Perikopit

Perikopit are self-contained passages from a larger text, most commonly from the Bible, that are intended to be read aloud as a unit in worship, study, or preaching. The term is derived from Greek perikopē, meaning a section cut off or a segment. In many languages, including Finnish, the plural form perikopit is used to refer to these scriptural units.

In Christian practice, perikopit form the basis of lectionaries and reading cycles used in worship services. Readings are grouped into pericopes to create manageable, thematically coherent units that can be assigned to Sundays, weekdays, and feast days. Lectionaries may follow an annual, triennial, or other cycle, and some traditions emphasize continuous narrative readings while others emphasize thematic selections.

The boundaries and content of perikopit can vary between Bible editions and liturgical calendars. This can lead to differences in where a passage begins and ends, even when the underlying text is the same. Some pericopes are widely employed across traditions, while others are unique to particular communities. Notable examples include parables, miracles, and key teaching passages such as the Sermon on the Mount or the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which are often treated as separate pericopes in readings.

In textual criticism, the concept of perikopē also appears in discussions of how passages are divided, transmitted, and annotated. Some well-known textual variants affect pericopes, such as the Pericope Adulterae in John 7:53–8:11, which is often noted for its debated authenticity.

Overall, perikopit function as standardized, portable reading units that facilitate liturgical circulation, preaching, and study within Christian communities.