Word Study for G4170 (πολεμέω)

poleméō /pol-em-eh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom πόλεμος

Meaningto be (engaged) in warfare, i.e. to battle (literally or figuratively)

KJV usagefight, (make) war.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of poleméō — 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 poleméō, represented by G4170, means to be engaged in warfare or to battle. Derived from the word πόλεμος (pólemos), it describes the act of fighting or making war, both literally and figuratively. It appears 7 times across 6 unique verses, primarily in the book of Revelation, where it depicts conflicts of cosmic and eschatological significance.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its scriptural usage, G4170 is central to describing spiritual conflict. In Revelation, it portrays the great battle in heaven where Michael G3413 and his angels fought against the dragon G1404 Revelation 12:7. The term is also used to describe the final opposition to God's authority, as earthly powers "shall make war with the Lamb G721" Revelation 17:14. Conversely, it depicts divine judgment, as Christ, the Faithful and True rider, "doth judge and make war" in righteousness Revelation 19:11. In a figurative sense, James uses the term to describe the source of human conflict, stating that people war because of their internal lusts James 4:2.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the concept of warfare and conflict:

G4171 pólemos: This is the noun form from which G4170 is derived, meaning warfare or battle. It often sets the stage for the action of fighting, as seen when "there was war in heaven" Revelation 12:7.
G3164 máchomai: This verb means to war, quarrel, or dispute. It is used alongside G4170 in James to emphasize the contentious nature of human strife driven by sinful desires James 4:2.
G3528 nikáō: Meaning to conquer or overcome, this word frequently appears as the outcome of the conflicts where G4170 is used. For example, after the kings make war with the Lamb, the Lamb will overcome them Revelation 17:14.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G4170 is significant, highlighting the reality of spiritual and moral battle.

Cosmic and Spiritual Warfare: The word establishes a clear delineation between opposing spiritual forces. The conflict between Michael and the dragon is a pivotal event where both sides fought Revelation 12:7. This theme continues when the followers of the beast are asked, "who is able to make war with him?" Revelation 13:4.
Eschatological Battle: G4170 is used to describe the final, decisive confrontation between good and evil. Christ returns to make war in righteousness Revelation 19:11, and the kings of the earth make war against the Lamb in a final act of rebellion Revelation 17:14.
Divine Judgment: The act of warring is not limited to evil forces. Christ warns the church in Pergamos that he will fight against them with the sword G4501 of his mouth, signifying judgment against unrepentance Revelation 2:16.
The Origin of Conflict: The use of G4170 in James connects external warfare to the internal state of the human heart. Lusts (epithyméō, G1937) and desires (zēlóō, G2206) are identified as the source of the fighting and warring among people James 4:2.

Summary

In summary, G4170 provides the language for understanding conflict in the Bible on multiple levels. While its most prominent use in Revelation points to a literal, spiritual, and eschatological battle, its appearance in James grounds the concept in the moral struggles that originate within the human heart. The word powerfully illustrates the ongoing warfare between divine righteousness and rebellious forces, both in the heavenly realm and in human experience.

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 7 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Infinitive 2×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Future Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Future Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 2nd Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
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.
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

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 6 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Revelation (5 verses); never once in the other 25.

James

Revelation

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.