Greek word · G3163

μάχη

machē

quarrel

A battle or fight, and by extension a quarrel, dispute or strife. In the NT it is usually used for verbal and social conflict (2 Tim 2:23; Titus 3:9; Jas 4:1), but the root sense is combat.

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

μάχη, -ης, ἡ

(μάχομαι), [in LXX chiefly for רִיב ;]

1. a fight.

2. a strife, contention, quarrel: 2 Corinthians 7:5, 2 Timothy 2:23, James 4:1; pl., Titus 3:9.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 2 Corinthians 7:5

Range of meaning

A battle or fight, and by extension a quarrel, dispute or strife. In the NT it is usually used for verbal and social conflict (2 Tim 2:23; Titus 3:9; Jas 4:1), but the root sense is combat.

Against the English

"Fightings" (KJV) and "conflicts" (BSB, NASB) are fair. ESV's singular "fighting" loses the plural, which suggests repeated or many-sided clashes.

Used elsewhere in the period

Jas 4:1 uses "wars and fightings (μάχαι)" for strife among believers. In classical Greek it is the ordinary word for a battle.

From the study of James 4:1

Range of meaning

Battle or combat; also fighting, strife, quarrel, dispute.

Against the English

"Fightings" (KJV, WEB) or "quarrels" (BSB) are both fair. The pair "wars and fights" is meant to cover all conflict, large and small.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the NT: 2 Cor 7:5 ("fightings without"), 2 Tim 2:23 and Titus 3:9 (quarrels about words and the law). Paired with polemos in Plato, Phaedo 66c.

From the study of 2 Timothy 2:23

Range of meaning

A battle or fight, literally armed combat. Used figuratively for quarrels, strife and verbal combat.

Against the English

BSB 'quarreling,' ESV/NIV 'quarrels,' KJV 'strifes,' WEB/YLT 'strife,' NLT 'fights.' 'Quarrels' is accurate but tamer. Greek readers would hear the battlefield behind it.

Used elsewhere in the period

James 4:1 ('Where do wars [polemoi] and fights [machai] among you come from?'); 2 Cor 7:5 ('fightings without'); Titus 3:9 ('quarrels about the law,' μάχας νομικάς). The compound logomachia, 'word-battle,' appears in 1 Tim 6:4, and the verb logomachein in 2 Tim 2:14.

Where it appears

2 Corinthians · 1

  1. 2 Corinthians 7:5 μάχαι, conflicts,

    For when we arrived in Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were pressed from every direction—conflicts on the outside, fears within.

    Here: Plural "fights" or "conflicts". These were hostile clashes, most likely opposition and harassment in Macedonia, and could include both verbal disputes and physical danger.

2 Timothy · 1

  1. 2 Timothy 2:23 μάχας· quarrels;

    But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling.

    Here: Plural 'fights.' The word's basic meaning is a battle, used here for verbal brawls. Paul picks it up straight away in v. 24 with the related verb: the Lord's servant 'must not fight' (machesthai).

Titus · 1

  1. Titus 3:9 μάχας quarrels

    But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless.

    Here: Literally 'battles'. The word is used here for verbal combat, the outright fights that rivalry turns into (compare 2 Tim 2:23, debates that 'breed fights').

James · 1

  1. James 4:1 μάχαι quarrels

    What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?

    Here: Literally a battle or hand-to-hand fight, often used for heated disputes and wrangling. Paired with polemoi, it covers everything from long campaigns to individual clashes.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.