περισσός (perissos)
perissos
excessive
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective perissos describes something that is abundant, superior, or exceeds a standard measure. In the New Testament, it often conveys the idea of being "more than enough" or "surpassing." This word appears in contexts ranging from Jesus’ teaching on oaths and love to Paul’s reflections on grace and spiritual gifts, highlighting a quality that goes beyond the ordinary or necessary.
Its root sense involves going beyond a limit, which allows it to function as both a quantitative term (more than others) and a qualitative one (superior or pre-eminent). For instance, when Jesus contrasts loving only those who love you with loving enemies, he uses perissos to describe the "extra" measure of righteousness expected (Matthew 5:47). Similarly, Paul speaks of God’s grace abounding "all the more" (perissou) in him (1 Corinthians 15:10), emphasizing an overflow rather than mere sufficiency.
Translators often render perissos as "exceeding," "abundant," or "more than," depending on whether the context emphasizes quantity or quality. The word carries a theological weight of divine generosity, suggesting that God’s provision and favor are not merely adequate but overflowing. This usage reinforces the biblical theme that spiritual blessings surpass human expectation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read that Jesus asks us to go beyond the ordinary in our love and honesty, He is pointing to a quality of life that feels like an overflow. The word perissos describes this surplus—not just having enough, but having more than strictly necessary. It suggests that God’s grace does not leave us wanting; instead, it provides a richness that exceeds our basic needs.
This abundance invites us to live differently. When we choose honesty over elaborate oaths or love beyond our immediate circle, we are tapping into a divine generosity. This is not about striving harder to earn favor, but receiving a gift that naturally spills over into how we treat others. It reminds us that our resources, time, and affection can be shared freely because they come from a source that never runs dry.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- excessive5×
- superiority1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- περισσὸν4×
- περισσόν1×
- περισσοῦ1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 5:47
If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?
This verse uses the word to ask what 'extra' or superior action we take beyond standard social norms, highlighting the call to exceptional love.
-
John 10:10
The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.
Here the term describes the abundant life Jesus offers, contrasting mere survival with a fullness that surpasses ordinary existence.
-
II Corinthians 9:1
It is indeed unnecessary for me to write to you concerning the service to the saints,
Paul uses this word to describe the service for the saints as unnecessary to detail because its generosity is already so well known and overflowing.