What is a Busybody? 2 Thessalonians 3:11

Question

In 2 Thessalonians 3:11 Paul condemns "busybodies," (Greek περιεργαζομένους, periergazomenous). What is the meaning of this?

In cross referencing this with the New Korean Revised Version (NKRV), I find words which can be translated as saying "they who only make (create) work."¹ This seemingly refers to those who create work to do, but do no work themselves. How accurately does this latter phrase interpret the Greek term often translated into English as 'busybodies'?

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_{¹ The specific phrase is "일을 만들기만 하는 자들".}

Answer 1

What is a Busybody? 2 Thessalonians 3:11

When Paul says, “We hear,” his use of the present tense implies that this is an ongoing problem that the church needed to address. In his presentation of the problem, he uses three present participles, which further illustrates the problem as being perspicuous.

What the apostles had heard was that certain believers were—

(1) “leading an undisciplined life,” 
(2) “doing no work at all,” and 
(3) “acting like busybodies.” 

The first clause repeats the charge which originated in v. 6.

The next two clauses detail this improper method of living by certain people in the church.

“...not busy working; just busybodies” (CJB)

These people, who should be productive members of the local church, are instead hampering the work of the church as a whole. Doubtless their own assessment of their lives would have been one of rigorous support of and for the work of the church, the assessment of those who were actually doing that work was quite different.

This, then, becomes a watch-point for all believers. Are we putting our noses into places where they do not belong? Are we meddling into the affairs of others where we have neither place nor right to be? Are we helping to advance the work of the gospel, or are we hampering it be actions or our lack of action?

Answer 2

περιεργάζομαι means “take more pains than enough about a thing, waste one's labour on it”.

As far as I can see, the English word “busybody” was actually coined by Tyndale to translate “curiose agentes” here in 1 Thes. 3,11, and also “alienorum appetitor” in 1 Pet. 4,15. The oldest reference for “busybody” in the OED is in any case to Tyndale’s Bible.