H4683 H4683
Strife, contention, or quarreling between parties
This noun denotes conflict arising from pride, greed, or malice. It appears in wisdom literature warning against the sources of strife (Proverbs links it to pride and transgression) and in Isaiah's indictment of fasting that leads to fighting rather than justice. The term captures not just disagreement but active contention—the kind of quarreling that breaks community. BDB distinguishes this from the homonymous 'unleavened bread' term.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Contention or strife between people. Proverbs 13:10 declares 'by pride comes only strife,' while 17:19 warns 'he who raises his door seeks destruction' in the context of loving strife. Isaiah 58:4 rebukes Israel: 'you fast for strife and contention, and to strike with the fist of wickedness.' The multilingual witnesses (Spanish contienda, French dispute implied) consistently render this as conflict or quarreling, not the unleavened bread meaning. 3×
AR["خِصامًا", "خِصامٍ", "وَ-شِجَارٍ"]·ben["-এবং-ঝগড়ায়", "কলহ", "বিবাদ"]·DE["[ומצה]", "[מצה]"]·EN["and-contention", "strife"]·FR["[ומצה]", "מצה"]·heb["ו-מצה", "מצה"]·HI["और-लड़ाईके-लिए", "झगड़ा", "झगड़े-से"]·ID["dan-pertengkaran", "pertengkaran"]·IT["[ומצה]", "strife"]·jav["lan-gelut", "pasulayan"]·KO["그리고-분쟁으로-", "다투-을", "다툼을"]·PT["contenda", "e-luta"]·RU["и-распри", "раздор", "ссору"]·ES["contienda", "y-riña"]·SW["na-ugomvi", "ugomvi"]·TR["kavga", "kavgayı", "ve-cekisme-icin"]·urd["اور-لڑائی-کے-لیے", "جھگڑا", "جھگڑے-سے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. מַצָּה n.f. strife, contention;—abs. מ׳ Is 58:4; Pr 13:10; 17:19.—i. מַצָּה v. מצץ.