περιεργάζομαι; (see περί, III. 2); to bustle about uselessly, to busy oneself about trifling, needless, useless matters, (Sir_3:23; Herodotus 3, 46; Plato, Apology, p. 19 b.; others): used apparently of a person officiously inquisitive about others' affairs (A. V. to be a busybody), 2Th_3:11, as in Demosthenes, p. 150, 24 (cf. p. 805, 4 etc.).

περιεργάζομαι periergazomai 1x to do a thing with excessive or superfluous care; to be a busybody, 2Th_3:11

** περι -εργάζομαι , [in LXX : Wis_8:5 ΰ 1, Sir_3:23 * ;] 1. to waste one's labour about a thing. 2. to be a busybody: 2Th_3:11 ( cf. Plat ., Apol., 19 B ).†

περιεργάζομαι [page 505] am a busybody ( 2Th_3:11 : cf. Sir_3:23 [3:24]); cf. PSI V. 494 .7 (B.C. 258 7) περὶ δὲ τῶν . . . Ἀρ̣χ̣ίου περιειργασάμην εἴς σε ἀπο . . ω̣ι δῶις ἢ γράψηις , the letter of the Emperor Claudius to the Alexandrines P Lond 1912 .90 (A.D. 41) καὶ Ἰουδέοις δὲ ἄντικρυς κελεύωι μηδὲν πλήωι ὧν 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 .5 (vi/vii A.D.) καταξιώσῃ οὖν περιεργάσασθ̣α̣ι καὶ ποιῆσαι ἀποδοθῆναι τὰ γράμματα . Very noteworthy from the inscrr. is Syll 633 (= .3 1042 ) .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 Apol. 19 B, where it is said of Socrates in an accusatory sense, περιεργάζεται ζητῶν τά τε ὑπὸ γῆς καὶ οὐράνια : cf. M. Anton. x. 2 τούτοις δὴ κανόσι χρώμενος , μηδὲν περιεργάζου , apply these criteria to life, and do so without fuss (Rendall). See also Test. xii. patr. Reub. iii. 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.

περιεργάζομαι fut. -εργάσομαι perf. -είργασμαι Dep.: "to take more pains than enough about" a thing, "to waste one's labour on" it, with a part., Σωκράτης περιεργάζεται ζητῶν Plat. ; περιείργασμαι περὶ τούτων εἰπών Dem. :—c. dat. modi, τῷ θυλάκῳ περιειργάσθαι "that they had overdone it" with their "sack" (i. e. need not have used the "word)", Hdt. :—perf. in pass. sense, οὐδὲ περιείργασται nor "is there any superfluity", Luc. "to be a busybody, meddle with other folk's affairs", Dem.

περι-εργάζομαι [in LXX: Wis.8:5 א1, Sir.3:23 * ;] __1. to waste one's labour about a thing. __2. to be a busybody: 2Th.3:11 (cf. Plat., Apol., 19 B).† (AS)