What does περισπάω (perispáō) mean in the Bible?
περισπάω (perispáō): To pull away attention or energy; distraction pulling focus from what matters most spiritually.
Greek · G4049
περισπάω
To distract
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through theConnect page. Screenshots are helpful.
περισπάωG4049
Pronunciationperispáō
What does περισπάω (perispáō) mean in the Bible?
περισπάω (perispáō): To pull away attention or energy; distraction pulling focus from what matters most spiritually.
Full entry for περισπάω (G4049) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4049?
The BSB source-word alignment has 1 aligned row for this entry. Common renderings include was distracted (1).
Where does περισπάω (perispáō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Luke 10:40. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itwas distracted1×Luke 10:40
Show sample aligned rows
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowLuke 10:40
Aligned rows1
Books represented1
Luke1
Source forms
περιεσπᾶτο1xperiespatoLuke 10:40
Parsing patterns
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular1xLuke 10:40
Evidence Summary
Greek word. To pull away attention or energy; distraction pulling focus from what matters most spiritually.
Strong'sG4049
Lexical occurrences0 versesGreek text appearances1 timeVerse guides0 guides
Study linkLuke 10:38–42Source Gloss
to distract
Extended definitionSource: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
To pull away attention or energy; distraction pulling focus from what matters most spiritually.
to draw around, draw off or away. Metaphorical, to distract: pass., Luk.10:40.
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
1 Greek text appearance shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Luke 10:40Verb Third Person Singular Imperfect Passive Indicative
περιεσπᾶτοperiespato
I distract, trouble greatly
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 1 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
imperfect1
Voice
passive1
Mood
indicative1
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Sampled Scripture Occurrences
Representative Scripture witnesses for this entry: passage, original form, and sense in context.
Additional Occurrences
Luke 10:38–42περιεσπᾶτοperispáō
Was distracted, pulled away
New Testament Witnesses
was being pulled away
Word Origins
περισπάω is built from these roots:
Why This Word Matters
Describes distraction that fragments devotion.