Lexical Summary pariémi: To let go, to pass by, to neglect, to disregard Original Word: παρίημι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be presentFrom para and hiemi (to send); to let by, i.e. Relax -- hang down. see GREEK para NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom para and hiémi (to send) Definition to pass by or over, to relax NASB Translation neglecting (1), weak (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3935: παρίημιπαρίημι: 2 aorist infinitive παρεῖναι (Luke 11:42 L T Tr WH); perfect passive participle παρειμένος; from Homer down; 1. to let pass; to pass by, neglect (very often in Greek writings from Pindar, Aeschyl, Herodotus down), to disregard, omit: τί, Luke 11:42 (R G ἀφιέναι) (ἁμαρτήματα, to pass oreo, let go unpunished, Sir. 23:2; (τιμωρίαν, Lycurgus, 148, 41)). 2. to relax, loosen, let go (see παρά, IV. 2) (e. g. a bow); perfect passive participle παρειμένος, relaxed, unstrung, weakened, exhausted (Euripides, Plato, Diodorus, Plutarch, others): χεῖρες, Hebrews 12:12; Sir. 2:13 Sir. 25:23, cf. Zephaniah 3:16; Jeremiah 4:31; ἀργοί καί παρείμενοι ἐπί ἀργόν ἀγαθόν, Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 34, 4 [ET] cf. 1. Cf. παραλύω. Strong’s Greek 3935, pariemi, conveys the idea of allowing something to slacken, fall aside, or pass by unheeded. The verb can describe (1) a bodily member hanging limp, (2) a duty left unattended, or (3) an opportunity disregarded. The semantic field therefore moves from the physical to the moral and finally to the spiritual: when hands droop, work is left unfinished; when work is unfinished, righteousness suffers. Old Testament Background The Septuagint frequently uses cognate forms of pariemi to translate Hebrew verbs for neglecting covenant responsibilities (for example, Deuteronomy 32:18; Isaiah 1:4) and for weak or drooping limbs (Isaiah 35:3). These uses form the backdrop for both New Testament occurrences, securing a continuum between Israel’s call to covenant faithfulness and the Church’s call to persevere in grace. New Testament Usage 1. Luke 11:42 “But woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and rue and every herb, yet you neglect justice and the love of God”. In this woe-oracle Jesus indicts religious leaders for meticulous external observance while letting “justice and the love of God” slip by unused. Pariemi here brands hypocrisy as spiritual paralysis: the very faculties meant to uphold divine love are allowed to go limp. The verb exposes selective obedience—majoring on minors while releasing the weightier demands of Scripture. “Therefore strengthen your limp hands and feeble knees”. The writer adapts Isaiah 35:3, exhorting believers under persecution to reverse spiritual slackness. Pariemi depicts limbs hanging useless; the command to “strengthen” calls for resolute, grace-enabled action. What was passive neglect must become active endurance, lest faint hearts forfeit the “peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11). Theological Emphasis Pariemi underscores that holiness involves vigilant stewardship. Whether Pharisaic formalism or Christian fatigue, the danger is the same: truth unmobilized. Scripture refuses a dichotomy between love and duty; neglect in one sphere inevitably undermines the other. The verb thus functions as a warning that the gap between knowledge and obedience is not neutral ground but fertile soil for injustice. Ministry Significance Pastoral application of pariemi zeroes in on sins of omission. Congregations may pride themselves on visible disciplines—attendance, giving, doctrinal precision—while overlooking reconciliation, mercy, and social righteousness. Preachers can harness Luke 11:42 to expose this imbalance and Hebrews 12:12 to offer redemptive remedy: renewed focus on grace that re-energizes weary saints. Historical Reflections Church history provides sobering parallels. Scholastic disputes of the late medieval period, for instance, mined theological minutiae even as corruption grew unchecked. Reformers cited such neglect as evidence of pariemi at the institutional level. Likewise, modern missional movements arose when believers refused to let gospel opportunity pass by unused—turning limp hands into laboring ones. Practical Counsel • Examine personal and corporate routines: where has form eclipsed substance? Summary Pariemi warns against the quiet peril of letting essential matters dangle untouched. Whether through hypocrisy or fatigue, neglect erodes righteousness. Scripture meets that peril with an antidote: strengthen what is drooping, seize what matters most, and refuse to allow love or justice to pass by unused. Englishman's Concordance Luke 11:42 V-ANAGRK: κἀκεῖνα μὴ παρεῖναι NAS: without neglecting the others. INT: and those not to be leaving aside Hebrews 12:12 V-RPM/P-AFP Strong's Greek 3935 |
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