Lexical Summary
peri: about, concerning, around, on account of
Original Word:περί
Part of Speech:Preposition
Transliteration:peri
Pronunciation:pe-REE
Phonetic Spelling:(per-ee')
KJV: (there-)about, above, against, at, on behalf of, X and his company, which concern, (as) concerning, for, X how it will go with, ((there-, where-)) of, on, over, pertaining (to), for sake, X (e-)state, (as) touching, (where-)by (in), with In comparative, it retains substantially the same meaning of circuit (around), excess (beyond), or completeness (through)
NASB:about, concerning, around, against, behalf, regarding, regard
Word Origin:[from the base ofG4008 (πέραν - other side)]
1. (properly) through (all over), i.e. around
2. (figuratively) with respect to
{used in various applications, of place, cause or time (with the genitive case denoting the subject or occasion or superlative point; with the accusative case the locality, circuit, matter, circumstance or general period)}
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
about, around
From the base ofperan; properly, through (all over), i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time (with the genitive case denoting the subject or occasion or superlative point; with the accusative case the locality, circuit, matter, circumstance or general period) -- (there-)about, above, against, at, on behalf of, X and his company, which concern, (as) concerning, for, X how it will go with, ((there-, where-)) of, on, over, pertaining (to), for sake, X (e-)state, (as) touching, (where-)by (in), with. In comparative, it retains substantially the same meaning of circuit (around), excess (beyond), or completeness (through).
see GREEKperan
HELPS Word-studies
4012perí (a preposition) – properly, all-around (on every side); encompassing, used offull (comprehensive) consideration where "all the bases are covered" (inclusively).4012 (perí) is often translated "concerning" ("all about").
[4012/perí is the root of the English term, "perimeter."]
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. preposition
Definitionabout, concerning, around (denotes place, cause or subject)
NASB Translationabout (103), about* (1), against (4), all around (1), around (12), around* (1), because (2), behalf (4), case* (1), cause* (1), circumstances* (1), companions* (1), concerning (48), condition* (1), connection (2), followers* (1), help (1), neighborhood (1), over (1), over...about (1), refers (1), regard (3), regarding (4), vicinity (1).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4012: περίπερί (akin to
πέρα,
πέραν; (
Curtius, § 359)), preposition, joined in the N. T. with the genitive and the accusative (in classical Greek also with the dative), and indicating that the person or thing relative to which an act or state is predicated is as it were encompassed by this act or state; Latin
circum, circa;
around, about.I. with the GENITIVE it denotes that around which an act or state revolves;about, concerning, as touching, etc. (Latinde, quod attinet ad, causa with a genitivepropter) (cf.Winers Grammar, 372f (349)).
a.about, concerning, (Latinde; in later Latin alsocirca): after verbs of speaking, teaching, writing, etc., see underἀναγγέλλω,ἀπαγμαι,διαγνωρίζω,διαλέγομαι,διδάσκω,διηγοῦμαι (Hebrews 11:32),διήγησις,εἶπον andπροεῖπον,ἐπερωτάω andἐρωτάω,κατηχέω,λαλέω,λέγω,λόγοναἰτέω,λόγονἀποδίδωμι,λόγονδίδωμι,μαρτυρέω,μνεία,μνημονεύω,προκαταγγέλλω,προφητεύω,ὑπομιμνῄσκω,χρηματίζομαι,ἦχος,φήμη, etc.; after verbs of hearing, knowing, ascertaining, inquiring, see underἀκούω,γινώσκω,ἐπίσταμαι,εἶδον,ἐξετάζω,ζητέω,ἐκζητέω,ἐπιζητέω,ζήτημα,πυνθάνομαι, etc.; after verbs of thinking, deciding, supposing, doubting, etc.; see underδιαλογίζομαι,ἐνθυμέομαι,πέπεισμαι,πιστεύω,διαπορέω,ἐλέγχω, etc.
b.as respects (A. V. often (as)touching);α. with verbs, to indicate that what is expressed by the verb (or verbal noun) holds so far forth as some person or thing is concerned;with regard to, in reference to:Acts 28:21;Hebrews 11:20;ἡπερίσουμνεία,2 Timothy 1:3;ἐξουσίανἔχειν,1 Corinthians 7:37;ἐπιταγήνἔχειν, ibid. 25; seeἐντέλλομαι,ἐντολή,παρακαλέω,παραμυθέομαι,πρόφασις,ἔκδικος,λαγχάνω to cast lots.β. with the neuter plural (and singular) of the article,τάπερίτίνοςthe things concerning a person or thing, i. e.what relates to, can be said about, etc.:τάπερίτῆςβασιλείαςτοῦΘεοῦ,Acts 1:3;Acts 8:12 (Rec.); (hereLTrWH omitτά);τάπερίτῆςὁδοῦ,Acts 24:22; with the genitive of a personone's affairs, his condition or state:Acts 28:15;Ephesians 6:22;Philippians 1:27;Philippians 2:19ff;Colossians 4:8; in a forensic sense,one's cause or case,Acts 24:10;τάπερίἸησοῦ (orτοῦκυρίου) (the (rumors) about Jesus (as a worker of miracles),Mark 5:27TTr marginal reading bracketsWH);the things (necessary to be known and believed) concerning Jesus,Acts 18:25;Acts 23:11;Acts 28:23Rec., 31; the things that befell Jesus, his death,Luke 24:19; the things in the O. T. relative to him, the prophecies concerning him,Luke 24:27; the career, death, appointed him by God,Luke 22:37 (hereTTrWHτό etc.).γ.περίτίνος, absolutely, at the beginning of sentences,concerning, as to:1 Corinthians 7:1;1 Corinthians 8:1;1 Corinthians 16:1, 12; but in other places it is more properly taken with the following verb,Matthew 22:31;Matthew 24:36;Mark 12:26;1 Corinthians 7:25;1 Corinthians 8:1, 4;1 Corinthians 12:1;1 Thessalonians 4:9;1 Thessalonians 5:1; cf.Winers Grammar, 373 (350).c.on account of;α. of the subject matter, which at the same time occasions the action expressed by the verb: so after verbs of accusing, seeἐγκαλέω,κατηγορέω,κρίνωτιναπερίτίνος, etc.; after verbs expressing emotion, seeθαυμάζω,ἀγανακτέω,καυχάομαι,σπλαγχνίζομαι,εὐχαριστέω,εὐχαριστία,αἰνέω,μέλειμοιμεριμνάω; also afterεὔχομαι,3 John 1:2, seeπᾶς. II. 2 b.θ'.β. of the cause for (on account of) which a tiring is done, or of that which gave occasion for the action or occurrence:Mark 1:44;Luke 5:14;John 10:33 (περίτῆςβλασφημίαςλάβετεαὐτόν, Ev. Nic c. 4, p. 546, Thilo edition (p. 221,Tdf. edition));Acts 15:2;Acts 19:23;Acts 25:15, 18, 24;Colossians 2:1 (RG).γ.on account of i. e.for, for the benefit or advantage of:Matthew 26:28;Mark 14:24RG;Luke 4:38;John 16:26;John 17:9, 20;Hebrews 5:3;Hebrews 11:40;περί andὑπέρ alternate inEphesians 6:18f (cf.Winers Grammar, 383 (358) n. also § 50, 3;Buttmann, § 147, 21, 22; Wieseler, Meyer,Lightfoot, Ellicott onGalatians 1:4).δ.περί is used of the design or purpose for removing something or taking it away:περίἁμαρτίας, to destroy sin,Romans 8:3;διδόναιἑαυτόνπερίτῶνἁμαρτιῶν, to expiate, atone for, sins,Galatians 1:4 (whereRWH textὑπέρ (see as in above, and cf.ὑπέρ, I. 6)); alsoto offer sacrifices, and simplysacrifices,περίἁμαρτιῶν.Hebrews 5:3 (RGὑπέρ; see as above);;περίἁμαρτιῶνἔπαθε (ἀπέθανεν),1 Peter 3:18;περίἁμαρτίας namely,θυσίαι, sacrificesfor sin, expiatory sacrifices,Hebrews 10:6 (fromPsalm 39:7 (); cf.Numbers 8:8; seeἁμαρτία, 3;τάπερίτῆςἁμαρτίαςLeviticus 6:25;τόπερίτῆςἁμαρτίας,Leviticus 14:19);ἱλασμόςπερίτῶνἁμαρτιῶν,1 John 2:2;1 John 4:10.II. with the ACCUSATIVE (Winers Grammar, 406 (379));
a. of place;about, around: as,about parts of the body,Matthew 3:4; (LTTrWH);Mark 1:6;Mark 9:42;Luke 17:2;Revelation 15:6. about places:Luke 13:8;Acts 22:6;Jude 1:7;τάπερίτόντόπονἐκεῖνον, the neighborhood of that place,Acts 28:7;οἱπερί with an accusative of place, those dwelling about a place or in its vicinity,Mark 3:8 (TTrWH omit;L bracketsοἱ).οἱπερίτινα, those about one, i. e. with him, his companions, associates, friends, etc.,Mark 4:10;Luke 22:49; (add,Mark 16WH (rejected)Shorter Conclusion); according to Greek idiomοἱπερίτόνΠαῦλον, Paul and his companions (Germandie Paulusgesellschaft) (cf.Winers Grammar, 406 (379);Buttmann, § 125, 8),Acts 13:13; according to a later Greek usageαἱπερίΜάρθαν denotes Martha herself,John 11:19 (although others (e. g. Meyer, Weiss, Keil, Godet, others) understand by it Martha and her attendants or domestics; butLTrWH readπρόςτήν (forτάςπερί)Μάρθαν); cf.Matthiae, § 583, 2;Bernhardy (1829), p. 263; Kühncr ii., p. 230f; (Winers Grammar, andButtmann, as above). in phrases the underlying notion of which is that of revolving about sometiring: of persons engaged in any occupation,οἱπερίτάτοιαῦταἐργάται (A. V.the workmen of like occupation),Acts 19:25;περισπᾶσθαι,πυρβάζεσθαιπερίτί,Luke 10:40, 41 (but hereLTTr WIt textθορυβάζῃ which see (andWH marginal reading omitsπερίπολλά)) (περίτήνγεωργίανγίνεσθαι, 2 Macc. 12:1).b.as to, in reference to, concerning: so afterἀδόκιμος,2 Timothy 3:8;ἀστόχειν,1 Timothy 6:21;2 Timothy 2:18;ναυάγειν,1 Timothy 1:19;νόσειν,1 Timothy 6:4;περίπάνταἑαυτόνπαρέχεσθαιτύπον,Titus 2:7;τάπερίἐμέ, the state of my affairs,Philippians 2:23;αἱπερίτάλοιπάἐπιθυμίαιMark 4:19 (αἱπερίτόσῶμαἐπιθυμίαι,Aristotle, rhet. 2, 12, 3;τάπερίψυχήνκαίσῶμαἀγαθά, eth. Nic. 1, 8); cf.Winers Grammar, § 30, 3 N. 5; (Buttmann, § 125, 9).
c. of Time; in a somewhat indefinite specification of time,about, near:περίτρίτηνὥραν,Matthew 20:3; add,;;Mark 6:48; Acts 10:(LTTrWH),;.III. in COMPOSITIONπερί in the N. T. signifies:
1.in a circuit, round about, all around, asπεριάγω,περιβάλλω,περιαστράπτω,περίκειμαι,περιοικέω, etc., etc.
2.beyond (because that which surrounds a thing does not belong to the thing itself but is beyond it):περίεργος,περισσεύω.
3.through ((?) — intensive, rather
Topical Lexicon
Overview of Meaning and ReachThe preposition perí (4012) weaves through every genre of the Greek New Testament—Gospel narrative, apostolic history, epistle, prophecy—occurring 333 times. Its basic idea of “around” or “about” becomes, in context, a versatile servant:
• spatial (“around”),
• thematic (“concerning,” “about”),
• causal or representative (“for,” especially “for sins”),
• approximative (“about” a time or number).
Because of this breadth, perí supplies a vital connective tissue in revelation, tying people to subjects, prayers to persons, sacrifices to sins, and prophecies to their fulfilment.
Spatial and Circumferential Uses
At the most concrete level perí marks something encircling or surrounding:
•Revelation 15:6 pictures the seven angels “clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests.”
•Luke 19:37 speaks of the crowds “around the descent of the Mount of Olives.”
Even temporal approximation grows from this spatial sense: “about the fourth watch of the night” (Mark 6:48).
“Concerning” as Thematic Marker
When a writer shifts to a subject, perí stands at the door. Luke opens his Gospel: “many have undertaken to compile an account concerning the things that have been fulfilled among us” (Luke 1:1). Paul adopts the formula repeatedly:
1 Corinthians
• 7:1 “Now concerning the matters you wrote about …”
• 8:1 “Now concerning food sacrificed to idols …”
• 12:1 “Now concerning spiritual gifts …”
• 16:1, 12 “Now concerning the collection …” “Now concerning our brother Apollos …”
1 Thessalonians
• 4:9 “Now concerning brotherly love …”
• 4:13 “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep …”
• 5:1 “Now concerning the times and seasons …”
With perí, questions become sections, and doctrine unfolds with pastoral clarity.
Perí and Prophetic Fulfilment
Jesus and the apostles consistently link Old Testament prophecy with New Testament fulfilment by means of perí:
•Luke 24:27 “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.”
•Acts 28:23 Paul testifies “concerning the kingdom of God … persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets.”
The preposition underscores the unity of Scripture—prophecy revolves around Christ, and Christ stands at its center.
Atonement and Sacrifice: “For Sins”
In the cultic language of sacrifice, perí with hamartía (“sin”) becomes a technical phrase:
•Hebrews 10:6 “In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight.”
•Hebrews 10:18 “Where these have been forgiven, an offering for sin is no longer necessary.”
•1 John 2:2 “He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Here perí points to substitution: the offering is made “with reference to” and “on behalf of” sin, culminating in Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice.
Prayer and Intercession
Perí frequently introduces the beneficiaries of prayer:
•Ephesians 6:18 “Pray in the Spirit at all times … and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.”
•Philippians 1:3 “I thank my God every time I remember you.”
•Colossians 4:3 “And pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word …”
Intercessory ministry thus circles “around” others, wrapping them in prayer.
Witness and Testimony
John’s Gospel highlights witness language:
•John 1:7 “He came as a witness to testify concerning the Light.”
•John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they that testify about Me.”
The recurring perí emphasizes that all true testimony has Christ as its central theme.
Truth and Error
Perí can frame both fidelity and deviation:
•2 Timothy 2:18 Hymenaeus and Philetus “have strayed concerning the truth.”
•1 Timothy 6:4 the false teacher is “obsessed with disputes and arguments about words.”
Sound doctrine and false teaching are both “around” definite content; believers must discern what that content is.
Warnings, Judgment, and Compassion
Perí carries solemn notes in warnings:
•Matthew 18:6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble …”
•Jude 1:15 the Lord comes “to execute judgment on everyone, and to convict all the ungodly concerning all the ungodly acts …”
But it also conveys comfort:
•1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you.”
Chronology and the Day of the Lord
Eschatological teaching often begins with perí:
•Matthew 24:36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows …”
•1 Thessalonians 5:1 “Now concerning the times and seasons …”
The phrase guards against unhealthy speculation while affirming certainty in God’s timetable.
Pastoral Strategy and Correspondence
Perí structures apostolic letters, allowing writers to respond point-by-point to church concerns. This method models responsible spiritual leadership: listening first (letters received), replying clearly, and rooting every answer in Christ’s finished work and coming reign.
Impact on Later Christian Vocabulary
Early patristic writers adopted perí as a formal tag for topical treatises (e.g., Peri Pascha, Peri Archon), mirroring New Testament practice. The preposition thus shaped theological discourse for centuries, encouraging ordered thought “concerning” the faith once delivered.
Summary
Perí (4012) draws circles: circles of narrative around events, circles of doctrine around Christ, circles of prayer around people, circles of prophecy around fulfilment. Through this unassuming preposition, the Holy Spirit links every subject in Scripture to its true center, calling the Church to keep all teaching, worship, and service “concerning” the Lord Jesus Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
περι περί περὶ ὑπὲρ hyper hypèr peri perí perì uperLinks
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