πολεμέω G4170
To wage war, fight, do battle; used of both apocalyptic cosmic conflict and human strife.
A verb of armed conflict and warfare, used in the NT almost exclusively in Revelation's cosmic battle imagery and once in James's moral diagnosis. In Revelation, it describes the dragon warring against the woman's offspring (Rev 12:7), the beast's terrifying invincibility — 'who can make war with him?' (Rev 13:4) — and Christ's own sword-of-mouth warfare (Rev 2:16). James repurposes it sharply for interpersonal strife: 'you fight and war' (Jas 4:2). Spanish 'hace guerra' and German 'kampfen' both capture the martial intensity.
Senses
1. to wage war, fight — To wage war, fight, do battle — denotes armed conflict or hostile engagement, ranging from apocalyptic cosmic warfare to interpersonal strife. In Revelation it describes heavenly battles: Michael and his angels 'warring' against the dragon (Rev 12:7), the beast's seemingly invincible war-making (Rev 13:4), and Christ threatening to 'war' against the unfaithful with the sword of his mouth (Rev 2:16). In James 4:2 it is redirected to diagnose the wars and conflicts among believers rooted in disordered desires. Spanish 'guerreais/hace guerra' and German 'kampfen' both preserve the martial force of the term. 7×
AR["أَن-يُحارِبَهُ", "أُحارِبُهُمْ", "تُحارِبونَ", "حارَبَ", "سَيُحارِبونَ", "لِيُحارِبوا", "يُحارِبُ"]·ben["যুদ্ধ-করতে", "যুদ্ধ-করব", "যুদ্ধ-করবে", "যুদ্ধ-করল", "যুদ্ধ-করেন", "যুদ্ধ-করো"]·DE["kaempfen"]·EN["I-will-war", "makes-war", "to-war", "warred", "will-make-war", "you-wage-war"]·FR["combattre"]·heb["אִלָּחֵם", "יִלָּחֲמוּ", "לְהִלָּחֵם", "נִלְחַם", "נִלְחָם", "נִלְחָמִים"]·HI["झगड़ते-हो", "युद्ध-करता-है", "युद्ध-करूँगा", "युद्ध-करेंगे", "लड़ना", "लड़ने", "लड़ा"]·ID["Aku-akan-berperang", "Dia-berperang", "akan-berperang", "berperang", "berperang,", "kamu-berperang.", "untuk-berperang"]·IT["combattere"]·jav["Kawula-badhé-perang", "Panjenenganipun-perang", "badhé-perang", "perang", "perang."]·KO["다툰다.", "싸우겠다", "싸우기-를", "싸우려고", "싸울-것이니", "싸웠으니", "전쟁한다"]·PT["guerreais", "guerrear", "guerrearei", "guerrearão", "guerreia", "guerreou", "para-guerrear"]·RU["воевал,", "воевать", "воюет", "воюете.", "сражусь", "сразятся"]·ES["de-pelear", "guerreáis", "hace-guerra.", "hacer-guerra", "harán-guerra", "haré-guerra", "peleó"]·SW["akapigana,", "anapigana.", "kupigana", "mnafanya-vita", "nitapigana", "watapigana,"]·TR["onlarla", "savaşacaklar", "savaşmak", "savaşmaya", "savaştı", "savaşır", "savaşırsınız"]·urd["جنگ-کرتا-ہے", "جنگ-کرتے-ہو۔", "لڑا", "لڑنا", "لڑوں-گا", "لڑیں-گے"]
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
πολεμέω, Ionic dialect Iterat. πολεμέεσκε Refs 5th c.BC+: future -ήσωRefs 5th c.BC+: perfect πεπολέμηκα Refs 4th c.BC+ —middle, aorist ἐπολεμησάμην (κατ-) Refs 2nd c.BC+:—passive, πολεμηθήσομαι Refs; πολεμήσομαι in passive sense, Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἐπολεμήθην Refs 5th c.BC+perfect πεπολέμημαι (κατα-) Refs: (πόλεμος):— to be at war or make war, Refs; opposed to εἰρήνην ἄγειν, Refs; τινι with…