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מִלְחָמָה

𐤌𐤋𐤇𐤌𐤄

milchâmâh

H4421 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An armed conflict or struggle, typically between groups or nations; specifically, the actual act or state of war or battle. In context, can denote a singular engagement (battle), the sustained condition of armed hostilities (warfare), or the phenomenon of organized combat more generally. May further include figurative senses such as conflict, contest, or opposition.

Semantic Range

battle, act of fighting, armed conflict, war as an event or condition, campaign, contest, struggle, figurative conflict

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root לחם (to fight, do battle). The form מִלְחָמָה is a feminine noun formation (mi- prefix + qatl pattern), indicating a state, condition, or event relating to the root action. While לחם in later Hebrew also means 'to eat,' the martial sense is distinct, likely from a different root or semantic development.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early Israelite texts (e.g., narratives in Judges and Samuel), מִלְחָמָה refers concretely to armed encounters between tribes, nations, or factions. Over time, the term becomes a general descriptor for warfare or persistent hostility, as seen in monarchic and prophetic texts. In legal and ceremonial contexts (e.g., Deuteronomy), it can indicate both the legal status of war and specific battles. Unlike English 'war,' which can sometimes mean a mere state of diplomatic hostility, מִלְחָמָה nearly always implies actual or impending combat. The semantic range overlaps with words like קרב (battle, combat), though קרב is more focused on the clash itself, while מִלְחָמָה can denote the broader campaign or state of war. Later, in post-exilic literature, figurative uses emerge, denoting struggles or spiritual conflicts. English translations often reduce the nuance of this term, commonly rendering both isolated battles and protracted wars as 'war.'

Translation Consistency

primary "battle" 316 occurrences

'Battle' is the most frequent P2 rendering (194 of 319 occurrences) and naturally covers both a single engagement and the broader sense of armed conflict or contest. It reads naturally in literal and figurative contexts and provides a consistent, idiomatic English equivalent for מִלְחָמָה across forms.

Alternatives (3 occurrences):
"war" (2x) "wars" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from לָחַם (in the sense of fighting); a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare); battle, fight(-ing), war(-rior).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

לחם (l-ḥ-m) — to fight, engage in battle, wage war

Root לחם to fight, engage in battle, wage war
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1035 בֵּית לֶחֶם bread
H3433 יָשֻׁבִי לֶחֶם bread
H3894 לָחוּם his edible portion
H3898 לָחַם in his waging-war
H3899 לֶחֶם in the bread

Word Forms

25 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4421-07 מִלְחָמָ֗ה milechamah HNcfsa war armed conflict battle 92
H4421-02 הַ/מִּלְחָמָֽה hamilechamah HTd/Ncfsa the battle the battle the battle 69
H4421-05 לַ/מִּלְחָמָ֖ה lamilechamah HRd/Ncfsa to battle to the battle to the battle 69
H4421-01 בַּ/מִּלְחָמָ֔ה bamilechamah HRd/Ncfsa in the battle in the warfare in the battle 32
H4421-14 מִלְחֲמֹ֣ת milechamot HNcfpc wars battles of battles of 12
H4421-19 וּ/מִלְחָמָ֨ה umilechamah HC/Ncfsa And war and battle and battle 10
H4421-23 בַ/מִּלְחָמָֽה vamilechamah HRd/Ncfsa in battle in the battle into the battle 5
H4421-21 וּ/בְ/מִלְחָמָ֗ה uvemilechamah HC/R/Ncfsa and by war and in battle and in battle 3
H4421-24 וְ/הַ/מִּלְחָמָ֖ה vehamilechamah HC/Td/Ncfsa and-the-battle and the war and the battle 3
H4421-09 מִלְחַמְתָּ֔/ם milechametam HNcfsc/Sp3mp of war their battle their battle 2

Occurrences in Scripture

319 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4421-07 Genesis 14:2 מִלְחָמָ֗ה milechamah HNcfsa war armed conflict battle
H4421-07 Genesis 14:8 מִלְחָמָ֔ה milechamah HNcfsa battle armed conflict battle
H4421-07 Exodus 1:10 מִלְחָמָה֙ milechamah HNcfsa war, armed conflict battle
H4421-07 Exodus 13:17 מִלְחָמָ֖ה milechamah HNcfsa war armed conflict battle
H4421-07 Exodus 15:3 מִלְחָמָ֑ה milechamah HNcfsa of war armed conflict battle
H4421-07 Exodus 17:16 מִלְחָמָ֥ה milechamah HNcfsa war armed conflict battle
H4421-07 Exodus 32:17 מִלְחָמָ֖ה milechamah HNcfsa of war armed conflict battle
H4421-07 Numbers 10:9 מִלְחָמָ֜ה milechamah HNcfsa to war armed conflict battle
H4421-14 Numbers 21:14 מִלְחֲמֹ֣ת milechamot HNcfpc of the wars battles of battles of
H4421-05 Numbers 21:33 לַ/מִּלְחָמָ֖ה lamilechamah HRd/Ncfsa to battle to the battle to the battle
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