ἐπᾰγωνίζομαι G1864
to contend earnestly for, fight for
A compound verb meaning to struggle intensely or fight for something with determination. In classical Greek it could mean contending in games or laying stress on a point in rhetoric. Jude 3 uses it to exhort believers to 'contend earnestly for the faith' (ἐπαγωνίζεσθαι τῇ πίστει) that was once for all delivered to the saints. This is vigorous, even combative defense of apostolic teaching against false teachers.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Jude's singular use of this verb captures militant urgency. The Spanish 'contender,' French 'combattre,' and German 'kämpfen' all emphasize struggle and conflict. This is not casual debate but spiritual warfare to preserve the integrity of the gospel against heretical distortions infiltrating the community. The intensive prefix ἐπι- heightens the sense of sustained, focused effort. 1×
amh["ትታገሉ"]·AR["أن-تجاهدوا"]·ben["সংগ্রাম-করতে"]·ces["zápasit"]·dan["at-kæmpe-for"]·DE["zu-kämpfen"]·ell["αγωνίζεσθαι"]·EN["to-contend"]·FR["combattre"]·guj["ઝૂઝવા"]·hat["lite"]·hau["ku-yi-fama"]·heb["להילחם"]·HI["लड़ने-को"]·hun["harcolni"]·ID["untuk-berjuang"]·IT["a-combattere"]·jav["perang"]·JA["戦い続ける-ことを"]·KO["힘써-싸우라"]·mar["झुंजण्यासाठी"]·mya["ယှဉ်ပြိုင်တိုက်ခိုက်"]·nld["te-strijden"]·nor["å-kjempe-for"]·pnb["لڑن"]·pol["walczyć"]·PT["batalhar"]·ron["a-lupta-pentru"]·RU["подвизаться"]·ES["contender"]·SW["kupigania"]·swe["att-kämpa-för"]·tam["போராட"]·tel["పోరాడుటకు"]·tgl["makipaglaban"]·TH["ต่อสู้เพื่อ"]·TR["mücadele-etmenizi"]·ukr["боротися-за"]·urd["جدوجہد-کرو"]·VI["tranh-chiến-cho"]·yor["láti-jà-fún"]·yue["竭力爭辯"]·ZH["竭力争辩"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐπᾰγωνίζομαι, contend with, τινί Refs 1st c.AD+; continue to attack, Refs 4th c.BC+ __2 with dative of things, contend in, εὐνοίᾳ Refs; contend for, τῇ πίστει NT: lay stress on, ἐ. τῷ λόγῳ Refs 1st c.AD+; exertoneself, Refs __3 contend again, in games, Refs 1st c.BC+ __3.b speak after a person, follow him, Refs 2nd c.AD+