Lexicon
ζωοποιέω
zōopoieō
G2227
G:V Greek

to make alive

11
Occurrences
6
Books
Greek
Language

zoopoieo describes giving life, especially in clauses about the dead, mortal bodies, and life-giving Spirit.

The verb most often occurs where life is given in relation to death, the dead, or mortal bodies. It also describes a life-giving agent or capacity, especially the Spirit, while Galatians 3:21 poses that capacity hypothetically for a law.

Senses in use

  1. Giving life in relation to death · dominant

    In John 5:21, the present active form stands alongside the Father raising the dead, and the APB renders the clause “the Son gives life to whom he wills.” Future forms in 1 Corinthians 15:22 and Romans 8:11 concern those who “will be made alive” and mortal bodies to which life will be given; Romans 4:17 likewise describes God in relation to “the dead.”

  2. Life-giving capacity or agency · common

    Present active participles identify what is life-giving in 1 Corinthians 15:45 and John 6:63; the APB calls the last Adam “a life-giving spirit” and says, “The spirit is what makes alive.” In 2 Corinthians 3:6, the present active verb contrasts the letter that kills with the Spirit that “gives life,” while Galatians 3:21 asks whether a law could “impart life.”

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across these verses, the APB uses “made alive,” “gives life,” “life-giving,” “makes alive,” and “impart life.” These are renderings of whole clauses in a translation and do not by themselves establish separate word-level meanings.

Passages featuring this word

Across Scripture