Lexical Summary perix: Around, round about, on all sides Original Word: περίξ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance aroundAdverb from peri; all around, i.e. (as an adjective) circumjacent -- round about. see GREEK peri NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originadverb from peri Definition (all) around NASB Translation vicinity (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4038: πέριξπέριξ (on the formative or strengthening xi Ξ cf. Lob. Paralip., p. 131), adverb, from Aeschylus down, round about: αἱ πέριξ πόλεις, the cities round about, the circumjacent cities, Acts 5:16. Topical Lexicon Narrative Setting in Acts 5:16 Luke records that “crowds also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed” (Acts 5:16). The single Greek term behind “around” (Strong’s 4038) highlights the immediate hinterland of the holy city. At this early point in church history the apostles have not yet left Judea, but the good news is already spilling over Jerusalem’s borders. In Luke’s careful chronology this fulfills the first ripple of Acts 1:8 (“in Jerusalem, and in all Judea”), showing the gospel’s outward momentum even before formal missionary journeys begin. Geographic and Historical Background The villages and market towns ringing Jerusalem—Bethphage, Bethany, Emmaus, Bethlehem, Ein Kerem, and others in the Judean hill country—were culturally Jewish, agriculturally dependent on the city’s economy, and religiously oriented toward the temple. Travelers moved freely along well-worn paths for commerce and pilgrimage. By noting that multitudes came from these surrounding districts, Luke stresses that apostolic ministry was not confined to the urban elite but reached farmers, shepherds, craftsmen, and their families. Archaeological finds such as first-century mikva’ot (ritual baths) in outlying towns corroborate the population density and religious devotion of these communities, making their responsiveness to signs and wonders entirely plausible. Theological Significance 1. Expansion without dispersion: Before persecution scatters believers (Acts 8:1), God draws outsiders inward. The direction of travel (villagers to the apostles) complements later narratives where the apostles go outward (Acts 8–28). Both movements together demonstrate divine initiative and human obedience in spreading the word. Old Testament and Septuagint Echoes In the Greek Old Testament the cognate preposition often describes nations “round about” Israel (for example, Deuteronomy 12:10; 2 Chronicles 17:10). Those contexts contrast covenant people with their neighbors, frequently in settings of conflict. Acts 5:16 reverses the pattern: instead of hostility from the surrounding peoples, we see healing grace drawing them in. Luke’s choice of wording may deliberately evoke Israel’s missional calling—that the nations encircling Zion should ultimately flow to its light (Isaiah 60:3). Pastoral and Missional Insights • Local church outreach: The passage encourages congregations to view the immediate region—suburbs, villages, and small towns—as a divinely appointed field. Ministry need not wait for overseas ventures; faithfulness begins with those “around.” Doctrinal Connections The scene reinforces doctrines of miraculous gifts as authenticating revelation (Hebrews 2:3–4) and of the church as the new temple drawing worshippers (Ephesians 2:19–22). It also anticipates the inclusiveness of the gospel. Though the people in Acts 5:16 are ethnically Jewish, the outward trajectory prepares readers for Gentile inclusion in Acts 10. Applications for Contemporary Ministry 1. Map your “perix”: Identify neighborhoods, campuses, or rural communities encircling your assembly. Pray intentionally for them. Summary Strong’s Greek 4038, though appearing only once in the New Testament, powerfully marks the first concentric expansion of the early church. Acts 5:16 portrays a Spirit-driven magnetism drawing multitudes from the settlements encircling Jerusalem, evidencing the apostles’ divine commissioning and foreshadowing the widening circles of gospel advance that will reach “to the ends of the earth.” Forms and Transliterations περιξ πέριξ περιοδεύσαι περιοδεύσατε περιόδω περιωδεύκαμεν περιώδευσαν perix périxLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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