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χειροποίητος

cheiropoíētos

G5499 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Produced or constructed by human hands; referring specifically to objects, structures, or things that are crafted, built, or fashioned by people rather than naturally occurring or divinely created. The term primarily identifies items as the result of human craft, often in implicit contrast to what is 'not made by hands' (divine or heavenly in origin). Depending on context, it may refer neutrally to manufactured things or, in polemical settings, to idols, temples, or physical artifacts distinguished from the divine or eternal.

Semantic Range

made by human hands, manufactured, artificial, constructed, man-made, handmade, man-crafted; (polemically) idols, temples or sanctuaries constructed by humans contrasted with the heavenly or divine

Root / Etymology

From χείρ (hand) + ποιητός (made, produced), itself the verbal adjective from ποιέω (to make, to do). The compositional structure emphasizes the agency of human hands in production.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, χειροποίητος is rare and mainly descriptive, used for any object manufactured by people. In the Septuagint and later Jewish-Greek literature, it acquires specific nuance: χειροποίητα frequently refers to idols or cult objects, emphasizing their human origin in contrast to the divine. In the New Testament (Mark 14:58; Acts 7:48; Hebrews 9:11, 9:24), it highlights the distinction between earthly, physical sanctuaries or things (created by people) and the heavenly or spiritual (not fashioned by human hands). English translations often render it as 'made with hands,' but this can obscure the polemical contrast present in Hellenistic and Second Temple contexts. The term may carry negative, neutral, or comparative implication depending on whether 'human' manufacture is being devalued or merely described. Unlike other adjectives for 'artificial' or 'crafted' (τεχνικός, ἀνθρώπινος), χειροποίητος specifically marks something as an object of human craft versus the divine or eternal.

Translation Consistency

primary "make" 3 occurrences

The lemma marks things as produced by human hands. Using the verb "make" provides a single, natural base that easily yields the common adjectival renderings (made, man-made, handmade, hand-made) and fits both neutral and polemical contexts (contrast with "not made by hands"). It is broad enough to cover the full SILEX range while remaining the most natural English choice.

Alternatives (3 occurrences):
"man-crafted" (1x) "handmade temples" (1x) "man-made things" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from χείρ and a derivative of ποιέω; manufactured, i.e. of human construction:--made by (make with) hands.

Root Family

χειροποίητος (cheiropoiētos) — hand, make, produce, craft, construct

Root χειρ-, ποιη- hand, make, do, produce, craft

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G5499-02 χειροποιήτοις cheiropoietois ADJ.S DAT M PL houses made by hands to the handmade ones handmade temples 2
G5499-04 χειροποιήτου cheiropoietou ADJ.S GEN F SG made by hands of a handmade thing of a thing made by hand 2
G5499-01 χειροποίητα cheiropoieta ADJ.S ACC N PL made with hands man-made things man-made things 1
G5499-03 χειροποίητον cheiropoieton ADJ.R ACC M SG made with hands man-crafted man-crafted 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G5499-03 Mark 14:58 χειροποίητον cheiropoieton ADJ.R ACC M SG made with hands man-crafted man-crafted
G5499-02 Acts 7:48 χειροποιήτοις cheiropoietois ADJ.S DAT M PL houses made by hands to the handmade ones to the ones made by hand
G5499-02 Acts 17:24 χειροποιήτοις cheiropoietois ADJ.A DAT M PL made by hands to the handmade ones handmade temples
G5499-04 Ephesians 2:11 χειροποιήτου cheiropoietou ADJ.S GEN F SG made by hands of a handmade thing of a thing made by hand
G5499-04 Hebrews 9:11 χειροποιήτου cheiropoietou ADJ.S GEN F SG made with hands of a handmade thing of a thing made by hand
G5499-01 Hebrews 9:24 χειροποίητα cheiropoieta ADJ.S ACC N PL made with hands man-made things man-made things
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