ἀχειροποίητος (acheiropoiētos)
acheiropoiētos
not man-made
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek adjective acheiropoiētos literally means "not made by hands." It combines a negative prefix with words for "hand" and "to make," creating a term that distinguishes divine or spiritual origins from human craftsmanship. In the New Testament, this word appears only three times, each instance highlighting something created directly by God rather than through human effort.
In Mark 14:58, false witnesses accuse Jesus of claiming he would destroy the temple and rebuild one "not made with hands." This phrase points to a new form of worship that transcends physical structures. Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 5:1, Paul describes our heavenly dwelling as an eternal house "not made with hands," contrasting it with the temporary nature of the human body.
The term also appears metaphorically in Colossians 2:11, where Paul speaks of a spiritual circumcision "not made with hands." Here, the word shifts from physical construction to inner transformation. Christians understand this as a work of God that changes the heart, removing the power of sin without any human ritual or effort.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word acheiropoiētos reminds us that God’s work often operates outside our usual methods. When false witnesses accused Jesus of promising a temple “not made with hands,” they missed the point: He was pointing to a new way of connecting with God, one not limited by stone or location. This shifts our focus from physical buildings to the living presence of Christ among us.
Paul uses this same idea in 2 Corinthians to describe our future heavenly home as an eternal dwelling “not made with hands.” This offers comfort when we feel fragile or temporary. Our current bodies are like tents, but God has prepared a permanent place for us that requires no human construction. It is a gift of grace, not a result of our labor.
In Colossians, Paul applies this concept to spiritual transformation. He speaks of a circumcision “not made with hands,” meaning the inner change God brings to our hearts. This work removes the power of sin without any ritual effort on our part. It is a reminder that true renewal comes from God alone, shaping us into who we were meant to be.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- not made with hands2×
- made without hands1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀχειροποίητον2×
- ἀχειροποιήτῳ1×
Key Verses
-
Mark 14:58
“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.’”
This verse highlights Jesus’ claim to establish a worship community that transcends physical structures, showing the word’s use for divine institutions.
-
II Corinthians 5:1
For 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.
Paul contrasts our temporary earthly bodies with an eternal heavenly dwelling created directly by God, emphasizing the word’s association with permanence and divine origin.
-
Colossians 2:11
In 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,
Here the term describes a spiritual transformation of the heart performed by God, distinguishing it from physical rituals like traditional circumcision.