περισσεύω

περισσεύω impf. ἐπερίσσευον; fut. περισσεύσω; 1 aor. ἐπερίσσευσα (on the augment B-D-F §69, 4; Mlt-H. 192). Pass.: 1 fut. περισσευθήσομαι (s. prec. two entries; Hes., Thu. et al.; ins, pap, LXX, Philo, Joseph.).

① intr., to be in abundance, abound

ⓐ of things

α. be more than enough, be left over (SIG 672, 19 [II B.C.]; Theophil.: 733 Fgm. 1 Jac. [in Alex. Polyhist.: Eus., PE 9, 34, 19]; Jos., Ant. 3, 229, Vi. 333) τὰ περισσεύσαντα κλάσματα J 6:12. ὁ χρόνος ὁ περισσεύων εἰς τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ the time that remains before his coming Hs 5, 5, 3. οἱ περισσεύοντες the others, the remainder 9, 8, 7; w. gen. οἱ π. αὐτῶν vs. 4; strengthened οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ περισσεύσαντες 9, 9, 4. τὸ περισσεῦον what was left over τῶν κλασμάτων Mt 14:20; 15:37 (cp. Jos., Ant. 13, 55). περισσεύει μοί τι I leave someth. (cp. Tob 4:16) J 6:13. τὸ περισσεῦσαν αὐτοῖς κλασμάτων what they left in the way of fragments Lk 9:17.

β. be present in abundance (X., Cyr. 6, 2, 30; PFlor 242, 2; PLond II, 418, 4 p. 303 [c. 346 A.D.] ἵνα περισσεύῃ ὁ φόβος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν σοί) 2 Cor 1:5b; Phil 1:26 ἐὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ὑμῶν ἡ δικαιοσύνη πλεῖον τῶν γραμματέων unless your righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes Mt 5:20 (for the omission of ‘that’ in the Gk. text cp. Maximus Tyr. 15, 8d: their life is different in no respect σκωλήκων=fr. ‘that’ of the worms). περισσεύει τί τινι (cp. Thu. 2, 65, 13) someone has someth. in abundance (Tob 4:16) ISm 9:2. τὸ περισσεῦόν τινι (opp. ὑστέρησις) someone’s abundance Mk 12:44. (Opp. ὑστέρημα) Lk 21:4. ἐν τῷ περισσεύειν τινί in this, namely that one has an abundance 12:15. περισσεύει τι εἴς τινα someth. comes or is available to someone in great abundance: ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐπερίσσευσεν Ro 5:15. περισσεύει τὰ παθήματα τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings 2 Cor 1:5a.

γ. be extremely rich or abundant, overflow 2 Cor 9:12. εἰ ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ ψεύσματι ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς τὴν δόξαν αὐτου if by my falsehood the truthfulness of God has shown itself to be supremely great, to his glory Ro 3:7. The thing in which the wealth consists is added in the dat. (Philistion [IV B.C.], Fgm. 9 ln. 13 Wellmann πάσαις τ. ἀρεταῖς περιττεύει [in Athen. 3, 83, 115e]) π. δόξῃ be extremely rich in glory 2 Cor 3:9 (v.l. ἐν δόξῃ). In oxymoron ἡ πτωχεία αὐτῶν ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς ἁπλότητος αὐτῶν their poverty has overflowed into the wealth of their ingenuousness 8:2 (s. ἁπλότη 1; NRSV et al. liberality).

δ. grow αἱ ἐκκλησίαι ἐπερίσσευον τῷ ἀριθμῷ καθʼ ἡμέραν Ac 16:5. ἵνα ἡ ἀγάπη ὑμῶν ἔτι μᾶλλον καὶ μᾶλλον περισσεύῃ ἐν ἐπιγνώσει Phil 1:9.

ⓑ of persons

α. have an abundance, abound, be rich τινός of or in someth. (B-D-F §172; Rob. 510) ἄρτων Lk 15:17 v.l. (the text has the mid. περισσεύονται [unless it should be pass., s. 2b below], but that is prob. not orig.; s. Jülicher, Gleichn. 346). παντὸς χαρίσματος IPol 2:2. Also ἔν τινι Dg 5:13 (opp. ὑστερεῖσθαι). ἐν τῇ ἐλπίδι Ro 15:13. Abs. (opp. ὑστερεῖσθαι) περισσεύομεν we have more (divine approval) 1 Cor 8:8. ζητεῖτε ἵνα περισσεύητε strive to excel 14:12. Cp. Phil 4:12a (opp. ταπεινοῦσθαι), vs. 12b (opp. ὑστερεῖσθαι). ἀπέχω πάντα καὶ περισσεύω I have received full payment, and have more than enough vs. 18. π. εἰς πᾶν ἔργον have ample means for every enterprise 2 Cor 9:8b.

β. be outstanding, be prominent, excel (1 Macc 3:30) ἔν τινι in someth. ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ τοῦ κυρίου 1 Cor 15:58. Cp. 2 Cor 8:7ab; Col 2:7. Abs. w. μᾶλλον added progress more and more 1 Th 4:1, 10.

② trans. (Athen. 2, 42b) to cause someth. to exist in abundance, cause to abound

ⓐ of things that one greatly increases, τὴν εὐχαριστίαν 2 Cor 4:15. τὶ εἴς τινα grant someth. to someone richly 9:8a; Eph 1:8 (ἧς by attraction of the relat. for ἥν). Pass. w. dat. of pers. ὅστις γὰρ ἔχει, δοθήσεται αὐτῷ καὶ περισσευθήσεται to the one who has (more) will be given, and that person will have a great abundance Mt 13:12. Cp. 25:29.

ⓑ of persons who receive someth. in great abundance ὑμᾶς ὁ κύριος περισσεύσαι τῇ ἀγάπῃ may the Lord cause you to abound in love 1 Th 3:12. πόσοι μίσθιοι περισσεύονται ἄρτων Lk 15:17 how many day laborers get more than enough bread (s. 1bα above).—DELG s.v. περί. M-M. EDNT. TW.