Quick Definition
περισπάω v. I distract, trouble greatly
Strong's Definition
to drag all around, i.e. (figuratively) to distract (with care)
Derivation: from G4012 (περί) and G4685 (σπάω);
KJV Usage: cumber
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | σπάομαι
25.238 · (περισπάομαι) · Attitudes and Emotions · Worry, Anxiety, Distress, Peace
to be overburdened and worried, to be distracted and anxious (a figurative extension of meaning of περισπάομαι ‘to be drawn off from around,’ not occurring in the NT) to be so overburdened by various distractions as to be worried and anxious
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
περι-σπάω, -&: impf. pass. 3 pers. sing. mepteonaro; fr. Xen. down; to draw around [περί, III. 1], to draw away, distract; pass. metaph., to be driven about mentally, to be distracted: περί τι, i.e. to be over-occupied, too busy, about a thing, Lk. x. 40 [A. V. cumbered]; in the same sense with τῇ διανοίᾳ added, Polyb. 3, 105, 1; 4, 10, 3; Diod. 1, 74; περισπᾶν τὸν ἀργὸν δῆμον περὶ τὰς ἔξω στρατείας, Dion. Hal. antt. 9, 43; pass. to be distracted with cares, to be troubled, distressed, [ef. W. 23], for nly, Eccl. i. 13; iii. 10.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
περισπάω perispaō 1x
to draw off from around; to wheel about; to distract; pass. to be distracted, over busied, Lk. 10:40*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
περι-σπάω, -ῶ,
[in LXX chiefly for ענה;]
to draw around, draw off or away. Metaph., to distract: pass., Lk 10:40.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
περισπάω. The late metaph. use of περισπάω -- “΄ distract,’’ ‘ worry,” in Lk 10% is well attested in the Κοινή--Ῥ Lond 24?! (B.c. 163) (= I. p. 32f., UPZ i. p. 117f.) δὲ. ἣν αἰτίαν περισπώμενος ὑπὸ τῆς Ταθήμιος, 20. 24 ἀξιῶ οὖν σε μὴ ὑπεριδεῖν με περισπώμενον, and 74.29 ὅπως καὶ αὐτὸς τῆι Ταθήμει ἀποδοὺς μὴ περισπῶμαι, ‘that I may be able to pay Tathemis and be no more worried,” P Grenf I. 15° (B.C. 146 or 135) ὅπ]ως μὴ περισπώμεθα ἐπὶ τὰ [.. .. . .. 1 τα κριτήρια, P Tebt 1. 4335 (B.c. 118) ὅπως μηθενὶ ἐπιτρέπηι τί.Ἰυπί. .]ov περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν παρενοχλεῖν ἡμᾶς μηδὲ περισπᾶν κατὰ μηδεμίαν παρεύρεσιν, ‘in order that no one may be allowed to molest us on the same charges or to annoy us on any pretext whatever’’ (Edd.), and 20.45 ἐὰν ἧι ola προφ ép>erat προνοηθῆναι ὡς οὐ περισπασθήσονται, ‘‘if the allegations are correct see that he is not molested,’’ where we find παρενοχληθήσεται written above περισπασθήσονται, as if the verb in the sense of ‘‘ distract ” > ςς , περισσος was not sufficiently clear ; cf. also P Oxy IV. 7435 (B.c. 2) ἐν τῷ δέ pe περισπᾶσθαι (for constr. see Proleg. p. 14) οὐκ ἠδυνάσθην συντυχεῖν ᾿Απολλω(νίῳ), ‘owing to my worries I was unable to meet Apollonius’”’ (Edd.). For the more literal sense ‘‘ draw ΟΥ̓, ‘‘ draw away,” cf. P Lond 43% (B.c, 168) (=I. p. 31, UPZi. p. 301, Selections p- 11) εἴπερ μὴ ἀναγκαιότερόν ofe] περισπᾶι, and P Tor I.1v-86 (B.c. 116) mponvéykato τὸν “Epplay κατὰ κενὸν περιεσπακέναι, where in his note (p. 139) the editor describes περισπᾷν as ‘‘circumagere aliquem, eumque in diversa trahere decipiendi causa.” In P Par 63% (B.c. 164) (= P Petr III. p. 26) the verb is used of ‘‘ distraining” furniture— Tas ἀποσκευὰς. . . περισπᾶν. For the subst., as in Tob τοῦ δὲ, cf. P Tebt II. 3931 (A.p. 150) περισπασμῶν χάρειν, “on account of his anxieties,” and M. Anton. xii. 2 (quoted S.U. Teptaipéw). See also s.v. ἀπερισπάστως, and the citations from late Greek in Herwerden Lex. s.v. περισπάω.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
περισπάω (perispaō) — to distract. περι-σπάω, future -σπάσω[Refs 1st c.BC+]:—draw off from around, strip off, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ χλαμύδιον αὑτοῦ π. [Refs 1st c.BC+]:—middle, strip oneself of, τὴν τιάραν [Refs 5th c.BC+] (so also in active, π. τὴν πορφύραν [Refs 1st c.AD+]
2. strip bare, περισπάσας ξίφος (Pierson χερὶ σπάσας) [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. wheel about, of a general, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; intransitive of the troops, [Refs]; especially wheel twice through a right angle, [Refs 1st c.BC+].; of a horse's bit, οὐ πάνυ π. not pulling it violently round, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
III. draw off or away, divert, εἰς τοὐναντίον [τὴν πολιτείαν] [Refs 4th c.BC+]; π. τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ draw it away, [Refs 1st c.BC+]: —passive, π. ὑπό τινων [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; πάντῃ τὰς ὄψεις περισπώμενος [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; ἕως τοῦ ἔξω τόπου π. to be drawn away and expanded, opposed to συστέλλεσθαι, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
III. b detach, Συρίαν τινός [Refs 1st c.BC+]
III.2. disturb, vex, [LXX+4th c.BC+]:—passive, ὑπὸ τῶν τελωνῶν [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
III.3. divert, distract, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, to be distracted or engaged, π. ταῖς διανοίαις [NT+2nd c.BC+]
III.4. steal, ἀργυροῦν ἢ χρυσοῦν ἀνάθημα [Refs 2nd c.AD+] —passive, ἅπαντα περιέσπασμαι I have been robbed of all, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
III.5. passive, with infinitive, to be compelled to do a thing, περιησπάσθην (sic) ἀνενεγκεῖν [Refs 1st c.AD+]
IV. Grammars, pronounce a vowel or word with the circumflex, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; especially on the last syllable, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; περισπώμεναι [λέξεις] [Refs 1st c.BC+]; π. [προσῳδία] [Refs 2nd c.BC+]