'Contend' in the Bible

‘Arise, set out, and pass through the valley of Arnon. Look! I have given Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land into your hand; begin to take possession and contend with him in battle.

Of Levi he said,“Let Your Thummim and Your Urim belong to Your godly man,Whom You proved at Massah,With whom You contended at the waters of Meribah;

But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar.”

Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had torn down his altar.

“Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered;Against them He will thunder in the heavens,The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;And He will give strength to His king,And will exalt the horn of His anointed.”

“I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;Let me know why You contend with me.

“Will you show partiality for Him?Will you contend for God?

“Who will contend with me?For then I would be silent and die.

“Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power?No, surely He would pay attention to me.

“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?Let him who reproves God answer it.”

A Psalm of David.Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;Fight against those who fight against me.

Do not contend with a man without cause,If he has done you no harm.

The Lord arises to contend,And stands to judge the people.

You contended with them by banishing them, by driving them away.With His fierce wind He has expelled them on the day of the east wind.

“Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored;Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.

Surely, thus says the Lord,“Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away,And the prey of the tyrant will be rescued;For I will contend with the one who contends with you,And I will save your sons.

He who vindicates Me is near;Who will contend with Me?Let us stand up to each other;Who has a case against Me?Let him draw near to Me.

“For I will not contend forever,Nor will I always be angry;For the spirit would grow faint before Me,And the breath of those whom I have made.

“Therefore I will yet contend with you,” declares the Lord,“And with your sons’ sons I will contend.

“Why do you contend with Me?You have all transgressed against Me,” declares the Lord.

“Contend with your mother, contend,For she is not my wife, and I am not her husband;And let her put away her harlotry from her faceAnd her adultery from between her breasts,

Yet let no one find fault, and let none offer reproof;For your people are like those who contend with the priest.

Thus the Lord God showed me, and behold, the Lord God was calling to contend with them by fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the farm land.

Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.