Lexical Summary cheiropoiétos: Made by hand, handmade Original Word: χειροποίητος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance make by handFrom cheir and a derivative of poieo; manufactured, i.e. Of human construction -- made by (make with) hands. see GREEK cheir see GREEK poieo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom cheir and poieó Definition made by hand NASB Translation human hands (1), made by human hands (1), made with hands (4), performed (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5499: χειροποίητοςχειροποίητος, χειροποίητον (χείρ and ποιέω), made by the hand i. e. the skill of man (see ἀχειροποίητος): of temples, Mark 14:58; Acts 7:48; Acts 17:24; Hebrews 9:11, 24; of circumcision, Ephesians 2:11. (In the Sept. of idols; of other things, occasionally in Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius, Diodorus.) Topical Lexicon Meaning and Basic Concept The term describes anything constructed, fashioned, or performed by human agency. In the New Testament it serves as a foil to what is wrought directly by God. When Scripture labels something “made by hands,” two ideas are immediately in view: the finitude and fallibility of human effort, and the contrasting perfection and permanence of divine workmanship. Old Testament Roots and Intertestamental Development The Hebrew prophets repeatedly mocked idols “the work of men’s hands” (for example, Isaiah 2:8; Psalm 115:4). This polemic sharpened Israel’s awareness that the living God could never be contained, replicated, or represented by human craft. Second Temple literature carried the theme forward, contrasting earthly shrines with the heavenly Temple. By the time of the New Testament, “made by hands” had become shorthand for the entire created order’s inability to mediate final salvation. Use in the Gospels Mark 14:58 records the charge leveled against Jesus: “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another not made by hands.’” The accusation distorts His Johannine claim concerning His body (John 2:19), yet it preserves a crucial truth: the ultimate temple is Christ Himself, not a structure erected by artisans. The resurrection vindicates that claim; the temple “not made by hands” rises on the third day. Use in Acts Stephen and Paul draw on the prophetic tradition to reorient worship away from physical sanctuaries: Both speeches appear in missionary contexts, underscoring that the gospel dismantles geographic and ethnic barriers. If God’s presence is not bound to edifices, then the good news is equally unbound, free to move to the ends of the earth. Pauline Application Ephesians 2:11 extends the contrast from architecture to ritual: “the so-called ‘circumcision’ which is performed in the flesh by human hands.” Physical circumcision, though God-ordained under the old covenant, is now insufficient to mark out the people of God. Union with Christ through faith produces a circumcision of the heart, performed by the Spirit, not by human hands (compare Colossians 2:11). Thus the apostle levels the field between Jew and Gentile and locates identity in Christ alone. Epistle to the Hebrews Hebrews crystallizes the heavenly-earthly contrast: Earthly tabernacles were God-given shadows, but their materiality signaled limitation. The priestly work of Jesus transcends those limitations, establishing direct access to God in the heavenly reality. Consequently, believers are summoned to “draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22). Theological and Ministry Significance 1. Supremacy of the New Covenant: Everything “made by hands” is provisional; fulfillment arrives in the person and work of Christ. Practical Implications for Worship and Mission • Congregational life centers on the presence of Christ rather than the architecture that houses it. Buildings serve mission; they do not define it. In every occurrence, Strong’s Greek 5499 functions as a theological signpost, directing readers away from human craftsmanship and toward the incomparable reality secured by the crucified and risen Savior. Forms and Transliterations χειροποιητα χειροποίητα χειροποιητοις χειροποιήτοις χειροποιητον χειροποίητον χειροποιητου χειροποιήτου cheiropoieta cheiropoiēta cheiropoíeta cheiropoíēta cheiropoietois cheiropoiētois cheiropoiḗtois cheiropoieton cheiropoiēton cheiropoíeton cheiropoíēton cheiropoietou cheiropoiētou cheiropoiḗtouLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Mark 14:58 Adj-AMSGRK: τοῦτον τὸν χειροποίητον καὶ διὰ NAS: temple made with hands, and in three KJV: temple that is made with hands, and INT: this the [one] made with hands and in Acts 7:48 Adj-DMP Acts 17:24 Adj-DMP Ephesians 2:11 Adj-GFS Hebrews 9:11 Adj-GFS Hebrews 9:24 Adj-ANP Strong's Greek 5499 |
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