Greek word · G1217

δημιουργός

dēmiourgos

builder

Literally 'one who works for the people': a public worker or craftsman, and so a maker, builder or constructor. In philosophy it was the Maker of the cosmos.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

δημιουργός, -οῦ, ὑ

(δῆμος, ἔργον), [in LXX: 2Ma.4:1 * ;]

1. one who works for the people.

2. Univ., an author, builder, maker; the maker of the world (Xen., Mem., I, 4, 9, al.), Hebrews 11:10.†

SYN.: κτίστης, creator, τεχνίτης, craftsman, designer. In He, l.with, τ. has reference to the plan, δ. to its execution. (AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Hebrews 11:10

Range of meaning

Literally 'one who works for the people': a public worker or craftsman, and so a maker, builder or constructor. In philosophy it was the Maker of the cosmos.

Against the English

Translations use 'builder' (BSB, NIV, ESV, NASB), 'maker' (KJV, WEB) or 'constructor' (YLT). None of them is wrong.

How it drifted

The English word 'demiurge' now carries later Gnostic ideas of an inferior or evil world-maker. That meaning does not belong here and came centuries after Hebrews.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used only here in the New Testament. In the LXX it appears only at 2 Macc 4:1 ('the author of evils'). Plato's Timaeus (28–29) calls the cosmic craftsman ho dēmiourgos. Hellenistic Jews used the word freely for the God of Israel. Philo uses it often, and Josephus (Ant. 1.155) says Abraham was the first to declare that God, the one Maker (dēmiourgos) of all things, is one. Early Christian writers continued this use, for example 1 Clement 20:11, 26:1, 33:2.

Where it appears

Hebrews · 1

  1. Hebrews 11:10 δημιουργὸς builder [is]

    For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

    Here: Used only here in the New Testament. It means the one who actually produces the work. Greek-speaking Jews (Philo, Josephus) used it for God as Maker of the universe, so it carries the weight of creation.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.