περισσός G4053
Exceeding, abundant, more than; comparative surplus, extraordinary degree, or that which is superfluous or advantageous
Rooted in περί ('beyond, around'), this adjective captures everything that spills over the expected measure. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges his followers to do what is 'more than' others do (Matt 5:47) — Spanish 'más' and German 'übermäßig' both tracking the comparative force. Mark uses the adverbial form for the disciples' astonishment 'beyond all measure' at Jesus calming the storm (Mark 6:51). But the word also has a cooler side: Paul calls further appeal about the Corinthian collection 'unnecessary' (2 Cor 9:1), and in Romans 3:1 he asks what 'advantage' the Jew has. From lavish abundance to pragmatic surplus, the word measures the distance between enough and beyond.
Senses
1. more, greater (comparative) — The comparative core: more, greater, exceeding in degree or quantity. Jesus asks 'What more are you doing than others?' (Matt 5:47), and the scribe affirms that love exceeds all burnt offerings (Mark 12:33). This is the word's most frequent deployment — measuring one thing against another and finding it surpassing. Spanish 'más/mayor' and the consistent genitive-of-comparison construction confirm the comparative force across nearly all Gospel and Epistle occurrences. 18×
AR["أكثَرَ","أَعظَمَ","أَفضَلُ","أَكثَرَ","أَكْثَرَ","أَكْثَرُ","الأَكثَرِ","بِالأَكثَرِ","فَضْلٍ","مَا-زَادَ-عَلَى-ذٰلِكَ"]·ben["অতিরিক্ত","অধিক","আরও","আরো-অধিক","আরো-বেশি","প্রচুর","বেশি"]·DE["ueberfluessig","übermäßig"]·EN["beyond","greater","more","more-abundant","more-abundantly","more-excessive","more-than"]·FR["excessif","excédant"]·heb["הַרְבֵּה","יְתֵרָה","יֹתֵר","יוֹתֵר","יוֹתֵר-מִ-","מַה-שֶּׁיֹתֵר","רַב"]·HI["अत्यधिक","अधिक","बढ़कर","बहुत"]·ID["lebih","lebih-banyak","lebih-berat","lebih-besar","lebih-dari","lebih-jelas","lebih-penting"]·IT["abbondante","eccedente","perissoteron"]·jav["langkung","langkung-ageng","langkung-kathah","langkung-langkung","langkung-penting"]·KO["더","더-나은-이라","더-많이","더-크다","더-큰","더-풀성한","더-풀성히","더-풍성히","더욱","더욱더","더한-것은","더한-것을"]·PT["excessiva","maior","mais","mais-abundantemente"]·RU["более-обильно","больше","большего","большее","большую","ещё-более","избыточнее","излишнее","особенное","чрезмерной"]·ES["de-más","mayor","más","más-abundante","más-abundantemente","más-que"]·SW["Ole","ni-zaidi-ya","nyingi-zaidi","zaidi","zaidi-ya","zaidi-ya-"]·TR["ama-","daha çok","daha-ağır","daha-fazla","daha-fazlası","daha-fazlasını","daha-çok","daha-önemli","fazla","fazlası","fazlasını","kedere-","vererek"]·urd["بڑھ-کر","بہت-زیادہ","زیادہ","زیادہ-تر"]
Matt 5:37, Matt 5:47, Matt 11:9, Matt 23:14, Mark 12:33, Mark 12:40, Luke 7:26, Luke 12:4, Luke 12:48, Luke 20:47, 1 Cor 12:23, 1 Cor 12:23 (+6 more)
2. abundantly, exceedingly — Adverbial or intensive use denoting exceeding measure or extraordinary abundance. The disciples were 'exceedingly astonished' (Mark 6:51), the healed man proclaimed the news 'all the more' despite being told to keep silent (Mark 7:36), and Jesus promises life 'abundantly' (John 10:10). Spanish 'abundantemente/sobremanera' and the shift from adjective to adverb mark a move from comparison to sheer intensity — not 'more than X' but 'overwhelmingly, beyond all bounds.' 3×
AR["أَكثَر","أَكْثَرَ-جِدًّا","زِيادَةٍ"]·ben["অতিরিক্ত","আরো","প্রচুর"]·DE["ueberfluessig"]·EN["abundance","abundantly"]·FR["excessif"]·heb["בְּיֶתֶר","יֶתֶר","לָ-רֹב"]·HI["अपने-आप","प्रचार-करते-थे","बहुतायत"]·ID["berlebihan","berlimpah","lebih-lagi"]·IT["abbondante"]·jav["langkung-kathah","langkung-langkung"]·KO["더-많이","매우","풍성히"]·PT["abundantemente","abundância"]·RU["больше","изобильно","чрезвычайно"]·ES["abundancia","abundantemente","sobremanera"]·SW["kupita-kiasi","kwa-wingi","sana-zaidi"]·TR["bolluk","fazlasıyla"]·urd["اور-زیادہ","بہتایت","حد"]
3. unnecessary, superfluous — That which exceeds necessity and is therefore superfluous or unnecessary. Paul tells the Corinthians it is 'superfluous' for him to write further about the collection (2 Cor 9:1). Spanish 'superfluo' isolates this sense cleanly: the surplus here is not welcome abundance but redundancy. The same root meaning — 'beyond the needed amount' — takes on a dismissive rather than celebratory tone. 1×
AR["زائِدٌ"]·ben["অতিরিক্ত"]·DE["ueberfluessig"]·EN["unnecessary"]·FR["excédant"]·heb["מֵיתָר"]·HI["अनावश्यक"]·ID["berlebihan"]·IT["eccedente"]·jav["sanget"]·KO["너무-많다"]·PT["supérfluo"]·RU["излишне"]·ES["superfluo"]·SW["si-lazima"]·TR["gereksiz"]·urd["فضول"]
4. advantage, superiority — Substantive use denoting advantage, benefit, or preeminence — the 'surplus value' of a condition or status. Paul opens Romans 3 asking 'What then is the advantage of the Jew?' (Rom 3:1). Spanish 'superior' and the rhetorical context frame this as a measured assessment of relative worth. The excess here is not quantity but privilege — what one party has that another lacks. 1×
AR["ميزَةُ"]·ben["বিশেষতা"]·DE["ueberfluessig"]·EN["advantage"]·FR["excédant"]·heb["יִתְרוֹן"]·HI["लाभ"]·ID["kelebihan"]·IT["eccedente"]·jav["langkung"]·KO["남음"]·PT["vantagem"]·RU["преимущество"]·ES["superior"]·SW["faida"]·TR["avantajı"]·urd["بڑائی"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
περισσός, Attic dialect περιττός, ή, όν, (from περί, as ἔπισσαι from ἐπί, μέτασσαι from μετά) beyond the regular number or size, prodigious, δῶρα Refs 8th c.BC+; στάθμα, uncertain meaning, see at {ἕλκω} Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 out of the common, extraordinary, strange, ἔ τι περισσὸν εἰδείη if he has any signal knowledge, Refs 6th c.BC+; εἴ τι φρονεῖς καί τι περισσὸν ἔχεις Philisc.Refs 5th c.BC+; ἴδια…