polemos denotes conflict or warfare, from preparations and reports of fighting to battles waged against named opponents.

The term most often names warfare or hostile conflict: kings weigh opposing forces, people hear reports of conflicts, and opposing parties prepare for or make battle. Its attested settings include earthly military readiness, conflicts involving named opponents, and James’s question about wars and quarrels among its audience.

1. Warfare and hostile conflict · dominant

   In Luke 14:31, the accusative singular occurs as one king considers meeting another with unequal forces; in Matthew 24:6 and Mark 13:7, plural forms occur in warnings about hearing of conflicts and reports of them. In Revelation 12:7 the nominative singular is the conflict that arose in heaven, while Revelation 19:19 describes assembled kings and armies making conflict against the rider and his army; James 4:1 places plural conflicts and quarrels among its audience.

   Luke 14:31Matthew 24:6Mark 13:7Revelation 12:7Revelation 19:19James 4:1

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the term with “war” or “wars,” and in several clauses uses “make war,” “wage war,” or movement toward war. These renderings confirm the conflict setting of the verses rather than defining each form independently.