John 6:52

Strove. Gr. machomai, “to fight,” and thus when used as here of verbal encounter, “to dispute,” “to quarrel.” When Jesus had claimed to be the bread from heaven, the Jews had begun to murmur (v. 41); now, when He invited them to eat of His flesh, their emotions rose still higher. Apparently some of them saw a deeper meaning in His words than did others, but they all seem to have been confused by placing too literal a construction on His words. See on v. 53.