Hebrew word · H4066

מָדוֹן

madon

strife

Strife, contention, quarrel, legal dispute. It probably comes from din, 'to judge, plead a case', so it carries overtones of a grievance or claim between parties.

Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) strife, contention

1a) strife, contention

1b) object of contention

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Proverbs 29:22

Range of meaning

Strife, contention, quarrel, legal dispute. It probably comes from din, 'to judge, plead a case', so it carries overtones of a grievance or claim between parties.

Against the English

'Strife' (KJV, WEB) and 'contention' (YLT) are accurate. 'Dissension' (BSB) leans toward a split inside a group. The Hebrew is wider and includes quarrels between neighbours or households.

Used elsewhere in the period

It is common in Proverbs (6:14, 19; 10:12; 15:18; 16:28; 17:14; 22:10; 26:20–21; 28:25). In some of these places the scribes' marginal reading gives the related plural midyanim. Prov 26:21 says: 'As charcoal to embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.'

From the study of Proverbs 16:28

Range of meaning

Strife, contention, quarrel, open dispute. It is related to dîn, 'to judge, plead a cause', so it can carry the feel of a running dispute with charges traded back and forth. It is frequent in Proverbs (15:18; 17:14; 22:10; 26:20, 21; 28:25; 29:22). The plural forms midyānîm/mədānîm appear in 6:14, 19.

Against the English

'Strife', 'dissension', 'conflict' and 'contention' are all fair. 'Dissension' (BSB) suggests disagreement within a group, which fits well.

Used elsewhere in the period

Prov 26:20 makes the direct link with the second half of our verse: 'Without wood a fire goes out; without a whisperer (nirgān), strife (mādôn) ceases.' Prov 22:10: 'Drive out a scoffer and mādôn goes out.'

From the study of Proverbs 22:10

Range of meaning

Strife, contention, quarrelling: ongoing social friction more than a single fight. It is related to the legal root dîn ("to judge, plead a case"). Proverbs uses it again and again for what certain characters produce: the perverse man "sows strife" (6:14, 19), "a hot-tempered man stirs up strife" (15:18), "a perverse man spreads strife" (16:28), "hatred stirs up strife" (10:12).

Against the English

"Strife", "contention" and "conflict" are all accurate. BSB's "conflict will depart" keeps the idea of leaving but loses the echo between "drive out" and "go out".

Used elsewhere in the period

The closest parallel is Proverbs 26:20: "For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, mādôn falls silent." The logic is the same: take away the source and the quarrel dies. The LXX here uses neikos, "quarrel".

Where it appears

Psalms · 1

  1. Psalm 80:6 מָ֭דוֹן a contention

    You make us contend with our neighbors; our enemies mock us.

Proverbs · 7

  1. Proverbs 15:18 מָד֑וֹן strife

    A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.

    Here: Ongoing quarrelling and contention, the poisoned atmosphere between people. The word is related to the root for 'judging', so it carries a sense of rival claims.

  2. Proverbs 16:28 מָד֑וֹן strife

    A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip divides close friends.

    Here: Quarrelling and open conflict between people. The word is related to the verb for judging or pleading a case, so it carries a hint of accusation and counter-accusation. It is what the twisted person releases.

  3. Proverbs 17:14 מָד֑וֹן strife

    To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.

    Here: Interpersonal contention, a favourite word of Proverbs (6:14, 19; 10:12; 15:18; 16:28). It comes from the root for pleading or judging (din), so it carries the idea of people pressing claims against each other.

  4. Proverbs 22:10 מָד֑וֹן strife

    Drive out the mocker, and conflict will depart; even quarreling and insults will cease.

    Here: Ongoing quarrelling and friction in a group, a favourite word in Proverbs for what troublemakers stir up (6:14, 19; 15:18; 26:20–21). Here it is the subject that "goes out".

  5. Proverbs 26:20 מָדֽוֹן׃ strife

    Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, a conflict ceases.

    Here: A dispute between people, the kind of feud that splits households and neighbors. It comes from the root din, "to contend, plead a case," and is one of Proverbs' favorite words for social conflict.

  6. Proverbs 28:25 מָד֑וֹן strife

    A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

    Here: Quarrels, disputes, conflict between people, including disputes that end up before the elders at the town gate. It is a social breakdown, not only an inner feeling.

  7. Proverbs 29:22 מָד֑וֹן strife

    An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.

    Here: An open dispute between people. The word comes from the root for judging or pleading a case, so it sounds like a quarrel that could end up before the elders.

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 15:10 מָד֖וֹן contention

    Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife and conflict in all the land. I have neither lent nor borrowed, yet everyone curses me.

    Here: Quarrelling or wrangling, a word common in Proverbs. Paired with rîv, it covers both court cases and everyday hostility.

Habakkuk · 1

  1. Habakkuk 1:3 וּמָד֖וֹן and contention

    Why do You make me see iniquity? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds.

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