691. argeó
Lexical Summary
argeó: To be idle, to be inactive, to be lazy

Original Word: ἀργέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: argeó
Pronunciation: ar-GEH-o
Phonetic Spelling: (arg-eh'-o)
KJV: linger
NASB: idle
Word Origin: [from G692 (ἀργός - idle)]

1. to be idle
2. (figuratively) to delay

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
linger.

From argos; to be idle, i.e. (figuratively) to delay -- linger.

see GREEK argos

HELPS Word-studies

691 argéō (from 692 /argós, "idle") – properly, motionless (at rest); doing nothing ("inactive").

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from argos
Definition
to be idle
NASB Translation
idle (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 691: ἀργέω

ἀργέω, ἀργῷ; (to be ἀργός, which see); to be idle, inactive; contextually, to linger, delay: 2 Peter 2:3 οἷς τό κρίμα ἔκπαλαι οὐκ ἀργεῖ, i. e. whose punishment has long been impending and will shortly fall. (In Greek writings from Sophocles down.)

Topical Lexicon
Overview

Strong’s Greek 691 occurs once in the New Testament, in 2 Peter 2:3, describing the sure and active nature of God’s judgment against false teachers. The verb pictures something that refuses to lie dormant or inactive; it is continually at work.

Context in 2 Peter 2:3

Peter exposes teachers who, motivated by greed, exploit believers “with fabricated words”. He then assures the church, “Their condemnation has been long standing and is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.” The single verb underscores two realities:

1. God’s verdict was issued long ago; it stands ready for execution.
2. The process toward that execution is never at rest, even when outward circumstances appear unchanged.

Divine Justice: Never Idle

Scripture consistently portrays God’s judgments as certain and timely, though often operating beyond human perception:

Deuteronomy 32:35 – “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay.”
Ecclesiastes 8:11 – Delay in visible justice tests human hearts.
Nahum 1:3 – “The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.”

The single use of ἀργέω echoes these texts: God’s judicial machinery does not stall; timing rests in His sovereign wisdom.

False Teachers and Their Fate

Peter’s epistle links the word to condemnation resting over those who:
• Introduce destructive heresies (2 Peter 2:1).
• Deny the Master (2 Peter 2:1).
• Exploit the flock for profit (2 Peter 2:3).

By declaring that condemnation “is not idle,” Peter calls the church to discernment. Economic or numerical success never cancels divine censure. Judgment is already advancing.

Historical Background

First-century believers watched a growing network of itinerant teachers mix gospel language with licentious practice. Jewish apocalyptic traditions and Roman legal rhetoric both emphasized delayed but inevitable retribution. Peter speaks into that cultural setting, assuring Christians that God’s verdict moves forward just as decisively as any Roman edict—indeed, more so.

Eschatological Significance

Peter later affirms that scoffers will question the apparent delay of the Parousia (2 Peter 3:3-4), yet “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise” (2 Peter 3:9). The single occurrence of ἀργέω in 2 Peter 2:3 anticipates this argument: any seeming postponement is only patience, not inactivity.

Pastoral and Ministry Application

1. Vigilance—Leaders must guard doctrine, knowing that God’s active judgment stands behind the call to purity (1 Timothy 4:16).
2. Patience—Believers can entrust injustices to God, who “judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).
3. Sobriety—Those who teach bear stricter accountability (James 3:1); God’s verdict is already engaged.
4. Hope—The righteous need not despair when evil appears unchecked; ἀργέω guarantees that God’s justice is at work.

Related Biblical Parallels

Hebrews 10:27 – A “terrifying expectation of judgment” already operative.
Revelation 6:10-11 – Martyred saints told to “rest a little while longer,” not because judgment is idle, but because divine timing is perfect.
Psalm 121:4 – “He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep,” framing Peter’s declaration that destruction “does not sleep.”

Summary

Though appearing only once, ἀργέω powerfully communicates that God’s condemnation of false teachers is active, relentless, and certain. The word reassures the faithful, warns the wayward, and undergirds the church’s task of guarding the truth until Christ’s return.

Forms and Transliterations
αργει ἀργεῖ αργία αργίαν αργίας αργούν ήργησαν ήργησε argei argeî
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
2 Peter 2:3 V-PIA-3S
GRK: ἔκπαλαι οὐκ ἀργεῖ καὶ ἡ
NAS: from long ago is not idle, and their destruction
KJV: now of a long time lingereth not,
INT: of old not is idle and the

Strong's Greek 691
1 Occurrence


ἀργεῖ — 1 Occ.

690b
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