Lexical Summary thumomacheó: To fight fiercely, to engage in a heated conflict Original Word: θυμομαχέω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be highly displeased. From a presumed compound of thumos and machomai; to be in a furious fight, i.e. (figuratively) to be exasperated -- be highly displeased. see GREEK thumos see GREEK machomai NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom thumos and machomai Definition to fight desperately NASB Translation very angry (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2371: θυμομαχέωθυμομαχέω, θυμομάχω; (θυμός and μάχομαι); to carry on war with great animosity (Polybius, Diodorus, Dionysius Halicarnassus, Plutarch); to be very angry, be exasperated (A. V. highly displeased): τίνι, with one, Acts 12:20. Cf. Kypke, Observations, ii, p. 62f Topical Lexicon Linguistic Range and Nuance The compound term combines thumos (“heat, wrath, passion”) with machomai (“to fight, wage war”). Together they portray anger that is not merely felt but is actively marshalled like an army going to battle. It is the difference between irritation and a fury that seeks victory over its object. In Acts 12:20 the participle describes a political rage so intense that it threatened the economic lifeline of an entire region. Historical Context in Acts Acts 12 records the final snapshot of Herod Agrippa I before divine judgment takes his life (Acts 12:23). Just prior to that judgment Luke notes, “Now Herod was furious with the people of Tyre and Sidon…” (Acts 12:20). Tyre and Sidon, coastal Phoenician cities, relied on Galilean agriculture for grain. Herod, wielding Rome’s delegated power, controlled that food supply. Their petition for peace through Blastus shows the precarious balance between provincial needs and royal wrath. The verb underscores that Herod’s anger was more than diplomatic displeasure; it was militarized hostility threatening to erupt into punitive action. This setting heightens the contrast between human pride and the sovereignty of God that unfolds in the following verses. Theological Themes 1. The peril of unrestrained human anger. Scripture repeatedly warns that “human anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20). Acts 12:20 furnishes an historical example: royal rage that sets the stage for idolatrous acclaim (verses 21-22) and divine retribution (verse 23). Connection to the Broader Biblical Witness While the exact verb appears only once, its components resonate throughout Scripture. Thumos depicts Pharaoh’s rage in the Septuagint (Exodus 15:7), Saul’s murderous temper (1 Samuel 18:8-11), and the “fits of rage” that Paul lists among the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:20). Machomai surfaces in warnings against quarrelsome strife within the church (2 Timothy 2:24; Titus 3:2). The composite idea therefore illustrates a perennial biblical contrast: the destructive wrath of fallen humanity versus the righteous, measured wrath of God (Romans 2:5-8). Practical Applications for Ministry • Confronting power with prudence: Believers living under volatile authorities learn from Tyre and Sidon’s diplomacy that “as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). Christological Reflections Herod exhibited wrathful combativeness toward those who threatened his honor. Christ—the rightful King—demonstrated the opposite spirit: “When they hurled insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats” (1 Peter 2:23). In Him the believer finds both example and empowerment to exchange θυμομαχέω for meekness, turning potential quarrels into opportunities for gospel witness. Forms and Transliterations θυμομαχων θυμομαχών θυμομαχῶν thumomachon thumomachōn thymomachon thymomachôn thymomachōn thymomachō̂nLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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