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πόλεμος

pólemos

G4171 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A state or act of armed conflict, war, or battle; the condition or engagement of hostilities between groups, states, or peoples. The term denotes warfare in the most general sense, encompassing organized hostilities, military campaigns, and conflicts, and can also be extended to metaphorical or figurative struggles or contests. In some contexts, it refers specifically to a particular battle or engagement, but is more commonly used to designate war as an ongoing state or institution.

Semantic Range

war, warfare, battle, campaign, (metaphorically) contest, struggle, conflict

Root / Etymology

From the root πόλεμος (pólemos), whose origin is ancient and uncertain, though possibly linked to the verb πέλομαι ('to move, to bustle, to be busy'), suggesting the noise, activity, or tumult of battle. The connection to Latin bellum (war) is due to later folk etymologies but is not directly cognate.

Historical & Contextual Notes

πόλεμος is widely attested from Homeric Greek onward as the primary term for armed conflict or war, encompassing both large-scale wars and individual battles. In classical Greek, it refers to both specific wars (e.g., the Peloponnesian War) and the broader concept of warfare as a human enterprise. In the Septuagint, πόλεμος regularly renders Hebrew מִלְחָמָה (milḥāmāh), both in reference to physical confrontations and, occasionally, metaphorical spiritual conflicts. In the New Testament, πόλεμος typically denotes literal war or armed conflict, but it can also be used figuratively for spiritual or ideological struggles (cf. James 4:1). English translations often use 'war' or 'battle,' but the Greek term may carry a broader conceptual range than these English equivalents, including the institutional, existential, or spiritual dimensions of conflict. Contrasts with μάχη (machē), which tends to refer more narrowly to specific contests or fights, and ἔρις (eris), which denotes strife or quarrelling more generally without the institutional or martial focus.

Translation Consistency

primary "war" 14 occurrences

πόλεμος most commonly denotes the state or institution of armed conflict; in English ‘war’ is the natural, broad, and idiomatic choice that covers organized warfare, campaigns, and metaphorical contests. It matches the dominant renderings in the data and keeps consistent, natural phrasing across contexts.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"battle" (4x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from (to bustle); warfare (literally or figuratively; a single encounter or a series):--battle, fight, war.

Root Family

πόλεμος (pólemos) — war, armed conflict, battle

Root πολεμ- war, armed conflict, battle

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4171-03 πολέμων polemon N GEN M PL war of wars war 12
G4171-05 πολέμους polemous N ACC M PL wars wars wars 3
G4171-04 πόλεμος polemos N NOM M SG war war war 1
G4171-02 πόλεμοι polemoi N NOM M PL wars wars wars 1
G4171-01 πολέμῳ polemo N DAT M SG battle in war war 1

Occurrences in Scripture

18 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4171-05 Matthew 24:6 πολέμους polemous N ACC M PL wars wars wars
G4171-03 Matthew 24:6 πολέμων polemon N GEN M PL of wars of wars of wars
G4171-05 Mark 13:7 πολέμους polemous N ACC M PL wars wars wars
G4171-03 Mark 13:7 πολέμων polemon N GEN M PL of wars of wars of wars
G4171-03 Luke 14:31 πόλεμον polemon N ACC M SG war of wars war
G4171-05 Luke 21:9 πολέμους polemous N ACC M PL wars wars wars
G4171-03 1 Corinthians 14:8 πόλεμον polemon N ACC M SG battle of wars battle
G4171-01 Hebrews 11:34 πολέμῳ polemo N DAT M SG battle in war war
G4171-02 James 4:1 πόλεμοι polemoi N NOM M PL wars wars wars
G4171-03 Revelation 9:7 πόλεμον polemon N ACC M SG battle of wars war
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