To make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct)
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through theConnect page. Screenshots are helpful.
G4160 is a broad verb for doing, making, producing, causing, preparing, practicing, performing, or carrying something out. The selected artifact records 568 forms, while the governed BSB table has 567 direct tokens across 513 verses and 26 books.
Reader summary
Full entry for ποιέω (G4160) · Open the biblical lexicon
G4160 is a broad verb for doing, making, producing, causing, preparing, practicing, performing, or carrying something out. The selected artifact records 568 forms, while the governed BSB table has 567 direct tokens across 513 verses and 26 books.
The BSB source-word alignment has 567 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include do (48), to do (23), make (15), does (14), vvv (14).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 1:24. Its strongest book concentrations include John (110), Luke (88), Matthew (86), Acts (68).
This entry includes 8 verse guides that explain exact original-language forms in context.
G4160 is a broad verb for doing, making, producing, causing, preparing, practicing, performing, or carrying something out. The selected artifact records 568 forms, while the governed BSB table has 567 direct tokens across 513 verses and 26 books. Its objects and constructions range from God's creative and saving acts to human work, speech, worship, habits, plans, gifts, signs, harm, justice, and ordinary tasks. No single moral or theological sense belongs to every occurrence.
Scripture uses the verb for God making creation, accomplishing his purpose, making peace, providing a way through temptation, and making all things new. It also describes Jesus doing the Father's work and believers hearing and doing Jesus' words. These passages ground obedience in God's prior action and grace. The verb by itself cannot prove salvation by works, turn human productivity into worth, or make a leader's commands equal to God's will. Conversely, grace does not reduce commanded action to intention or speech without practice.
The same verb can describe generosity, ritual, work, sexual wrongdoing, hypocrisy, violence, political action, deceptive signs, and care for vulnerable people. Interpretation must identify the agent, object, beneficiaries, and evaluation in each passage. Doing language must not be used to coerce labor, demand unsafe obedience, shame disability or limited capacity, excuse perfectionism, hide abuse, or bypass repentance, restitution, reporting, and accountability. Faithful action serves truth, love, justice, worship, and the neighbor under Christ.
Hundreds of governed forms cover making, doing, producing, preparing, practicing, causing, performing, and carrying out actions by God, Christ, individuals, communities, rulers, and hostile powers.
Hears these words of Mine and acts on them
Hearing becomes embodied practice, and the tested foundation reveals the importance of Jesus' teaching.
Whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God
Paul places ordinary eating and drinking within a larger argument about conscience, idolatry, neighbor-love, and God's glory.
Created in Christ Jesus to do good works
Good works follow salvation by grace as God's prepared purpose; they are not its meritorious cause.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Greek word. Creates or performs action; πράσσω (prássō) denotes habitual practice versus specific deed.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 576 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseI do, make
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
How this verb appears across 552 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 568 lexical occurrence verses.
ποιέω is from an obsolete root - no further derivation.
Emphasizes active obedience as evidence of belonging.
Expresses active obedience as evidence of faith.Luke 8:19–21
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
G4160 gives New Testament action language extraordinary breadth. God makes, provides, accomplishes, and renews. Jesus carries out the Father's work. People create objects, prepare meals, practice conduct, perform signs, give resources, keep commands, harm neighbors, and complete ordinary tasks. That breadth prevents a bare doing verb from proving a theology.
Ephesians places good works after salvation by grace and names them as God's prepared path. Jesus insists that hearing should become practice, while other passages expose public religious acts performed for display. Faithful teaching receives action as grace-enabled obedience without turning output into salvation, identity, leadership legitimacy, or a measure used to shame those with illness, disability, trauma, poverty, or limited capacity.
Matt.7.24
The governed BSB table has 567 direct tokens under eighty-three morphology labels, while the selected artifact groups 568 forms across six moods, three voices, and six tenses. Aorist active indicative third singular and the aorist active infinitive are the two largest direct BSB labels. The one-form count difference remains a labeled pipeline discrepancy. Syntax and complements, not morphology alone, select among making, doing, causing, preparing, practicing, and performing.
New Testament creation and obedience language stands within Israel's Scriptures, where God makes heaven and earth and covenant faith becomes enacted loyalty. Specific connections should follow citations and narrative arguments rather than assume that every occurrence activates the same Hebrew background.