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11. ἀκούομεν γάρ τινας περιπατοῦντας ἐν ὑμῖν ἀτάκτως. For we hear of certain persons walking amongst you in disorderly fashion. On the last word, see. 2Th 3:6. Ἐν ὑμῖν (cf. οὐκ ἠτακτήσαμεν ἐν ὑμῖν, 2Th 3:7),—for their relations with the Church were irregular. Not “that there are some” (A.V.; after the Vulg., “inter vos quosdam ambulare inquiete”; Beza, “inordinate”): the Apostles do not simply know that such people are to be found in this Church; they know about them—who they are, and how they are behaving. For ἀκούω with accus. of the content or matter of report, cf. Gal 1:13, Eph 1:15; Eph 3:2, Act 17:32, &c.; and for τινές relating to persons known but not named (quosdam), 2Co 2:5; 2Co 10:2; 2Co 10:12, Gal 1:7; Gal 2:12, Col 2:8, 1Ti 1:3, Tit 1:12. The writers state this on hearsay (cf. 1Co 1:11; 1Co 5:1; 1Co 11:18); the matter was not officially communicated to them, though probably letters had passed to and fro (see Introd. p. xxxv., and note on 1Th 5:2). This verse gives the reason (γάρ) for recalling the severe maxim of 2Th 3:10, or perhaps for the entire reproof (2Th 3:6-10). In the Didaché (i. 10–12), probably the oldest Post-apostolic document extant, there is a warning addressed both to givers and receivers of alms, which shows how prevalent was the danger of similar abuse of Church charities: Μακάριος ὁ διδοὺς κατὰ τὴν ἐντολήν … οὐαὶ τῷ λαμβάνοντι· εἰ μὲν γὰρ χρείαν ἔχων λαμβάνει τις, ἀθῶος ἔσται· ὁ δὲ μὴ χρείαν ἔχων δώσει δικήν, ἱνατί ἔλαβε καὶ εἰς τί· ἐν συνοχῇ δὲ γενόμενος ἐξετασθήσεται περὶ ὧν ἔπραξεν, καὶ οὐκ ἐξελεύσεται ἐκεῖθεν μέχρις οὗ ἀποδῷ τὸν ἔσχατον κωδράντην· ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τούτου δὴ εἴρηται· Ἰδρωτάτω ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη σου εἰς τὰς χειράς σου, μέχρις ἂν γνῷς τίνι δῷς—“let thine alms sweat into thine hands, till thou knowest to whom thou shouldst give.”
μηδὲν ἐργαζομένους ἀλλὰ περιεργαζομένους, working at nothing, but being busybodies; or—to imitate the play on ἐργάζομαι—“whose one business is to be busybodies,” “minding every body’s business but their own.” Lightfoot quotes the same verbal play from Demosthenes, Philip. 4., p. 150. 21 f., σοὶ μὲν ἐξ ὧν ἐργάζει καὶ περιεργάζει τοὺς ἐσχάτους ὄντας κινδύνους; the like appears in Quintilian’s Latin, Instit. Orat. 6:3. 53: “After venuste Mallium Suram, multum in agendo discursantem, salientem, manus jactantem, togam dejicientem et reponentem, non agere dixit sed satagere.” So Calvin and Beza here: “nihil agentes, sed curiose (inaniter) satagentes”; Vulg., “nihil operantes, sed curiose agentes.” The verb περιεργάζομαι is hap. leg. in N.T.; but the adj. περίεργος—associated with ἀργαί, φλύαροι and περιερχόμεναι—is applied in 1Ti 5:13, in its well-established sense, to good-for-nothing, gossiping women; τὰ περίεργα, in Act 19:19, signifying impertinent, superfluous, describes the magic (“curious”) practices prevalent in Ephesus. So in Polybius xviii.34. 2, Antiochus protests against the Romans “meddling” (πολυπραγμονεῖν) with affairs in Asia, οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτὸς περιεργάζεται τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἁπλῶς οὐδέν, “for he does not on his part interfere in the least with Italian politics.” In earlier Greek the verb meant to overdo things. For similar epigrams of St Paul, cf. 2Th 3:2 f. above (πίστις, πιστός), Rom 1:20, 1Co 7:31, 2Co 6:10, Php 3:2 f.; see also Heb 5:8.
This troublesome activity of the ἄτακτοι was probably connected with the agitation about the Parousia censured in 2Th 2:2. Having thrown up their proper work, the mischief-makers went about ventilating the latest sensational rumours on this subject, and thus disturbing the quiet of the Church and interrupting their diligent brethren.