34 Bible Verses about Disputes

The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." He called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. They dug another well, and they argued over that, also. He called its name Sitnah. He left that place, and dug another well. They did not argue over that one. He called it Rehoboth. He said, "For now the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land."

Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, "What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me?

Therefore the people quarreled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?"

"If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he doesn't die, but is confined to bed;

The people strove with Moses, and spoke, saying, "We wish that we had died when our brothers died before the LORD.

The men of Ephraim said to him, "Why have you done such a thing to us, not calling us when you went to fight with Midian?" And they argued with him fiercely.

Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him. The one woman said, "Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house. I delivered a child with her in the house. It happened the third day after I delivered, that this woman delivered also. We were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, just us two in the house.read more.
This woman's child died in the night, because she lay on it. She arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while your handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, it was dead; but when I had looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I bore." The other woman said, "No; but the living is my son, and the dead is your son." This said, "No; but the dead is your son, and the living is my son." Thus they spoke before the king. Then the king said, "The one says, 'This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead;' and the other says, 'No; but your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.'" The king said, "Get me a sword." They brought a sword before the king. The king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other." Then the woman whose the living child was spoke to the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and she said, "Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no way kill it." But the other said, "It shall be neither mine nor yours. Divide it." Then the king answered, "Give her the living child, and in no way kill it. She is its mother." All Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do justice.

Then I contended with the rulers, and said, "Why is God's house forsaken?" I gathered them together, and set them in their place.

Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, "What evil thing is this that you do, and profane the Sabbath day?

I contended with them, and cursed them, and struck certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.

I will tell God, 'Do not condemn me. Show me why you contend with me.

"Shall he who argues contend with Shaddai? He who argues with God, let him answer it."

Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.

Do not be hasty in bringing charges to court. What will you do in the end when your neighbor shames you? Debate your case with your neighbor, and do not betray the confidence of another;

And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, said to his disciples, "Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?" And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

And the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why do they do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?" And he said to them, "Did you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry?he, and those who were with him?

He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you arguing on the way?" But they were silent, for they had disputed one with another on the way about who was the greatest. He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them, "If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all."

They sent some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to him, that they might trap him with words.

The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"

The Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?"

But some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why do you do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?"

The Pharisees therefore said to him, "You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid."

But some of those who were of the synagogue called "The Libertines," and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen.

He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, but they were seeking to kill him.

When Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him,

Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.

When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News, and believe.

So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.

He entered into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning the Kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the crowd, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess all of these. A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees part stood up, and contended, saying, "We find no evil in this man. What if a spirit spoke to him, or an angel?"

In the temple they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the synagogues, or in the city.

30 Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who were coming to him,

Dare any of you, having a matter against his neighbor, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?read more.
If then, you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the church? I say this to move you to shame. Is not there even one wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers? But brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers. Therefore it is already altogether a defect in you, that you have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?

But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, "May the Lord rebuke you."