περιέρχομαι (perierchomai)
perierchomai
to go around
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb perierchomai describes the physical act of going around or moving about from place to place. Derived from a prefix meaning "around" and a root meaning "to go," it conveys the image of an itinerant journey rather than a fixed residence. In the New Testament, this word appears only three times, yet each usage paints a distinct picture of movement.
In Acts 19:13, it describes Jewish exorcists who went around from town to town seeking targets for their rituals. Similarly, Acts 28:13 records Paul’s ship making a circuit around the island of Crese. Hebrews 11:37 uses the term to depict the wandering state of Old Testament prophets, who wandered in sheepskins and goatskins due to persecution. These examples show a consistent theme of transit and lack of permanent settlement.
The word carries a neutral tone regarding morality; it simply notes the action of traversing space. It does not inherently imply holiness or wickedness, but rather the state of being on the move. Translators typically render it as "went about" or "wandered," capturing the literal sense of covering ground through various locations.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Greek word perierchomai simply means to go around or move from place to place. It describes physical movement without judging whether that movement is good or bad. In the New Testament, it appears only three times, showing people who were traveling because of their work, their curiosity, or their persecution.
For your faith life, this word reminds us that God meets people in motion. Whether someone is wandering like the prophets in Hebrews 11:37 or moving through towns like Paul’s ship in Acts 28:13, God is present in the journey. It encourages us to trust Him even when our lives feel unstable or uncertain.
We do not need a fixed address to experience His care. The same God who guided Paul’s travels walks with us in our daily routines and unexpected changes. Let this bring peace to your heart as you navigate your own path.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they wandered1×
- itinerant1×
- going about1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- περιῆλθον1×
- περιερχόμεναι1×
- περιερχομένων1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 19:13
But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
This verse shows the word describing itinerant Jewish exorcists who moved from town to town, highlighting the neutral sense of mere physical transit without moral judgment.
-
I Timothy 5:13
Besides, they also learn to be idle, going about from house to house. Not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.
Here the term illustrates idle gossipers going about from house to house, demonstrating how the same word can describe unproductive movement in a negative context.
-
Hebrews 11:37
They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated—
This occurrence depicts faithful prophets wandering in sheepskins and goat skins due to persecution, showing how physical displacement can accompany steadfast devotion.