ζωοποιέω (zōopoieō)
zōopoieō
to make alive
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 10 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb zoopoieō means to make alive or give life. In the New Testament, it describes God’s power to restore life, whether physical or spiritual. Jesus uses it when speaking of His authority to raise the dead (John 5:21), and Paul applies it to the resurrection body (1 Corinthians 15:45). It is a strong word for divine action that brings vitality where there was none.
Its root combines “life” and “to make,” emphasizing the act of creation or restoration. The sources note its use in the Septuagint for God’s life-giving power (Psalm 70:20). In Scripture, it often appears in contexts of resurrection or spiritual renewal, such as Romans 8:11, where God’s Spirit gives life to mortal bodies. Translators typically render it “make alive” or “give life,” capturing its active, creative force.
This word highlights God’s role as the source of all life. It is not passive but dynamic, showing that true life comes from Him alone. The early church saw this as central to their hope in resurrection, trusting in His power to renew both body and spirit.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word zoopoieō describes a power that does not merely sustain life but creates it from nothing or restores it where death has taken hold. When Scripture speaks of God as the one who gives life, it points to an active, creative force that surpasses human ability. This is not a passive blessing but a dynamic intervention in our deepest needs.
In your own life, this truth offers profound comfort. Whether you face physical frailty or spiritual exhaustion, the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells within you. Romans 8:11 assures us that He will also give life to your mortal bodies. This promise anchors our hope in the resurrection, reminding us that no situation is beyond His power to renew.
Jesus Himself claimed this authority, stating that just as the Father raises the dead, so too does the Son give life to whom He desires (John 5:21). We do not generate our own vitality; we receive it from Him. This reliance on divine grace frees us from striving and invites us into the rest of trusting His life-giving word.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 10 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- gives life.2×
- will give life1×
- will be made alive.1×
- to impart life,1×
- life-giving.1×
- is giving life1×
- having been made alive1×
- giving life,1×
- gives life,1×
- does come to life1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ζῳοποιεῖ.2×
- ζῳοποιῆσαι,1×
- ζῳοποιήσει1×
- ζῳοποιοῦντος1×
- ζῳοποιοῦν.1×
- ζῳοποιοῦν,1×
- ζῳοποιηθήσονται.1×
- ζῳοποιηθεὶς1×
- ζῳοποιεῖται1×
- ζῳοποιεῖ,1×
Key Verses
-
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
This verse connects the resurrection of Jesus directly to the future renewal of our own mortal bodies through the indwelling Spirit.
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John 5:21
For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he desires.
Jesus establishes His divine authority by comparing His power to give life with the Father’s sovereign action over the dead.
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I Corinthians 15:45
So also it is written, “The first man Adam became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
Paul contrasts Adam, who became a living soul, with Christ, who is described as a life-giving spirit, highlighting the source of spiritual vitality.
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II Corinthians 3:6
who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
The author distinguishes between the letter that kills and the Spirit that gives life, emphasizing the new covenant's power over legalism.