Lexical Summary perusi: Last year Original Word: περυσι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance last yearAdverb from peras; the by-gone, i.e. (as noun) last year -- + a year ago. see GREEK peras NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. adverb Definition last year NASB Translation last year (1), year ago (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4070: πέρυσιπέρυσι (from πέρας), adverb, last year; the year just past: ἀπό πέρυσι, for a year past, a year ago (Winer's Grammar, 422 (393)), 2 Corinthians 8:10; 2 Corinthians 9:2. ((Simonides), Aristophanes, Plato, Plutarch, Lucian). Topical Lexicon Occurrences in the New Testament πέρυσι appears twice, both in the same epistle—2 Corinthians 8:10 and 9:2. In each instance Paul reminds the Corinthian believers that “last year” they had expressed eagerness to participate in the relief offering for the saints in Jerusalem. Historical Setting of Paul’s Collection for Jerusalem Around the mid-50s A.D., churches in Macedonia and Achaia joined Paul in raising financial support for impoverished believers in Judea (Romans 15:25-27; Acts 24:17). Severe famine, political unrest, and economic discrimination against followers of Jesus had deepened the need. Paul saw the collection as a tangible expression of koinōnia between Gentile and Jewish Christians, reinforcing the unity of the body of Christ (Galatians 2:10). When he wrote 2 Corinthians, a year had elapsed since the Corinthians first pledged their participation; logistical and spiritual challenges had delayed completion of the gift. Exegetical Insight By invoking πέρυσι Paul employs a simple time marker to rekindle past zeal. The term does more than date events; it confronts procrastination. His rhetorical strategy couples commendation (“your zeal has stirred most of them to do likewise,” 2 Corinthians 9:2) with gentle accountability, urging the church to translate good intentions into concrete action. Encouragement toward Perseverance and Follow-Through The two occurrences frame a pastoral theme: • Good intentions must culminate in completed obedience. Paul illustrates these truths by citing the Macedonians, who “in the midst of severe trial… overflowed into a wealth of generosity” (2 Corinthians 8:2). The mention of πέρυσι underscores how steadily the Macedonians had maintained their resolve, contrasting it with Corinthian sluggishness. Pastoral Lessons on Stewardship and Generosity 1. Planning: Genuine generosity begins with intentional planning (1 Corinthians 16:2). Implications for Contemporary Ministry • Annual pledges, mission offerings, and benevolence funds should be revisited regularly to ensure completion. Summary Though used only twice, πέρυσι plays a strategic role in Paul’s appeal: it links yesterday’s resolve with today’s obedience, urging believers to fulfill promises for the glory of Christ and the good of His people. Forms and Transliterations επετάσθη επετάσθησαν έπεψαν έπεψεν πεπεμμένην περυσι πέρυσι πέσσετε πέσσητε πεσσούσας πέσσουσιν πέταλα πέταλον πετάσεται πετασθήσομαι πετασθήσονται πέταται πέταυρον πεφθήσεται πεφθήσονται πέψουσι perusi perysi pérysiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Corinthians 8:10 AdvGRK: προενήρξασθε ἀπὸ πέρυσι NAS: were the first to begin a year ago not only KJV: also to be forward a year ago. INT: began before from a year ago 2 Corinthians 9:2 Adv |
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