G73: ἀγών (agṓn)

G73 ἀγών (agṓn)

Greek 📖 Word Study

Quick Definition

ἀγών, ῶνος, ὁ n.m. a contest

Strong's Definition

from 71; properly, a place of assembly (as if led), i.e. (by implication) a contest (held there); figuratively, an effort or anxiety

KJV Usage: conflict, contention, fight, race

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

ἀγών (G0073)

noun, m. | -ῶνος | ἀγωνίζομαι

39.29 · Hostility, Strife · Strife, Struggle

to struggle, to fight to engage in intense struggle, involving physical or nonphysical force against strong opposition In a number of languages a marked distinction is made between physical fighting and nonphysical contending with someone. It is therefore often impossible to carry over any terminology involving war or physical struggling to contexts in which one is speaking of interpersonal hostility or contention.

PHP 1:30 · COL 2:1 · 1TH 2:2 · 2TI 4:7

50.4 · Contests and Play

race a race involving competition and struggle

1TH 2:2 · 1TI 6:12 · 2TI 4:7 · HEB 12:1

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

ἀγών, -ὥνος, 6, (ἄγω); 1. a place of assembly (Hom. Tl. 7, 298; 18,376); spec. the place in which the Greeks assembled to celebrate solemn games (as the Pythian, the Olympian); hence 2. a contest, of athletes, runners, charioteers. In a fig. sense, a. in the phrase (used by the Greeks, see τρέχω, b.) τρέχειν τὸν ἀγῶνα, Heb. xii. 1, that is to say ‘ Amid all hindrances let us exert ourselves to the utmost to attain to the goal of perfection set before the followers of Christ’; any struggle with dangers, annoyances, obstacles, standing in the way of faith, holiness, and a desire to spread the gospel: 1 Th. ii. 2; Phil. i. 30; 1 Tim. vi. 12; 2 Tim. iv. 7. b. intense solicitude, anxiety: περί τινος, Col. ii. 1 [ef. Eur. Ph. 1350; Polyb. 4, 56,4]. On the ethical use of figures borrowed from the Greek Games οἵ. Grimm on Sap. iv. 1; [Howson, Metaphors of St. Paul, Essay iv.; Conyb. and Hows. Life and Epp. of St. Paul, ch. xx.; Me. and S. iii. 733

Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary

ἀγών agōn 6x

place of contest, race-course, stadium; a contest, strife, contention; peril, toil

Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon

ἀγών, -ῶνος, ὁ

(< ἄγω), [in LXX: Is 7:13 (לאה), Es 4:17, Wi 4:2 10:12, II Mac6, IV Mac5*;]

a gathering, esp. for games.

a place of assembly.

a contest, struggle, trial; metaph. (MM, VGT, s.v.), of the Christian life as a contest and struggle: Phl 1:30, I Th 2:2, I Ti 6:12, II Ti 4:7 He 12:1;

solicitude, anxiety: Col 2:1.†

Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT

ἀγών. The ethical meaning of ἀγών is requent in late Greek, e. g. P Flor I. 3628 (iv/A.b.) τ[ὸ]ν περὶ ψυχῆς ἀγῶ[ν]α. In Col 2}, however, Field (Votes, p. 195) prefers to think of outward, rather than of inward, conflict, and compares Plut. ΚΔ. Flam. XVI. πλεῖστον δ᾽ ἀγῶνα καὶ πόνον αὐτῷ παρεῖχον αἱ περὶ “Καλκιδέων δεήσεις πρὸς τὸν Μάνιον, where Langhorne translates, ‘‘ but he had much greater difficulties to combat, when he applied to Manius in behalf of the Chalcidians.” In a petition of B.c. 5, BGU IV. 11397", we find διὸ ἀξιοῦμέν [σε] τὸν πάντων σωτῆρα Kal avTiAnp Tropa ὑπὲρ σπλάγχνου τὸν ἀγῶνα ποιούμενοι to compel restitution of a stolen daughter. For the literal meaning, see Sy// 524 where various τῶν τε παίδων καὶ τῶν ἐφήβω[ν] ... ἀγώνες in reading, music, etc., are enumerated; BGU IV. 1074%° (iii/A.D.) of great games at Oxyrhynchus, etc., etc.

Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon

ἀγών (agōn) — fight. ἀγών [ᾰ], ῶνος, ὁ, Aeolic dialect ἄγωνος, ου, ὁ, [Refs 7th c.BC+]; Elean dative plural ἀγώνοιρ[Refs]: (ἄγω):—gathering, assembly, ἵζανεν εὐρὺν ἀ.[Refs 8th c.BC+]: especially assembly met to see games, frequently in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Ὑπερβορέων ἀ. Pi [Refs 4th c.BC+]

2. place of contest, lists, course, βήτην ἐς μέσσον ἀ.[Refs 8th c.BC+] out of the lists or course, i.e. beside the mark, [Refs 8th c.BC+]

II. assembly of the Greeks at the national games, ὁ ἐν Ὀλυμπίῃ ἀ.[Refs 5th c.BC+]:— hence, contest for a prize at the games, ἀ. γυμνικός, ἱππικός, μουσικός, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀ. τῶν ἀνδρῶν contest in which the chorus was composed of men, opposed to to παίδων or ἀγενείων (which see), [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἀ. στεφανηφόρος or στεφανίτης contest where the prize is a crown, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀ. χάλκεος, where it is a shield of brass, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀργυρίτης δωρίτης[Refs 1st c.AD+] —hence many phrases, ἀγῶνα καταστῆσαι establish a contest, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τοὺς ἀ. νικᾶν[Refs 5th c.BC+]; of contests in general, εἰς ἀ. λόγων ἀφικέσθαι τινί[Refs 5th c.BC+]; πρὸς τίν᾽ ἀγῶνας τιθέμεσθ᾽ ἀρετῆ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]

III. generally, struggle, πολλοὺς ἀ. ἐξιών, of Hercules, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ψυχῆς ἀ. τὸν προκείμενον πέρι struggle for life and death, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

III.2. battle, action, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

III.3. action at law, trial, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

III.4. speech delivered in court or before an assembly or ruler, πρεσβευτικοὶ ἀ.[Refs 2nd c.BC+]; ἀ. ἐσχηματισμένοι[Refs 1st c.BC+]

III.4. b Rhet., main argument of a speech (opposed to προοίμιον, ἐπίλογος), in plural, Syr.[Refs]

III.5. metaphorically, οὐ λόγων ἔθ᾽ ἁγών now is not the time for words, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐχ ἕδρας ἀ. 'tis no time for sitting still, [Refs]; ἀ. πρόφασιν οὐ δέχεται the crisis admits no dallying, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μέγας ὁ ἀ... τὸ χρηστὸν ἢ κακὸν γενέσθαι the issue is great.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐ περί τινος ὁ ἀ. the question is not about.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]

III.6. mental struggle, anxiety, [NT+5th c.BC+]

III.6. b of speakers, vehemence, power, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]

IV. personified, Ἀγών, divinity of the contest, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]