ἀχειροποίητος
acheiropoiētos
not man-made
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word ἀχειροποίητος (acheiropoiētos) is defined as "not man-made." This term is used three times in the Bible, indicating its importance in conveying a specific concept. The meaning of ἀχειροποίητος is straightforward, emphasizing the origin of an object or image, suggesting that it was created without human intervention. The range of usage for ἀχειροποίητος is limited to three instances in the Bible, which implies that it was a significant concept for the authors or translators. Its usage in these contexts may indicate that the writers were highlighting the divine or supernatural origin of certain objects or images, setting them apart from human creations. The significance of ἀχειροποίητος lies in its ability to convey a sense of the divine or supernatural. By emphasizing the non-human origin of an object or image, it underscores the idea that some things are beyond human control or creation, and are instead the result of a higher power or agency.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences across the text
“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’ ”
2 Corinthians 5:1For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.
Colossians 2:11In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ,