μάχομαι
máchomai
G3164 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To engage in battle or combat, either in physical warfare or metaphorically in verbal contest. The word typically denotes active conflict, struggle, or contention—whether armed or in the sense of verbal disputes or debates. In non-literal contexts, it is used for persistent argument, rivalry, or opposition.
Semantic Range
to fight (in battle), to engage in conflict, to struggle, to quarrel, to dispute, to wrangle, to argue, to contend (physically or verbally)
Root / Etymology
From the root μάχ- meaning 'battle' or 'fight'; cognate with noun μάχη ('battle, fight'). The verb is in the middle voice, indicating participation in the action. Related to classical Greek μάχεσθαι, 'to fight,' which is from Proto-Indo-European root *magh- ('to be able, to help').
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, μάχομαι is used primarily for soldiers or parties engaging in formal combat or warfare. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek (including the Septuagint and the New Testament), its use extends to violent confrontation but is also frequently seen in the context of verbal disputes or oppositional argumentation. In the New Testament, μάχομαι commonly refers not to literal battles but to contentious disputation, often with a negative connotation of destructive wrangling or quarrelsomeness, contrasting with terms denoting peaceful discussion. English translations often render it as 'fight,' 'quarrel,' 'strive,' or 'dispute;' these may narrow its metaphorical range in Greek sources. In the Septuagint, it can refer to both literal battlefield action and strife within communities. The word does not itself prescribe the justness or rightness of the dispute—only the antagonistic nature of the engagement. Distinguish from related words such as ἀγωνίζομαι (to contest, struggle in an agonistic sense) or πολεμέω (to wage war, in a more formal or extended military sense). Earliest attestations are in Homer (as μάχεσθαι), where literal combat is the primary sense. Over time, figurative uses became more prominent in rhetoric and literature.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to war, i.e. (figuratively) to quarrel, dispute:--fight, strive.
Root Family
μάχομαι (machomai) — to fight, to contend, to quarrel
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3164-03 |
μάχεσθε | machesthe | V PRS MID IND 2P PL |
you fight | you are engaging in conflict | you are engaging in conflict | 1 |
G3164-02 |
μάχεσθαι | machesthai | V PRS MID INF |
to quarrel | to engage in conflict | to quarrel | 1 |
G3164-01 |
ἐμάχοντο | emachonto | V IMPF MID IND 3P PL |
were disputing | they were fighting | were disputing | 1 |
G3164-04 |
μαχομένοις | machomenois | V PRS MID PTCP DAT M PL |
fighting | to those contending | contending | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3164-01 |
John 6:52 | ἐμάχοντο | emachonto | V IMPF MID IND 3P PL |
were disputing | they were fighting | were disputing |
G3164-04 |
Acts 7:26 | μαχομένοις | machomenois | V PRS MID PTCP DAT M PL |
fighting | to those contending | contending |
G3164-02 |
2 Timothy 2:24 | μάχεσθαι | machesthai | V PRS MID INF |
to quarrel | to engage in conflict | to quarrel |
G3164-03 |
James 4:2 | μάχεσθε | machesthe | V PRS MID IND 2P PL |
you fight | you are engaging in conflict | you are engaging in conflict |