Greek word · G2140

εὐποιΐα

eupoiia

doing good

Doing good, beneficence, a kind deed. Built from eu ('well') + poieō ('do, make'). It means active, practical help, the kind of good a benefactor does for others, rather than a general quality of being nice.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 22, 2026

What it means

εὐ-ποιία (Rec. -ιΐα), -ας, ἡ

1. beneficence, doing good: Hebrews 13:16.

2. a benefit (FlJ, Ant., ii, ll, 2, al.).†

(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 13:16

Range of meaning: Doing good, beneficence, a kind deed. Built from eu ('well') + poieō ('do, make'). It means active, practical help, the kind of good a benefactor does for others, rather than a general quality of being nice.
Against the English: 'To do good' (BSB, KJV, NIV, ESV) is accurate. What it can lose is the concrete, outward-facing feel of the noun: help that is actually given, not just moral goodness in general.
Used elsewhere in the period: It appears only here in the New Testament. BDAG lists it in Hellenistic writers (e.g. Epictetus, Lucian), in Josephus, and in honorary inscriptions that praised benefactors for their good deeds toward a city. The related verb eupoieō appears in the Greek Old Testament (e.g. Sirach 12:1–5, about whom to do good to).

Where it appears

Hebrews · 1

Hebrews 13:16 εὐποιΐας the good

And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Here: Active kindness and practical help. The word appears only here in the New Testament. In wider Greek it often described what a benefactor did for others. Placed first in the sentence for emphasis.

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