περίλυπος

perílypos

G4036 predicate adjective

SILEX Entry

Root περί-λυπ- around, about, sorrow, grief

Definition

Deeply distressed, profoundly sorrowful; experiencing intense grief or sadness that encompasses one's entire being. In contexts, refers to a state of overwhelming sorrow, emotional pain, or great distress.

Semantic Range

deeply sorrowful, overwhelmed by grief, intensely distressed, exceedingly sad, experiencing all-encompassing sorrow

Root / Etymology

From the preposition περί (around, about) and the noun λύπη (sorrow, grief), forming a compound meaning 'surrounded by sorrow.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Used in Koine Greek, including the Septuagint and New Testament, to describe a state of acute emotional anguish. In the New Testament (e.g., Mark 14:34/Matthew 26:38), it describes Jesus’ deep distress in Gethsemane, stressing the completeness and intensity of his sorrow. The term is rare in earlier Greek but becomes more common in Hellenistic and later literature to express extreme or all-encompassing grief, distinct from simple λύπη which denotes generic sorrow or sadness. English translations often render it as 'exceedingly sorrowful,' 'deeply grieved,' or 'overwhelmed with sorrow,' but such phrases may not capture the term's emphasis on sorrow as a state that wholly surrounds a person. It is not a technical or religious term but conveys strong emotional intensity in secular and religious contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from περί and λύπη; grieved all around, i.e. intensely sad:--exceeding (very) sorry(-owful).

Root Family

περίλυπος (perílypos) — around, about, sorrow, grief

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G4036-01 περίλυπός perilupos ADJ.P NOM F SG exceeding sorrowful surrounded by sorrow 4

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G4036-01 Matthew 26:38 περίλυπός perilupos ADJ.P NOM F SG surrounded by sorrow
G4036-01 Mark 6:26 περίλυπος perilupos ADJ.P NOM M SG very sorrowful surrounded by sorrow
G4036-01 Mark 14:34 περίλυπός perilupos ADJ.P NOM F SG exceeding sorrowful surrounded by sorrow
G4036-01 Luke 18:23 περίλυπος perilupos ADJ.P NOM M SG very sad surrounded by sorrow