Word Study for G3164 (μάχομαι)

máchomai /makh'-om-ahee/ Ask about this word

Meaningmiddle voice of an apparently primary verb; to war, i.e. (figuratively) to quarrel, dispute

KJV usagefight, strive.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of máchomai — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word máchomai, represented by G3164, is a verb meaning to fight or strive. It appears 4 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible. The term is defined as to war, or figuratively, to quarrel and dispute.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G3164 is used to describe conflict and contention. It is presented as an action to be avoided by a "servant of the Lord," who must instead be gentle 2 Timothy 2:24. It characterizes the disputes among brethren, prompting the question, "why do ye wrong one to another?" Acts 7:26. The word also depicts the result of unfulfilled lusts, where people "fight and war" because they do not receive what they desire James 4:2. It can also refer to a sharp, contentious disagreement over doctrine, as when the Jews "strove among themselves" concerning Jesus's teachings John 6:52.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the context and consequence of striving:

G1937 epithyméō (to set the heart upon, i.e. long for (rightfully or otherwise)): This word for lusting or desiring is presented as a root cause of conflict. In James 4:2, unfulfilled lust leads directly to fighting and warring.
G4170 poleméō (to be (engaged) in warfare, i.e. to battle): This term for making war is used alongside G3164 in James 4:2, indicating an escalation from quarreling to outright warfare.
G2261 ḗpios (mild or kind): This term for being gentle is presented as the proper conduct for a servant of the Lord, in direct contrast to striving 2 Timothy 2:24.
G5407 phoneúō (to be a murderer (of)): This verb for killing is listed in the same context as fighting in James 4:2, showing the destructive progression that begins with internal desire and leads to external conflict.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G3164 is significant, highlighting the nature and consequences of strife.

Internal Sin Manifested: The act of fighting is not presented in a vacuum. It is the external manifestation of internal, sinful desires, such as when unfulfilled lust leads to fighting and warring James 4:2.
Prohibited for Believers: Striving is explicitly forbidden for a "servant of the Lord." The call is to be gentle and patient, not contentious, which establishes a clear standard for Christian conduct 2 Timothy 2:24.
A Cause of Disunity: The term is used to describe conflicts that break the bonds of fellowship, as when brethren "strove" and did wrong to one another Acts 7:26. It also characterizes contentious disputes that prevent the reception of truth John 6:52.

Summary

In summary, G3164 is more than a simple word for a physical fight. It is a key concept for understanding the destructive nature of quarreling and contention, whether between brethren Acts 7:26 or in response to doctrine John 6:52. Scripture presents this strife not as a random event, but as the outgrowth of sinful desires James 4:2, and explicitly marks it as behavior to be avoided by the faithful in favor of gentleness 2 Timothy 2:24.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 4 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Imperfect Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 2nd Plural 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Infinitive 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Dative Plural Masculine 1×

Dative: The indirect object — often "to" or "for".
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Passive Deponent: Passive in form but active in meaning.
Middle Or Passive: Can be read as middle or passive; context decides.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 4 verses across 4 of the 27 books. 4 books tie for most frequent (1 verse each); never once in the other 23.

John

Acts

2 Timothy

James

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.