WG: Superabundance (περισσός Word Family)¶
Overview¶
The superabundance concept in Greek Scripture is expressed through the περισσός (perissos) word family — a tightly knit group of cognates from the root περί (peri, "around/beyond"), all conveying the idea of surplus, excess, or going beyond what is expected. The related adjective πλείων (pleion) overlaps in translation ("more") but comes from a different root and emphasizes numerical quantity rather than qualitative surplus.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G4053 | περισσός | perissos | adj | 14 | The quality (superabundant, exceeding) | G4053 |
| G4052 | περισσεύω | perisseuo | verb | 35 | The action (to superabound, overflow) | G4052 |
| G4050 | περισσεία | perisseia | noun (f) | 4 | The abstract state (surplusage) | TODO(need G4050 study) |
| G4051 | περίσσευμα | perisseuma | noun (n) | 4 | The concrete result (the surplus/remainder) | G4051 |
| G4056 | περισσοτέρως | perissoteros | adv | 12 | Comparative adverb (more superabundantly) | TODO(need G4056 study) |
| G4057 | περισσῶς | perissos (adv) | adv | 6 | Positive adverb (exceedingly) | TODO(need G4057 study) |
| G4119 | πλείων | pleion | adj | 53 | Related but distinct: more in quantity/number | TODO(need G4119 study) |
Relationships¶
Shared Roots¶
- perissos (G4053), perisseuo (G4052), perisseia (G4050), perisseuma (G4051), perissoteros (G4056), perissos adv (G4057) — all from root περί (G4012, "around/beyond")
- pleion (G4119) — from πολύς (polys, "many/much"); shares translation overlap but distinct etymology
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| G4052 perisseuo | G4050 perisseia | 1 | 2 Cor 8:2 — "abundance of joy" overflowing from deep poverty |
| G4052 perisseuo | G4119 pleion | 1 | 2 Cor 4:15 — "abundant grace" causing thanksgiving through "the more" |
| G4056 perissoteros | G4119 pleion | 1 | Phil 1:14 — boldness to speak "more abundantly" |
Low pairwise co-occurrence is expected: cognates typically occupy the same semantic slot in a clause, so they rarely appear together. The family operates by distributing the surplus concept across parts of speech.
Roles in the Concept¶
- Quality: perissos (G4053) — the adjectival description: something is superabundant or exceeding
- Action: perisseuo (G4052) — the verbal process: to overflow, to have more than enough
- State: perisseia (G4050) — the abstract condition of surplus
- Result: perisseuma (G4051) — the concrete surplus itself (fragments left over, overflow of the heart)
- Manner (comparative): perissoteros (G4056) — acting in a more superabundant way
- Manner (positive): perissos adv (G4057) — acting exceedingly, beyond measure
- Quantity contrast: pleion (G4119) — more in number (overlaps in KJV "more" but lacks the beyond-the-norm connotation)
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- 2 Cor 8:2 — perisseia (G4050) + perisseuo (G4052): "the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality"
- 2 Cor 4:15 — perisseuo (G4052) + pleion (G4119): "that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God"
Semantic Distinction: perissos vs. pleion¶
Both are translated "more" in KJV, creating easy confusion. The distinction: - perissos = qualitative surplus, beyond what is expected or necessary ("more than a prophet," "what do ye more than others?") - pleion = quantitative comparison, greater in amount or number ("more than twelve legions of angels," "more than five hundred brethren")
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py Last updated: 2026-05-03