Abarim Publications' online Biblical Greek Dictionary

ποιεω

• Together with the noun ειρηνη (eirene), meaning peace: the verb ειρηνοποιεω (eirenopoieo), meaning to peace-make. Making peace can of course be done in all sorts of ways, but the peace meant here describes a situation in which all parties can exist without being clipped of essential elements (read our article on the familiar Hebrew word שלם, shalom, for a closer look at this majestic but difficult principle). Our Greek word occurs in the New Testament only in Colossians 1:20, but from it derives:
  • The adjective ειρηνοποιος (eirenopoios), meaning peace-maker (and that is not a compromise-maker or "the guy with the bigger gun"). Our word is used only once, as a substantive, in the famous statement of Jesus that the peacemakers shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9).
• Together with the adjective ζωος (zoos), meaning living or alive: the verb ζωοποιεω (zoopoieo), meaning to make alive. This verb is used most often in reference to the resurrection as a general principle and occurs 12 times in the New Testament; see full concordance. From it derives:
  • Together with the preposition συν (sun), meaning together or with: the verb συζοοποιεω (suzoopoieo), meaning to make alive with. This amazing verb occurs only twice in the New Testament, namely in Ephesians 2:5 and Colossians 2:13.
• Together with the adjective κακος (kakos), meaning bad or wicked: the adjective κακοποιος (kakopoios), literally to mis-give or to cause misgivings, meaning trouble-making in the sense of disrupting society and causing the opposite of a happy, healthy and wealthy world. In the New Testament this word is only used as a substantive, meaning trouble-maker, but it should be noted that in the Roman world, trouble-making was considered both an act of treason as well as blasphemy against the state deities, and would be punished by mass-crucifixion of everybody involved. Traditional translations interpret this word as "evildoer", but the evil came from the Roman retaliation rather than the act itself. Our word is used 5 times, see full concordance, and from it derives:
  • The verb κακοποιεω (kakopoieo), meaning to make trouble or to disrupt society. It's the opposite of αγαθοποιεω (agathopoieo), meaning to do good or be useful, and both these words are used in conjunction in Mark 3:4 and Luke 6:9. Our verb κακοποιεω (kakopoieo) occurs 4 times; see full concordance.
• Together with the adjective καλος (kalos), mean good or rather godly: the verb καλοποιεω (kalopoieo), meaning to do good (2 Thessalonians 3:13 only).
• Together with the noun μοσχος (moschos), meaning calf: the curious verb μοσχοποιεω (moschopoieo), meaning to calf-make. It's used in Acts 7:41 only, where it describes Israel's fabrication of the golden calf.
• Together with the noun οχλος (ochlos), meaning crowd: the verb οχλοποιεω (ochlopoieo), meaning to crowd-make; to raise a crowd (Acts 17:5 only).
• Together with the preposition περι (peri), meaning around or about: the curious verb περιποιεω (peripoieo), which appears to express an agricultural process, namely to enclose; the establishing of a circumference around something that one considers property (predominantly a herd, one would surmise). It means to pocket, purchase or acquire in the sense that one makes the enclosed items his own. This verb occurs in Acts 20:28 and 1 Timothy 3:13 only. From it comes:
  • The noun περιποιησις (peripoiesis), which describes whatever it was one built his fence around; an acquisition or purchase. This noun occurs 5 times in the New Testament, and is exclusively applied to the "pocketing" of the members of the Body of Christ; see full concordance.
• The noun ποιημα (poiema), which denotes a thing made, done or brought about; a production (Romans 1:20 and Ephesians 2:10 only).
• The noun ποιησις (poiesis), which denotes the act of making or doing. This word appears only in James 1:25, along with the next word: the "doer" of the work is blessed in the "doing" of it.
• The noun ποιητης (poietes), which denotes a maker or doer. In the New Testament this word is most often used generally (as a "doer/maker" of whatever) but once it obviously describes a producer of the literary persuasion: a composer/writer (Acts 17:28). Our noun occurs 6 times: see full concordance.
• Together with the prefix προς (pros), which describes a motion toward: the verb προσποιεομαι (prospoieomai), quite literally meaning to make-believe or to pretend (German: vorgeben). This verb occurs in Luke 24:28 and John 8:6 only, and both times it Jesus who's making a deliberate show of things. John 8:6 finishes with our verb preceded by a negation, which the King James Version interpreted as "as though he heard them not," but perhaps this statement rather explains how Jesus refused to let them on, or in on, what he was up to.
• Together with the noun σκηνη (skene), meaning shelter: the noun σκηνοποιος (skenopoios), meaning shelter-maker. It occurs only in Acts 18:3, where it is applied to Aquila, Priscilla and Paul.
• Together with the noun χειρ (cheir), meaning hand: the adjective χειροποιητος (cheiropoietos), meaning made by hands, manufactured (from the Latin word manus, meaning hand, and facere, to perform). This noun occurs 6 times, see full concordance, and from it derives:
  • Together with the particle of negation α (a): the noun αχειροποιητος (acheiropoietos), which denotes something that's not made by hands; something natural. It occurs only three times in the New Testament; twice it refers to the Body of Christ (Mark 14:58, 2 Corinthians 5:1) and once to the "circumcision" of/in Christ (Colossians 2:11, also see our article on the verb περιτεμνω, peritemno, to circumcise).