Contend

Contend - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

CONTEND, v.i. [L., to stretch. Gr., See Tend, Tenet.]

1. To strive, or to strive against; to struggle in opposition.

Distress not the Moabites, nor contend with them in battle. Deu 2.

2. To strive; to use earnest efforts to obtain, or to defend and preserve.

You sit above, and see vain men below contend for what you only can bestow.

Ye should earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. Jude 3.

3. To dispute earnestly; to strive in debate.

They that were of the circumcision contended with him. Acts 11. Job 9.

4. To reprove sharply; to chide; to strive to convince and reclaim.

Then contended I with the rulers. Neh 13.

5.To strive in opposition; to punish.

The Lord God called to contend by fire. Amos 7.

6. To quarrel; to dispute fiercely; to wrangle. The parties contend about trifles.

To contend for, to strive to obtain; as, two competitors contend for the prize.

CONTEND, v.t. To dispute; to contest.

When Carthage shall contend the world with Rome.

This transitive use of contend is not strictly legitimate. The phrase is elliptical, for being understood after contend; but it is admissible in poetry.

Contention - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

CONTENTION, n. [L. See Contend.]

1. Strife; struggle; a violent effort to obtain something, or to resist a person, claim or injury; contest; quarrel.

Multitudes lost their lives in a tumult raised by contention among the partizans of the several colors.

2. Strife in words or debate; quarrel; angry contest; controversy.

Avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law. Titus 3.

A fools lips enter into contention. Prov 18.

3. Strife or endeavor to excel; emulation.

4. Eagerness; zeal; ardor; vehemence of endeavor.

This is an end worthy of our utmost contention to obtain.

kon-tend', kon-ten'-shun: The meeting of effort by effort, striving against opposition; sometimes physically, as in battle (De 2:9), or with horses (Jer 12:5), sometimes orally (Ne 13:11), sometimes spiritually (Isa 57:16). In the New Testament diakrinein, for the hostile separation of one from another, dispute (Jude 1:9), or epagonizomai (Jude 1:3), descriptive of the strain to which a contestant is put. The noun is almost universally used with an unfavorable meaning, and as worthy of condemnation, for an altercation arising from a quarrelsome disposition. "By pride cometh only contention" (Pr 13:10). The contentions at Corinth (1Co 1:11) called forth the rebukes of Paul. Where used in the King James Version in a good sense (1Th 2:2) the Revised Version (British and American) has "conflict." In Ac 15:39, the noun has a peculiar force, where English Versions of the Bible translates paroxusmos (whence English "paroxysm") by "sharp contention." The Greek word refers rather to the inner excitement and irritation than to its outward expression.

H. E. Jacobs