Greek word · G4026

περιΐστημι

periistēmi

to stand around

Active: to stand around, surround (John 11:42; Acts 25:7). Middle: to turn oneself around something, so to go around in order to avoid; to shun or steer clear of.

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

περι-ίστημι (Rec. ΐστημι)

[in LXX: Joshua 6:3 (סָבַב), 2 Samuel 13:31 (נָצַב ni.), 1 Samuel 4:16, Ep. Jeremiah 37:1-21, Judith 5:22, 2Ma.14:9 * ;]

1. to place around.

2. to stand around: John 11:42; with accusative of person(s), Acts 25:7. Mid. (in late writers), to turn oneself about to avoid, to shun: with accusative of thing(s), 2 Timothy 2:16, Titus 3:9.†

(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 Titus 3:9

Range of meaning

Active: to stand around, surround (John 11:42; Acts 25:7). Middle: to turn oneself around something, so to go around in order to avoid; to shun or steer clear of.

Against the English

'Avoid' and 'shun' are accurate. YLT's 'stand away from' keeps more of the spatial picture. The present tense implies an ongoing policy: keep detouring around them.

Used elsewhere in the period

The 'shun' sense of the middle is found in Hellenistic writers (BDAG s.v.). In the New Testament it occurs only here and in 2 Tim 2:16 ('avoid irreverent babble').

From the study of 2 Timothy 2:16

Range of meaning

Active: 'to place around, stand around' (John 11:42, Acts 25:7, the crowd standing around). Middle: 'to turn oneself around, go around something in order to avoid it,' hence 'shun, keep clear of.'

Against the English

'Avoid' (BSB, NASB, NIV, ESV) and 'shun' (KJV, WEB) are both accurate. YLT's 'stand aloof from' keeps the spatial picture.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used in Hellenistic Greek in the middle sense 'avoid' (BDAG cites Josephus and other writers of the period). In the New Testament this middle sense appears only in the Pastorals: here and in Titus 3:9 ('avoid foolish controversies').

Where it appears

John · 1

  1. John 11:42 περιεστῶτα already standing around

    I knew that You always hear Me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, so they may believe that You sent Me.”

    Here: The perfect participle describes a state: they had taken up position around the tomb and were standing there watching. They are an audience of witnesses.

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 25:7 περιέστησαν they stood around

    When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove.

    Here: They formed a ring around him. The verb is ordinary and can describe a harmless crowd (John 11:42), but a lone prisoner encircled by his accusers makes it a picture of pressure.

2 Timothy · 1

  1. 2 Timothy 2:16 περιΐστασο· do yourself avoid;

    But avoid irreverent, empty chatter, which will only lead to more ungodliness,

    Here: A present-tense command in the middle voice: 'keep turning yourself aside from it, keep giving it a wide berth.' It is an ongoing habit, not a single act. The same form appears in Titus 3:9 for foolish controversies.

Titus · 1

  1. Titus 3:9 περιΐστασο· do yourself avoid;

    But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless.

    Here: A present imperative in the middle voice (the form for acting on or for oneself): 'keep steering clear', 'make a habit of walking around these'. The picture is of detouring around something in the road, not stopping to wrestle with it. The same verb appears in 2 Tim 2:16.

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