the superior comes in judgment, the unfaithful/unrighteous figure experiences exclusion, which corresponds to separation from the blessings and presence of God. As a result, they weep and gnash their teeth. They angrily protest God’s justice. Those who were once included resent not being excluded.

The final NT occurrence is in Acts 7:54. Because this example appears within a narrative, it clearly illustrates the gesture’s meaning. Stephen recounts Israel’s history to emphasize Israel’s sinfulness and God’s presence outside of Israel. If the point was not clear enough, he calls them “stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears!” Just like their forefathers, his audience “always resist the Holy Spirit” and have not obeyed Torah (7:51–53).

Verse 54 gives their response: “When [the Jewish audience] heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at [Stephen].” Their action clearly indicates active fury. Stephen’s audience resented his teaching that they were not actually God’s favored people, as they presumed.

This is a common motif in the Bible: people presume status, but when recognition is denied, they become angry at God’s justice. It appears often in Jesus teachings: the older prodigal son resented he never got the party he deserved as a loyal child (Luke 15); the early workers in the vineyard grumble over the owner’s generosity because his payment did correspond to hours worked (Matt 20); the disciples were indignant when they heard James and John’s request for special seating (Mark 10:41); Jewish leaders resent Jesus for his unparalleled fame and followers (Matt 21:15; Luke 13:14; John passim). Humans presume status and resent its loss. A common response to the experience of shame is to gnash teeth.

Theology and Spirituality of “Gnashing of Teeth”

Although “gnashing of teeth” and “weeping” are related, they are not synonymous. These distinct emotional responses operate together. The compound phrase is a hendiadys of total emotional catastrophe: grief and rage together. In this way, it is similar to the English phrases “kicking and screaming” or “full of tears and rage.” Weeping and gnashing are paired together, but they are not the same thing.

Gnashing of teeth expresses bitter resentment and furious anger over the loss of status. People don’t get the recognition they expected, the status they presumed, the honor they wanted. When deprived, they respond with sadness at the situation (weeping) and anger at the person responsible (gnashing teeth). In the movie Incredibles, this is Syndrome.

Psychologists have noted that shame co-occurs with feelings of humiliated fury. Dishonor elicits anger and aggression. Such shame rage is a defensive response of the wounded self. As one study summarized, “Feeling powerless and in pain, shamed individuals may become angry, blame others, and aggressively lash out in an attempt to regain a sense of agency and control.”

Furious resentment is rooted in entitlement and narcissism. People expect preferential treatment. Most people consider themselves “above average.” Each of us is a special exception who deserves preferential treatment. With this inflated self-importance and need for recognition, people are sensitive to perceived slights. Any whiff of dishonor triggers our nervous systems, and we prepare to defend our social claims. Sadly, such rage intensifies the shame and leads to more rage.

The gospel, however, grants us the recognition to escape the shame-rage spiral. Followers of Christ have no reason or need to “gnash their teeth.” Rather than presume a status, we receive it as a gift. In this life, we need not display threats to impose our status. And in the life to come, we will experience God’s glorious face, so not experience any loss of honor.

When people are “gnashing their teeth” over status resentment, they have two options. We can repent of our false status and obtain a “correct self-image” based on the honor that God bestows. Or, we can fixate on the “injustice” of our loss, growing more bitter and separated from God, which has eternal consequences.