Lexical Summary periergazomai: To meddle, to be a busybody, to engage in unnecessary or intrusive activity. Original Word: περιεργάζομαι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be a busybody. From peri and ergazomai; to work all around, i.e. Bustle about (meddle) -- be a busybody. see GREEK peri see GREEK ergazomai HELPS Word-studies 4020 periergázomai (from 4012 /perí, "all-around" and 2038 /ergázomai, "to work") – properly, work all-around, i.e. to meddle, going beyond proper boundaries (where a person doesn't belong); to fixate on what others are doing, instead of doing what the person himself is supposed to do (used only in 2 thes 3:11). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom peri and ergazomai Definition to waste one's labor about (a thing) NASB Translation acting like busybodies (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4020: περιεργάζομαιπεριεργάζομαι; (see περί, III. 2); to bustle about uselessly, to busy oneself about trifling, needless, useless matters, (Sir. 3:23; Herodotus 3, 46; Plato, Apology, p. 19 b.; others): used apparently of a person officiously inquisitive about others' affairs (A. V. to be a busybody), 2 Thessalonians 3:11, as in Demosthenes, p. 150, 24 (cf. p. 805, 4 etc.). Topical Lexicon Concept and MeaningStrong’s Greek 4020 portrays a person who “works around” rather than “works at” a task—one who intrudes into matters that are not his own responsibility. The picture is of fruitless bustle: activity that looks energetic yet yields no genuine service, productivity, or edification. Biblical Context The verb occurs once in the New Testament, in Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians: “For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, not working at all, but being busybodies.” (2 Thessalonians 3:11) This single usage is framed by Paul’s broader teaching (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15) on orderly living, diligent labor, and proper submission to apostolic instruction. The contrast is stark: responsible work that supports oneself and serves others versus meddlesome idleness that saps spiritual vitality and disrupts congregational peace. Historical Background Thessalonica was an energetic commercial hub. Some believers evidently forsook legitimate employment—perhaps distorted by an over-heated expectation of Christ’s imminent return (compare 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2). Into that vacuum rushed fruitless discussion, gossip, and interference in others’ affairs. Paul had modeled the opposite (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9), laboring “night and day” as a tentmaker so he would not burden the church. His charge reflects common Jewish wisdom: “Idle hands will come to poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” (Proverbs 10:4) First-century readers, steeped in the honor-shame culture of the Greco-Roman world, would recognize that meddling dishonored both household and church. Theological Insights 1. Stewardship of Vocation – Scripture frames everyday labor as worship (Colossians 3:23-24). Meddling squanders time that belongs to God and overturns the creational rhythm of work and rest. Related Scriptural Witness • Proverbs 26:17 – “Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passerby who meddles in a quarrel not his own.” These passages, though using different Greek terms, reinforce the same moral trajectory: God opposes meddling because it breeds disorder and dishonors His name. Practical Ministry Implications • Church Leadership – Elders should set clear expectations for productive service and lovingly confront disruptive idleness. Exemplars of Productive Conduct • Paul the tentmaker (Acts 18:3) – combining secular labor with gospel witness. Warnings Against Idleness and Meddling Paul links meddling to spiritual danger: “Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:12) Continued refusal invites church discipline and eventual hardness of heart. Summary Strong’s Greek 4020 spotlights a subtle yet corrosive sin: restless interference disguised as activity. Scripture counters with the high calling of diligent, purpose-filled labor that honors God, strengthens the church, and serves the world. Forms and Transliterations περιεργαζομενους περιεργαζομένους periergazomenous periergazoménousLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Thessalonians 3:11 V-PPM/P-AMPGRK: ἐργαζομένους ἀλλὰ περιεργαζομένους NAS: at all, but acting like busybodies. KJV: not at all, but are busybodies. INT: working but being busybodies |
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