Greek word · G3879

παρακύπτω

parakyptō

to stoop

Literally "to bend beside": to stoop or lean over in order to look, to peer in through an opening, window or doorway. Figuratively, to look into something in order to find out about it.

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

παρα-κύπτω

[in LXX chiefly for שָׁקַף ni., hi. ;]

1. to stoop sideways.

2. to stoop to look: Luke 24:12 (R, txt.), John 20:5, 11, Metaphorical (see Hort, Ja., in l), to look into: before εἰς, James 1:25, 1 Peter 1:12.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of James 1:25

Range of meaning

Literally "to bend beside": to stoop or lean over in order to look, to peer in through an opening, window or doorway. Figuratively, to look into something in order to find out about it.

Against the English

KJV and WEB have plain "looks into". BSB and NIV have "looks intently", and NASB has "looks intently at". "Looks into" loses the physical picture of bending down to peer. "Intently" captures the seriousness but leaves out the posture.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Gospels it describes the disciples and Mary stooping to look into the empty tomb (Luke 24:12; John 20:5, 11). In 1 Peter 1:12 angels long "to look into" the things of salvation. In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) it describes people peering through a window (Gen 26:8; Prov 7:6; Song 2:9) and a fool or busybody peeping into a house (Sir 14:23; 21:23). BDAG gives "bend over for the purpose of looking, look into" and, figuratively, "try to find out".

From the study of 1 Peter 1:12

Range of meaning

Literally, to bend or stoop sideways or down in order to look: to peer in through a window, door or opening. By extension it means to look closely into something or take a good look. Depending on context, the look may be a quick glance or an intent gaze. BDAG gives "to take a look, look in(to)" and for figurative uses "to look into something so as to gain knowledge".

Against the English

"Look into" (KJV, BSB, WEB, ESV) works, but modern English hears "investigate" or "research", which is an office activity. The Greek is a physical picture: craning, stooping, peering through an opening at something partly hidden. YLT's "bend looking" keeps the posture.

How it drifted

The English idiom "look into" came to mean "inquire about", and the bodily image faded.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament): Abimelech "looked out through the window" (Gen 26:8); Michal looked through the window at David (1 Chr 15:29; 2 Sam 6:16); the beloved peers through the lattice (Song 2:9); the young man looks into Wisdom's windows (Sir 14:23). In the New Testament: Peter and the beloved disciple stoop and look into the empty tomb (Luke 24:12; John 20:5, 11), and the one who "looks into" the perfect law (Jas 1:25). In the Greek text of 1 Enoch 9:1 the archangels "looked down" (parekypsan) from heaven onto the earth when they saw its bloodshed. That is a close angelic parallel.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 24:12 παρακύψας having stooped down

    Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. And after bending down and seeing only the linen cloths, he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

John · 2

  1. John 20:5 παρακύψας having stooped down

    He bent down and looked in at the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

  2. John 20:11 παρέκυψεν she stooped down

    But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent down to look into the tomb,

James · 1

  1. James 1:25 παρακύψας having looked intently

    But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.

    Here: Literally "bending alongside to look," the posture of someone leaning over to peer into a tomb or through a window. With the mirror image still running, the picture is someone bending down over the law to look into it closely.

1 Peter · 1

  1. 1 Peter 1:12 παρακύψαι.¶ to look.

    It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

    Here: "To stoop down and look in". It is a body word: bending to peer through a window, or into the tomb as in John 20:5. It pictures eager, craning curiosity.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.