πόλεμος
pólemos
G4171 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state or act of armed conflict, war, or battle; the condition or engagement of hostilities between groups, states, or peoples. The term denotes warfare in the most general sense, encompassing organized hostilities, military campaigns, and conflicts, and can also be extended to metaphorical or figurative struggles or contests. In some contexts, it refers specifically to a particular battle or engagement, but is more commonly used to designate war as an ongoing state or institution.
Semantic Range
war, warfare, battle, campaign, (metaphorically) contest, struggle, conflict
Root / Etymology
From the root πόλεμος (pólemos), whose origin is ancient and uncertain, though possibly linked to the verb πέλομαι ('to move, to bustle, to be busy'), suggesting the noise, activity, or tumult of battle. The connection to Latin bellum (war) is due to later folk etymologies but is not directly cognate.
Historical & Contextual Notes
πόλεμος is widely attested from Homeric Greek onward as the primary term for armed conflict or war, encompassing both large-scale wars and individual battles. In classical Greek, it refers to both specific wars (e.g., the Peloponnesian War) and the broader concept of warfare as a human enterprise. In the Septuagint, πόλεμος regularly renders Hebrew מִלְחָמָה (milḥāmāh), both in reference to physical confrontations and, occasionally, metaphorical spiritual conflicts. In the New Testament, πόλεμος typically denotes literal war or armed conflict, but it can also be used figuratively for spiritual or ideological struggles (cf. James 4:1). English translations often use 'war' or 'battle,' but the Greek term may carry a broader conceptual range than these English equivalents, including the institutional, existential, or spiritual dimensions of conflict. Contrasts with μάχη (machē), which tends to refer more narrowly to specific contests or fights, and ἔρις (eris), which denotes strife or quarrelling more generally without the institutional or martial focus.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from (to bustle); warfare (literally or figuratively; a single encounter or a series):--battle, fight, war.
Root Family
πόλεμος (pólemos) — war, armed conflict, battle
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4171-03 |
πολέμων | polemon | N GEN M PL |
battle | of wars | 12 |
G4171-05 |
πολέμους | polemous | N ACC M PL |
wars | wars | 3 |
G4171-04 |
πόλεμος | polemos | N NOM M SG |
war | 1 | |
G4171-02 |
πόλεμοι | polemoi | N NOM M PL |
wars | wars | 1 |
G4171-01 |
πολέμῳ | polemo | N DAT M SG |
in war | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
18 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4171-05 |
Matthew 24:6 | πολέμους | polemous | N ACC M PL |
wars | |
G4171-03 |
Matthew 24:6 | πολέμων | polemon | N GEN M PL |
of wars | |
G4171-05 |
Mark 13:7 | πολέμους | polemous | N ACC M PL |
wars | wars |
G4171-03 |
Mark 13:7 | πολέμων | polemon | N GEN M PL |
of wars | of wars |
G4171-03 |
Luke 14:31 | πόλεμον | polemon | N ACC M SG |
war | of wars |
G4171-05 |
Luke 21:9 | πολέμους | polemous | N ACC M PL |
wars | wars |
G4171-03 |
1 Corinthians 14:8 | πόλεμον | polemon | N ACC M SG |
battle | of wars |
G4171-01 |
Hebrews 11:34 | πολέμῳ | polemo | N DAT M SG |
in war | |
G4171-02 |
James 4:1 | πόλεμοι | polemoi | N NOM M PL |
wars | wars |
G4171-03 |
Revelation 9:7 | πόλεμον | polemon | N ACC M SG |
of wars |