Greek word · G4048

περιρρήγνυμι

perirrēgnymi

to strip off

'To tear around, tear off.' Used of ripping clothing off a person, or of tearing one's own clothes (for example in grief).

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

περι-ρήγνυμι

(Rec. -ρρ-, see supr.) [in LXX: 2Ma.4:38 * ;]

to break or tear off all around: frequently of garments, τ. ἰμάτια, Acts 16:22.†

(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 Acts 16:22

Range of meaning

'To tear around, tear off.' Used of ripping clothing off a person, or of tearing one's own clothes (for example in grief).

Against the English

BSB and NIV say 'ordered that they be stripped' / 'ordered them to be stripped,' which turns a violent tearing into a neutral administrative order. KJV 'rent off,' WEB 'tore,' ESV 'tore the garments off them' keep the violence.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used only here in the New Testament. In 2 Maccabees 4:38 the king, enraged, strips Andronicus of his purple robe and tears off his clothes before having him executed, a public stripping of dignity before punishment. In Roman practice the condemned were stripped before the rods were used (compare Livy 2.5.8).

Where it appears

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 16:22 περιρήξαντες having torn off

    The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods.

    Here: 'Having torn off from around.' The clothes are ripped away violently, not taken off neatly. Grammatically the magistrates do it, though in practice their attendants (lictors) would have done it on their orders.

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