The English word “contentious” is found in the King James Version five times, three in the Old Testament and twice in the New. The same Hebrew word is found six times. Two different Greek words translate contentious, one used only the one time and the other twice. Starting with the Greek, the one word means, “fond of strife,” and the other, “selfish rivalry.” It would seem that both of those wouldn’t have to do with contending for the truth. Is the person contending the contentious one? It’s an interesting play on words. “Contentious” can’t mean contending, because everyone must contend, if he is to be obedient to scripture. For some, anytime someone contends, he’s being contentious, but that can’t be right. Of the five times that the Hebrew word is used in the Old Testament, three of the times it is specifically used of women and once to men. I contend that contentiousness relates to not accepting the truth or biblical authority, which is why it is used mainly for a woman. Someone doesn’t want to hear the truth and so argues with it, akin to James 1:19, which would be not quick to hear, but instead quick to speak and wrath. It is also characteristic of children. They are young, they are told what to do, and they don’t like it, so they argue and cause strife over being told. A lot of men today are cowered into not contending, when they’re told they are being contentious in doing so. Contentiousness is the domain of a bad hearer, who argues when he’s told what is right or the truth.