περισσ-εύω G4052
To abound, overflow, have in excess; to remain over as surplus; causatively, to cause to abound or lavish.
Perisseuō paints a picture of overflowing containers and tables heaped with more than enough. At its core it means to exceed what is necessary — whether bread fragments left over after the feeding of thousands (Matt 14:20), or the righteousness that must 'surpass' that of the scribes (Matt 5:20). Paul seizes on the word to describe the Christian life as one of superabundance: abounding in grace, in love, in thanksgiving. The Spanish sobrar ('to be left over') captures the surplus sense beautifully, while German überströmen ('to overflow') evokes the image of a vessel that cannot contain what pours into it. From leftovers to lavish grace, this verb insists that God's economy trades in excess.
Senses
1. abound, overflow — To be present in abundance, to overflow or increase greatly — the dominant intransitive sense. Used of persons who have plenty (Luke 15:17, 'bread enough and to spare'), of qualities like grace or sin that multiply (Rom 5:15, 6:1), and of Paul's exhortation to 'abound in the work of the Lord' (1 Cor 15:58). Spanish abundar and German überströmen both capture the sense of exceeding a normal measure. Matt 5:20 famously sets the bar: righteousness must perisseuō beyond that of the Pharisees. 27×
AR["أنْ-تَزْدادوا", "أَنْ-أَسْتَفْضِلَ", "ازدادَ", "تَزْدادوا", "تَزْدادُ", "تَفيضوا", "تَفيضُ", "فائِضينَ", "فائِضَةٌ", "فاضَتْ", "نَزيدُ", "وَفْرَةِ", "يَزِدْ", "يَزْدادُ"]·ben["আমরা-প্রচুর;", "উপচে-পড়", "উপচে-পড়ছে", "উপচে-পড়ে", "তোমরা-প্রচুর-হও।", "প্রচুর", "প্রচুর-হয়েছে", "প্রাচুর্যে-থাকতে", "বাড়াও", "বাড়াতে", "বৃদ্ধি-পাও।", "বৃদ্ধি-পাচ্ছ", "বৃদ্ধি-পায়", "বৃদ্ধি-পেয়েছে", "বেশি-হওয়াতে", "বেশি-হয়"]·DE["ueberfliessen", "überströmt"]·EN["abound", "abounded", "abounding", "abounds", "exceeds", "may-abound", "overflowing", "to-abound", "we-abound", "you-may-abound"]·FR["surabonder", "être-en-abondance"]·heb["הִשְׁפִּיעָה", "הִתְרַבְּתָה", "לְהַרְבּוֹת,", "לְהַרְבּוֹת.", "לְהֹתֵר", "לְהוֹסִיף", "מוֹתִירִים", "שׁוֹפְעִים", "שׁוֹפַעַת", "תִּעְלֶה", "תִּרְבּוּ", "תִּשְׁפַּע,", "תַּעְדִּיפוּ", "תַּרְבּוּ"]·HI["और-अधिक-बधन", "और-अधिक-बधो", "तुम-बढ़ो", "बढ़-गई", "बढ़-जाए", "बढ़ती-है", "बढ़ते-हुए", "बढ़ते-हैं", "बढ़नेवाली", "बढ़ा", "बढ़ो", "बधकर,", "बधकर-होन.", "बधत-रहे,", "बधते-हुए", "बधे,", "बहुतायत-से"]·ID["berkelimpahan", "berlimpah", "kamu-berlimpah", "kamu-berlimpah.", "kita-bertambah;", "melebihi", "melimpah"]·IT["abbondare"]·jav["kita-kathah;", "langkung", "langkung-kathah", "linangkung", "linuwih", "luber", "mindhak", "muwuhi", "ngluwihi", "panjenengan-linangkung", "panjenengan-luber"]·KO["너희가-더-넘치기를", "넓쳐졌다면", "넘쳤다", "넘치게", "넘치기", "넘치는", "넘치는-자들이", "넘치도록,", "넘치면", "넘치면서", "넘치지-않다", "넘친다", "넘침에", "더-넘치기를", "풍성하기,", "풍성하기."]·PT["abunda", "abundam", "abundando", "abundar", "abundeis", "abundeis.", "abundou", "de-ter-abundância", "exceder", "temos-abundância;", "ter-abundância", "transbordando", "transborde", "transbordou"]·RU["избыточествовать", "избыточествуем;", "изобиловала", "изобиловали", "изобиловать", "изобилует", "изобилуют", "изобилующее", "превзойдёт", "преизобиловали", "преизобиловать", "преизобилуя", "преумножилась", "преуспевающими"]·ES["abunda", "abundamos", "abundan", "abundando", "abundar", "abunde", "abundéis", "abundó"]·SW["hatuzidi;", "ilizidi", "inazidi", "izidi", "kizidi", "kuwa-na-wingi", "kuzidi", "mkizidi", "mzidi", "mzidi.", "ulizidi", "uzidi", "wingi", "yanavyozidi"]·TR["aşarsa", "bollaşasınız", "bollaşmak", "bollukta", "bolluğa-kavuşasınız", "cokluga", "cokluguyla", "coskursun", "hizmeti-", "ki-", "lütufta-", "sarsılmaz", "tasakuran", "taşan", "taştı", "ve-", "çoğaldıysa", "çoğalir"]·urd["افزون-ہو", "افزون-ہونے-والی", "افزون-ہونے-کو", "بڑھتی-رہے", "بڑھتی-ہے", "بڑھتے-رہو", "بڑھتے-ہوئے", "بڑھتے-ہیں", "بڑھو", "بڑھی", "بڑھے", "بہتات", "تم-افزون-ہو", "زیادہ-ہوتے-ہیں", "فراوان-ہونا"]
Matt 5:20, Luke 12:15, Luke 15:17, Acts 16:5, Rom 3:7, Rom 5:15, Rom 15:13, 1 Cor 8:8, 1 Cor 14:12, 1 Cor 15:58, 2 Cor 1:5, 2 Cor 1:5 (+15 more)
2. remain over, be left over — To remain over as surplus after a need has been met. This is the 'leftovers' sense, prominent in the feeding narratives: twelve baskets of fragments 'left over' (Matt 14:20, Luke 9:17). Spanish que sobró ('what was left over') nails the distinction from general abundance — this is specifically what exceeds consumption. Mark 12:44 and Luke 21:4 invert the image: the widow gave not from her surplus (to perisseuon) but from her poverty. 7×
AR["الفاضِلِ", "الفَاضِلَ", "فائِضِ", "فَاضَتْ", "فَاضِلَةَ", "فَضْلُ"]·ben["অবশিষ্ট", "অবশিষ্ট-ছিল", "উদ্বৃত্ত", "উদ্বৃত্তের"]·DE["ueberfliessen", "überströmt"]·EN["abounded", "abounding", "having-abounded", "having-remained-over", "remaining"]·FR["être-en-abondance"]·heb["הַנּוֹתָר", "נוֹתְרוּ", "נוֹתָר", "נוֹתָרִים", "עוֹדֵף"]·HI["बच-हुअ", "बची-थीं", "बचे-हुए", "बढ़ती-हुई", "बहुतायत"]·ID["kelimpahan", "lebih", "yang-lebih", "yang-sisa", "yang-tersisa"]·IT["abbondare"]·jav["keluwihan", "langkung", "langkungipun", "sisaning", "tilas"]·KO["남았었다", "남은", "남은-것에서", "넘치는-것에서"]·PT["lhes-sobra", "que-sobra", "que-sobrou"]·RU["избытка", "избыток", "оставшееся", "оставшиеся", "остались"]·ES["que-sobra", "que-sobraba", "que-sobró", "sobrante", "sobrantes", "sobraron"]·SW["lililobaki", "vilivyobaki", "wingi-wao", "yalibaki", "ziada"]·TR["artan", "artanı", "artanından", "artmıştı", "fazlalıklarından"]·urd["بچ-گئے-تھے", "بچا", "بچا-ہوا", "بچے-ہوئے", "زیادہ", "ٹکڑے"]
3. cause to abound, lavish — The causative-transitive sense: to cause something to abound or to lavish upon someone. God is typically the subject — 'God is able to make all grace abound to you' (2 Cor 9:8), 'which he lavished upon us' (Eph 1:8). Spanish hacer abundar and the English 'cause to abound' both require a transitive construction foreign to the intransitive senses. First Thessalonians 3:12 captures Paul's prayer that the Lord would 'cause you to abound in love.' 3×
AR["أَفاضَها", "يُفيضَ"]·ben["উপচে-দিতে", "উপচে-দিন", "উপচে-পড়েছে"]·DE["ueberfliessen"]·EN["he-lavished", "may-overflow", "to-cause-to-abound"]·FR["surabonder", "être-en-abondance"]·heb["הִשְׁפִּיעַ", "יַשְׁפִּיעַ", "לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ"]·HI["बहुतयत-किय", "बहुतायत-से-देने", "भर-देइन"]·ID["Dia-limpahkan", "melimpahkan", "memperbanyak"]·IT["abbondare"]·jav["nglimpahaken,", "ngluberi", "sampun-kalimpahaken"]·KO["넘치게-하셨다", "넘치게-하시다", "풍성하게-하시기를"]·PT["fazer-abundar", "faça-abundar", "fez-abundar"]·RU["излил-изобильно", "изобиловать", "преизобилует"]·ES["hacer-abundar", "haga-sobreabundar", "hizo-abundar"]·SW["aliizidisha", "awafurike", "kuizidisha"]·TR["bollaştırmaya", "coskurdurdu", "taşırsın"]·urd["افزون-کرے", "بہایا"]
4. be given abundance (passive) — The passive or divine-passive sense: to be given abundance, to have more bestowed upon one. Found in Jesus' enigmatic saying, 'To the one who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance' (Matt 13:12, 25:29). Spanish le sobreabundará and German überströmt preserve the sense that the surplus comes from outside — it is received, not generated. This passive frames abundance as gift rather than achievement. 2×
AR["سَيَزدَادُ", "يُزَادُ"]·ben["বাড়িয়ে-দেওয়া-হবে", "বেশি-হবে"]·DE["überströmt"]·EN["he-will-have-abundance"]·FR["être-en-abondance"]·heb["יִוָּתֵר", "יִתְוַסַּף"]·HI["बढ़ाया-जाएगा", "बधकर-होगअ"]·ID["akan-berkelimpahan", "akan-berlimpah"]·IT["abbondare"]·jav["badhé-luber", "linangkung;"]·KO["넘치게-될-것이다", "넘치리라"]·PT["será-feito-abundar", "terá-em-abundância"]·RU["преумножится", "приумножится"]·ES["abundará", "le-sobreabundará"]·SW["ataongezewa"]·TR["bollaşacak", "çoğaltılacaktır"]·urd["بڑھایا-جائے-گا", "بھرپور-ہوگا"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G3956 1. all (collective plural) (616×)H3967 1. cardinal numeral hundred (550×)H1419a 1. great, large (general quality) (486×)H7969 1. cardinal number three (431×)H0505 1. cardinal number thousand (427×)H7651 1. seven (cardinal number) (393×)G1520 1. cardinal number one (339×)H6240 1. ten (cardinal number) (334×)H6242 1. twenty (cardinal number) (315×)H2568 1. cardinal number five (309×)H0702 1. four (cardinal number) (277×)G3956 2. every, each (distributive) (227×)H8337 1. six (cardinal number) (215×)G3956 3. all things, everything (substantive) (211×)G3956 4. (187×)H6235 1. ten (177×)G3173 1. great in size or extent (176×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
περισσ-εύω, Attic dialect περιττεύω, imperfect ἐπερίσσευον (περιέσσευον is condemned by Refs 2nd c.AD+, (περισσός) to be over and above the number, μύριοί εἰσιν ἀριθμόν.., εἷς δὲ π. Refs 8th c.BC+; περιττεύσουσιν ἡμῶν οἱ πολέμιοι the enemy will go beyond us, outflank us, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II to be more than enough, remain over, τἀρκοῦντα καὶ περιττεύοντα Refs; τὸ π. [ἀργύριον] Refs 5th c.BC+; ἡ…