κτίζω (ktizō)
ktizō
to create
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 13 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb ktizō means to create, but its specific force comes from the idea of making something habitable or giving it a purpose. In classical Greek, it often described founding a city or settling a region with people. The New Testament retains this sense when referring to God as the one who established the world (Mark 13:19; Revelation 4:11), but it applies the word more frequently to human beings and communities.
Paul uses ktizō most often to describe spiritual renewal rather than physical formation. He speaks of believers being "created anew" in Christ (Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 3:10) or as a "new creation" (Ephesians 4:24). This usage highlights that God is not just making us, but shaping us into a specific kind of people. The word connects the physical act of creation with the moral work of transformation.
Its root likely relates to ownership or establishment, suggesting that the Creator has a right and purpose for what He makes. By using this term for believers, Scripture emphasizes that our identity is defined by God’s intentional design. We are not accidents; we are established beings with a clear origin and direction in Him.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word ktizō carries a sense of intentional establishment. It is not merely about bringing something into existence, but about giving it a home and a purpose. When Scripture speaks of God creating, it often highlights that He designs spaces and people for specific roles. This perspective shifts our view of creation from a distant event to an ongoing reality where every part has meaning.
In your life, this means you are not an accident. You have been shaped with intentionality. The New Testament applies this same word to spiritual renewal, suggesting that God is actively forming you into a new kind of person. This process involves being made whole in Christ, ready to walk in the good works He prepared for you. Your identity is rooted in His deliberate design.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 13 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- created5×
- having created2×
- having been created2×
- were created.1×
- were created1×
- was created1×
- having created [it],1×
- have been created,1×
- He may create1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἔκτισεν3×
- ἐκτίσθη2×
- ἔκτισται,1×
- ἔκτισας1×
- ἐκτίσθησαν.¶1×
- κτίσῃ1×
- κτίσας1×
- κτίσαντος1×
- κτίσαντι1×
- κτίσαντα,1×
- κτισθέντες1×
- κτισθέντα1×
Key Verses
-
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
This verse defines believers as God's workmanship, created specifically for good works He prepared in advance.
-
Ephesians 4:24
and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.
Here the word describes putting on a new nature that reflects God's righteousness and truth.
-
Colossians 3:10
and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator,
The text links being created to being renewed in knowledge after the image of the Creator.