περίεργος, περιεργον (περί and ἔργον; see περί, III. 2), busy about trifles and neglectful of important matters, especially busy about other folks' affairs, a busybody: 1Ti_5:13 (often so in secular authors from Xenophon, mem. 1, 3, 1; περιεργων καί πολυπράγμων, Epictetus diss. 3, 1, 21); of things: τά περίεργα, impertinent and superfluous, of magic (A. V., curious) arts, Act_19:19 (so περίεργος practising magic, Aristaen., epistles 2, 18, 2 (cf. Plutarch, Alex. 2, 5)); cf. Kypke, Observations, and Kuinoel, commentary at the passage.

περίεργος periergos 2x over careful; officious, a busybody, 1Ti_5:13 ; in NT περίεργα , magic arts, sorcery, Act_19:19

* περίεργος , -ον , I. of persons; 1. over careful. 2. curious, meddling, a busybody: 1Ti_5:13 . II. Of things; 1. over-wrought. 2. super\-fluous . 3. curious, uncanny; τὰ Papyri, curious arts, magic: Act_19:19 ( v. Deiss., BS , 3235.).†

περίεργος [page 505] The idea of curious, magical arts, which τὰ περίεργα has in Act_19:19 , is well illustrated in P Leid V xii. 19 (iii/iv A.D.) (=II. p. 39) διὰ τὴν τῶν πολλῶν περιεργίαν τὰς βοτάνας καὶ τὰ ἄλλα , οἷς ἐχρῶντο εἰς θεῶν εἴδωλα , ἐπέγραψαν , ὅπως μὴ συλ (= λλ )αβούμενοι περιεργάζωνται μηδέν , διὰ τὴν ἐξακολούθησιν τῆς ἁμαρτεί (= ί )ας , ob vulgi curiositatem herbas et reliqua, quibus utebantur ad deorum simulacra, scriptis consignarunt, ut non intellecturi (reliqui homines) operarentur frustra propter investigationem erroris (Ed.) : see also the note on p. 73 f., and Deissmann BS p. 223 n. .5 . Cf. the conjunction of words in Vett. Val. p. 7 .30 φρόνιμοι , περίεργοι , ἀποκρύφων μύσται . For the meaning busybody, as in 1Ti_5:13 , cf. Menandrea pp. 11 .45 , 48 .85 , and Menander Fragm. p. 227, also Theophr. Char. x. (ed. Jebb). In the letter of a steward or bailiff, P Oxy IX. 1220 .22 (iii/A.D.), the word is used in a more general sense οὐδὲν ἠφάνισεν ὁ ἱπποποτάμις , ἤ τι γάρ ἐστιν περιέργου , ἐφίσταμε (= αι ) αὐτῶν , the hippopotamus has destroyed nothing, for if there is any superfluity, I watch over the place (Ed.).

περίεργος περί-εργος, ον, [Etym: *ἔργω] "careful overmuch", Lys. , etc. "busy about other folk's affairs, meddling, a busybody", Xen. pass. "done with especial care, elaborate", Aeschin. , etc. "superfluous", Plat. , etc. "curious, superstitious", Plut.

περίεργος, -ον __I. of persons; __1. over careful. __2. curious, meddling, a busybody: 1Ti.5:13. __II. Of things; __1. over-wrought. __2. super­fluous. __3. curious, uncanny; τὰ π., curious arts, magic: Act.19:19 (see Deiss., BS, 3235.).† (AS)