περὶ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 περὶ

   pe-RI

   concerning
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 καὶ γὰρ κινδυνεύομεν ἐγκαλεῖσθαι στάσεως περὶ τῆς σήμερον,

   KAI GAR kin-dy-NEU-o-men en-ga-LEIS-thai STA-se-ōs pe-RI tês SÊ-me-ron

   and for we are in danger to be charged of rioting concerning the today
3. sentence🔊 καὶ γὰρ κινδυνεύομεν ἐγκαλεῖσθαι στάσεως περὶ τῆς σήμερον, μηδενὸς αἰτίου ὑπάρχοντος, περὶ οὗ οὐ δυνησόμεθα ἀποδοῦναι λόγον περὶ τῆς συστροφῆς ταύτης.

   KAI GAR kin-dy-NEU-o-men en-ga-LEIS-thai STA-se-ōs pe-RI tês SÊ-me-ron mê-de-NOS ai-TI-ou hy-PAR-khon-tos pe-RI hou ou dy-nê-SO-me-tha a-po-DOU-nai LO-gon pe-RI tês sy-stro-PHÊS TAU-tês

   and for we are in danger to be charged of rioting concerning the today of no cause being present about which not we will be able to give an account about the commotion this

Exegesis

The prepositional phrase peri tēs semeron {περὶ τῆς σήμερον | pe-rì tês sḗ-me-ron} uses a substantivized adverb (‘the today {matter}’) to focus the accusation on the events of that particular day.

The relative clause peri hou ou dunesometha apodounai logon {περὶ οὗ οὐ δυνησόμεθα ἀποδοῦναι λόγον | pe-rì hoû ou dy-nē-só-me-tha a-po-doû-nai ló-gon} refers back to the situation just described, with peri marking the matter ‘about which’ they will be unable to ‘give an account’.

The repeated peri introduces the final phrase peri tēs systrophēs tautēs {περὶ τῆς συστροφῆς ταύτης | pe-rì tês sy-stro-phês taú-tēs}, specifying that the unanswerable charge concerns ‘this disturbance’. In translation, the sequence of main clause, genitive absolute, and relative clause is preserved, while some phrases are reshaped into smoother English clauses to maintain the logical flow from danger, to lack of cause, to inability to provide a satisfactory explanation.

Root and etymology

peri-ergon🔊 περί-εργονpi–epsilon–rho–iota–epsilon–rho–gamma–omicron–nu

“around-work, meddlesome or magical deeds”

• 🔊 περιεργάζομαιpe-ri-er-gá-zo-maito busy oneself with useless matters1 Timothy 5:13