Quick Definition
περιεργάζομαι v. I overdo, am a busybody
Strong's Definition
from 4012 and 2038; to work all around, i.e. bustle about (meddle)
KJV Usage: be a busybody
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | ἐργάζομαι
88.243 · Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior · Being a Busybody
to be a busybody to meddle in the affairs of someone else In some languages one may speak of a busybody as ‘one who puts his spoon in someone else’s cup’ or ‘one who always tells another how to buy and sell.’
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
περι-εργάζομαι ; (see περί, III. 2); to bustle about uselessly, to busy one’s self about trifling, needless, useless matters, (Sir. iii. 23; Hdt. 3, 46; Plat. apol. p. 19 b.; al.): used apparently of a person officiously inquisitive about others’ affairs [A. V. to be a busybody], 2 Th. iii. 11, as in Dem. p. 150, 24 [ef. p. 80, 4 etc. ].
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
περιεργάζομαι periergazomai 1x
to do a thing with excessive or superfluous care; to be a busybody, 2 Thess. 3:11*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
** περι-εργάζομαι,
[in LXX: Wi 8:5 א1, Si 3:23*;]
to waste one's labour about a thing.
to be a busybody: II Th 3:11 (cf. Plat., Apol., 19 B).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
περιεργάζομαι, ‘fam ἃ busybody”’ (2 Thess 311: cf. Sir 3224) : cf. PSI V. 4947 (B.C. 258-7) περὶ δὲ τῶν... . ᾿Αρχίου περιειργασάμην εἴς σε ἀπο. . wt Sais ἢ γράψηις, ‘the letter of the Emperor Claudius to the Alexandrines P Lond 19129 (A.D. 41) Kal ᾿Ιουδέοις δὲ ἄντικρυς κελεύωι μηδὲν πλήωι dv πρότερον ἔσχον περιεργάζεσϑαι, ‘and, on the other side, I bid the Jews not to busy themselves about anything beyond what they have held hitherto” (Bell), and P Giss I. 57° (vi/vii A.D.) καταξιώσῃ οὖν περιεργάσασθαι καὶ ποιῆσαι ἀποδοθῆναι τὰ γράμματα. Very noteworthy from the inscrr. is Sy// 633 (= 51042)15 (ii/iii A.D.) ὃς ἂν δὲ πολυπραγμονήσῃ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἢ περιεργάσηται, ἁμαρτίαν ὀφιλέτω Μηνὶ Τυράννωι. See also the magical citation s.v. περίεργος. As illustrating the meaning of the verb it is customary to quote Plato “120. 19 B, where it is said of Socrates in an Part VI. , TEPlLEeX@ accusatory sense, περιεργάζεται ζητῶν τά τε ὑπὸ γῆς Kal οὐράνια : cf. M. Anton. x. 2 τούτοις δὴ κανόσι χρώμενος, μηδὲν περιεργάζου, ‘‘apply these εγέλεγέα to life, and do so without fuss’’ (Rendall). See also Zest. xf¢. patr. Reub. lll, 10 μήτε περιεργάζεσθε πρᾶξιν γυναικῶν, ‘nor meddle with the affairs of womankind.” In Aristeas 15 the verb is used in a good sense καθὼς περιείργασμαι, “as my research (into God's dealings) has taught me”: but contrast 315.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
περιεργάζομαι (periergazomai) — be a busybody. περιεργ-άζομαι, future -εργάσομαι, περίεργος) take more pains than enough about a thing, waste one's labour on it, with participle, περιεργάζοντο δοκέοντες πρῶτοι ἀνθρώπων γεγονέναι [Refs 5th c.BC+] that they had overdone it with their 'sack' (i.e. need not have used the word), [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. τοῖς σημείοις overact one's part, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; π. τῷ οἰκιδίῳ go to a needless expense with his house, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; οὐδὲ περιείργασται ἐν αὐτοῖς nor has he lavished useless pains upon.., [Refs 2nd c.AD+] (but perfect in passive sense, πλέον οὐδὲν περιείρλασται τῷ Θέωνι [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
2. with accusative, π. τι καινόν to be busy about 'some new thing', [Refs 5th c.BC+]; meddle, interfere with, τὰ ἀλλότρια Chiloap.[Refs 2nd c.BC+]: absolutely, to be a busybody, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
3. bargain, haggle, περὶ τῆς τιμῆς [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
4. in good sense, elaborate,[Refs 5th c.BC+]
5. investigate thoroughly, τὰ λεληθότα [Refs 4th c.BC+]; seek diligently, π. πόθεν ἡ εἴσοδος Zos.Alch.p.111 [Refs 5th c.BC+]
6. ταῦτα π. have this effect, of substances, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]