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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1"/><title>Strong's Greek: 73. ἀγών (agón) -- Contest, struggle, conflict, race</title></title><link rel="canonical" href="http://biblehub.com/greek/73.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/strongsnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/interlinear/vmenus/acts/25-23.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="//biblehu.com/bmstrongs/greek/73.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/strongs.htm">Strong's</a> > <a href="/englishmans_greek.htm">Greek</a> > 73</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../greek/72.htm" title="72">◄</a> 73. agón <a href="../greek/74.htm" title="74">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Strong's Lexicon</div><div align="left"><span class="toptitle2">agón: Contest, struggle, conflict, race</span></div><p><span class="tophdg">Original Word: </span><span class="greek">ἀγών</span><br><span class="tophdg">Part of Speech: </span>Noun, Masculine<br><span class="tophdg">Transliteration: </span>agón<br><span class="tophdg">Pronunciation: </span>ah-GONE<br><span class="tophdg">Phonetic Spelling: </span>(ag-one')<br><span class="tophdg">Definition: </span>Contest, struggle, conflict, race<br><span class="tophdg">Meaning: </span>an (athletic) contest; hence, a struggle (in the soul).<p><span class="tophdg">Word Origin: </span>Derived from the root verb ἄγω (agō), meaning "to lead" or "to bring together."<p><span class="tophdg">Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: </span>While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for "agón," the concept of struggle or contest can be related to terms like מִלְחָמָה (milchamah, Strong's H4421), meaning "battle" or "war," which conveys a similar sense of conflict and effort.<p><span class="tophdg">Usage: </span>In the New Testament, "agón" is used metaphorically to describe the Christian life as a struggle or contest, akin to an athletic competition. It conveys the idea of exertion, effort, and perseverance in the face of challenges. The term emphasizes the disciplined and determined nature of the believer's journey of faith.<p><span class="tophdg">Cultural and Historical Background: </span>In ancient Greek culture, "agón" referred to public athletic contests, such as those held during the Olympic Games. These events were significant social and religious occasions, emphasizing physical prowess, honor, and glory. The metaphor of athletic competition was familiar to Paul's audience, who would understand the rigorous training and dedication required to compete successfully.<div class="vheading2">HELPS Word-studies</div><p class="discovery"><b>73</b> <i>agṓn</i>(a masculine noun, and the root of the English words, "agony," "agonize") – properly, a <i>contest</i> (<i>struggle</i>), a grueling <i>conflict</i> (fight); (figuratively) <i>positive struggle</i> that goes with "<i>fighting</i> the good <i>fight</i> of faith" (1 Tim 6:12) – which literally states, "<i>Struggle </i>(<a href="/greek/75.htm">75</a> <i>/agōnízomai</i>) the good <i>struggle</i> (<a href="/greek/73.htm">73</a> <i>/agṓn</i>) of the (life of) faith."</p><p class="discovery">[<a href="/greek/73.htm">73</a> (<i>agṓn</i>) refers to "an (athletic) <i>contest</i>; hence, <i>a struggle</i> (in the soul)" (Souter).</p><p class="discovery">"In secular Greek <a href="/greek/73.htm">73</a> (<i>agṓn</i>) refers to a gathering to see the games, or the place of contest (Homer), or the Olympus games themselves, or some smaller contest in particular – the <i>gymnikos, hippikos</i>, and <i>mousikos</i> – and more generally, any struggle or battle" (Nigel Turner, <i>Christian Words</i>, 81).</p><p class="discovery">In the ancient world, athletic contests could be <i>so severe</i> they caused the toughest men to crumble. Indeed, this was common (so Euripedes, Xenophon).]</p><iframe width="100%" height="85" scrolling=no src="/discovery.htm" frameborder=0 cellpadding=0></iframe><div class="vheading2">NAS Exhaustive Concordance</div><span class="hdg">Word Origin</span><br>from <a href="/greek/71.htm">agó</a><br><span class="hdg">Definition</span><br>a gathering, contest, struggle<br><span class="hdg">NASB Translation</span><br>conflict (1), fight (2), opposition (1), race (1), struggle (1).<p><div align="center"><span class="smalltext"><iframe width="100%" height="85" scrolling=no src="/nasec.htm" frameborder=0 cellpadding=0></iframe></span></div><div class="vheading2">Thayer's Greek Lexicon</div><span class="maintitle">STRONGS NT 73: ἀγών</span><br><br><span class="arttitle"><span class="grktitle">ἀγών</span></span>, <span class="greek2">ἀγῶνος</span>, <span class="greek2">ὁ</span> (<span class="greek2">ἄγω</span>); <p><span class="textheading">1.</span> <span class="accented">a place of assembly</span> (<span class="abbreviation">Homer</span>, Iliad 7, 298; 18, 376); specifically, the place in which the Greeks assembled to celebrate solemn games (as the Pythian, the Olympian); hence, <p><span class="textheading">2.</span> <span class="accented">a contest,</span> of athletes, runners, charioteers. In a figurative sense, <p><span class="emphasized">a.</span> in the phrase (used by the Greeks, see <span class="greek2"><span class="lexref">τρέχω</span></span>, b.) <span class="greek2">τρέχειν</span> <span class="greek2">τόν</span> <span class="greek2">ἀγῶνα</span>, <a href="/interlinear/hebrews/12-1.htm">Hebrews 12:1</a>, 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: <a href="/interlinear/1_thessalonians/2-2.htm">1 Thessalonians 2:2</a>; <a href="/interlinear/philippians/1-30.htm">Philippians 1:30</a>; <a href="/interlinear/1_timothy/6-12.htm">1 Timothy 6:12</a>; <a href="/interlinear/2_timothy/4-7.htm">2 Timothy 4:7</a>. <p><span class="emphasized">b.</span> <span class="accented">intense solicitude, anxiety</span>: <span class="greek2">περί</span> <span class="greek2">τίνος</span>, <a href="/interlinear/colossians/2-1.htm">Colossians 2:1</a> (cf. <span class="abbreviation">Euripides</span>, Ph. 1350; <span class="abbreviation">Polybius</span> 4, 56, 4). On the ethical use of figures borrowed from the Greek Games cf. Grimm on Wis. 4:1; (Howson, Metaphors of St. Paul, Essay iv.; Conyb. and Hows. Life and Epistles of St. Paul, chapter xx.; McClintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia <REFERENCE_WORK:McClintock and Strong><TOPIC:GAMES> <span class="topic">iii.</span> 733bf; <span class="abbreviation">BB. DD.</span> under the word <TOPIC:Games>).<FOOTNOTE:1> <br><br><iframe width="100%" height="85" scrolling=no src="/bsoft.htm" frameborder=0 cellpadding=0></iframe><div class="vheading2">Strong's Exhaustive Concordance</div>conflict, contention, fight, race. <p>From <a href="/greek/71.htm">ago</a>; properly, a place of assembly (as if led), i.e. (by implication) a contest (held there); figuratively, an effort or anxiety -- conflict, contention, fight, race. <p>see GREEK <a href="/greek/71.htm">ago</a> <div class="vheading2">Forms and Transliterations</div>αγωνα αγώνα ἀγῶνα αγωνι αγώνι ἀγῶνι agona agôna agōna agō̂na agoni agôni agōni agō̂ni<div class="vheading2">Links</div><a href="/interlinear/matthew/1-1.htm">Interlinear Greek</a> • <a href="/interlinear/genesis/1-1.htm">Interlinear Hebrew</a> • <a href="/strongs.htm">Strong's Numbers</a> • <a href="/englishmans_greek.htm">Englishman's Greek Concordance</a> • <a href="/englishmans_hebrew.htm">Englishman's Hebrew Concordance</a> • <a href="/texts/matthew/1-1.htm">Parallel Texts</a></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><div class="vheading">Englishman's Concordance</div><b><a href="/text/philippians/1-30.htm" title="Biblos Lexicon">Philippians 1:30</a> <a href="/abbrev.htm" title="Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular">N-AMS</a></b><br><a href="/interlinear/philippians/1.htm" title="Greek">GRK:</a> <span class="greek3">τὸν αὐτὸν <b>ἀγῶνα</b> ἔχοντες οἷον</span><br><a href="http://biblehub.com/nas/philippians/1.htm" title="New American Standard Bible">NAS:</a> the same <span class="itali">conflict</span> which<br><a href="/kjvs/philippians/1.htm" title="King James Bible with Strong's">KJV:</a> Having the same <span class="itali">conflict</span> which ye saw<br><a href="/interlinear/philippians/1-30.htm" title="Biblos Interlinear Bible">INT:</a> the same <span class="itali">conflict</span> having such as<p><b><a href="/text/colossians/2-1.htm" title="Biblos Lexicon">Colossians 2:1</a> <a href="/abbrev.htm" title="Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular">N-AMS</a></b><br><a href="/interlinear/colossians/2.htm" title="Greek">GRK:</a> <span class="greek3">εἰδέναι ἡλίκον <b>ἀγῶνα</b> ἔχω ὑπὲρ</span><br><a href="http://biblehub.com/nas/colossians/2.htm" title="New American Standard Bible">NAS:</a> how great <span class="itali">a struggle</span> I have<br><a href="/kjvs/colossians/2.htm" title="King James Bible with Strong's">KJV:</a> knew what great <span class="itali">conflict</span> I have for<br><a href="/interlinear/colossians/2-1.htm" title="Biblos Interlinear Bible">INT:</a> to know how great <span class="itali">conflict</span> I have for<p><b><a href="/text/1_thessalonians/2-2.htm" title="Biblos Lexicon">1 Thessalonians 2:2</a> <a href="/abbrev.htm" title="Noun - Dative Masculine Singular">N-DMS</a></b><br><a href="/interlinear/1_thessalonians/2.htm" title="Greek">GRK:</a> <span class="greek3">ἐν πολλῷ <b>ἀγῶνι</b> </span><br><a href="http://biblehub.com/nas/1_thessalonians/2.htm" title="New American Standard Bible">NAS:</a> amid much <span class="itali">opposition.</span><br><a href="/kjvs/1_thessalonians/2.htm" title="King James Bible with Strong's">KJV:</a> with much <span class="itali">contention.</span><br><a href="/interlinear/1_thessalonians/2-2.htm" title="Biblos Interlinear Bible">INT:</a> in much <span class="itali">conflict</span><p><b><a href="/text/1_timothy/6-12.htm" title="Biblos Lexicon">1 Timothy 6:12</a> <a href="/abbrev.htm" title="Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular">N-AMS</a></b><br><a href="/interlinear/1_timothy/6.htm" title="Greek">GRK:</a> <span class="greek3">τὸν καλὸν <b>ἀγῶνα</b> τῆς πίστεως</span><br><a href="http://biblehub.com/nas/1_timothy/6.htm" title="New American Standard Bible">NAS:</a> the good <span class="itali">fight</span> of faith;<br><a href="/kjvs/1_timothy/6.htm" title="King James Bible with Strong's">KJV:</a> the good <span class="itali">fight</span> of faith,<br><a href="/interlinear/1_timothy/6-12.htm" title="Biblos Interlinear Bible">INT:</a> the good <span class="itali">fight</span> of the faith<p><b><a href="/text/2_timothy/4-7.htm" title="Biblos Lexicon">2 Timothy 4:7</a> <a href="/abbrev.htm" title="Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular">N-AMS</a></b><br><a href="/interlinear/2_timothy/4.htm" title="Greek">GRK:</a> <span class="greek3">τὸν καλὸν <b>ἀγῶνα</b> ἠγώνισμαι τὸν</span><br><a href="http://biblehub.com/nas/2_timothy/4.htm" title="New American Standard Bible">NAS:</a> the good <span class="itali">fight,</span> I have finished<br><a href="/kjvs/2_timothy/4.htm" title="King James Bible with Strong's">KJV:</a> a good <span class="itali">fight,</span> I have finished<br><a href="/interlinear/2_timothy/4-7.htm" title="Biblos Interlinear Bible">INT:</a> The good <span class="itali">fight</span> I have fought the<p><b><a href="/text/hebrews/12-1.htm" title="Biblos Lexicon">Hebrews 12:1</a> <a href="/abbrev.htm" title="Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular">N-AMS</a></b><br><a href="/interlinear/hebrews/12.htm" title="Greek">GRK:</a> <span class="greek3">προκείμενον ἡμῖν <b>ἀγῶνα</b> </span><br><a href="http://biblehub.com/nas/hebrews/12.htm" title="New American Standard Bible">NAS:</a> with endurance <span class="itali">the race</span> that is set before<br><a href="/kjvs/hebrews/12.htm" title="King James Bible with Strong's">KJV:</a> patience <span class="itali">the race</span> that is set before<br><a href="/interlinear/hebrews/12-1.htm" title="Biblos Interlinear Bible">INT:</a> lying before us <span class="itali">race</span><p><b><a href="/greek/73.htm">Strong's Greek 73</a><br><a href="/greek/strongs_73.htm">6 Occurrences</a></b><br><br><a href="/greek/ago_na_73.htm">ἀγῶνα — 5 Occ.</a><br><a href="/greek/ago_ni_73.htm">ἀγῶνι — 1 Occ.</a><br><br></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script><br /><br /> </div> <div id="left"><a href="/greek/72.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="72"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="72" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/greek/74.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="74"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="74" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchap.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>