"Make" is a frequently used word, meaning "to create," "construct," "cause," "constitute," etc., and represents different Hebrew words. It is very often in the King James Version (1) the translation of `asah, "to do," "make," etc., usually' in the sense of constructing, effecting. In Genesis 1:7,16,25,31, etc., it is used of the creation; of the creation of man in the likeness of God (Genesis 5:1); of the ark (Genesis 6:14); of a feast (Genesis 21:8); of the tabernacle and all the things belonging to it (Exodus 25:8, etc.); of idols (Isaiah 2:8; Jeremiah 2:28, etc.); (2) of nathan (literally, "to give"), chiefly in the sense of constituting, appointing, causing; of a covenant (Genesis 9:12; 17:2); of Abraham as the father of many nations, etc. (Genesis 17:5-6); of Ishmael as a great nation (Genesis 17:20); of Moses as a god to Pharaoh (Exodus 7:1); of judges and officers (Deuteronomy 16:18); of laws (Leviticus 26:46, etc.); it has the meaning of "to cause" (Exodus 18:16; 23:27; Numbers 5:21; 1 Samuel 9:22; Psalms 106:46); (3) sum, "to set," "put," "lay," has a similar significance: of Abraham's seed (Genesis 13:16; 32:12); Joseph lord of all Egypt (Genesis 45:9; compare Exodus 2:14; Deuteronomy 1:13; 10:22); (4) shith, with same meaning, occurs (2 Samuel 22:12, "He made darkness pavilions round about him"; 1 Kings 11:34; Psalms 18:11; 21:6). Other words are `abhadh (Aramaic); "to make," "do," (Jeremiah 10:11; Daniel 3:1); `amadh, "to set up" (2 Chronicles 11:22; 25:5; Nehemiah 10:32); `atsabh, "to labor," etc. (Job 10:8, the King James Version margin "took pains about me"); banah, "to build up" (Genesis 2:22; 1 Kings 22:39); bara', "to prepare," "create" (Numbers 16:30; Psalms 89:47); yatsagh, "to set up" (Job 17:6; Jeremiah 51:34); yatsar, "to form," "constitute" (Psalms 74:17; 104:26); pa`al, "to work," "make" (Exodus 15:17; Psalms 7:15); words with special meanings are: paqadh, "to give a charge" (1 Kings 11:28; 2 Kings 25:23); karath, "to cut," or "prepare", "to make a convent or league" (Genesis 15:18; Exodus 24:8; Joshua 9:16); qashar, "to bind together," "to make a conspiracy" (2 Kings 12:20; 14:19); parats, "to break forth," "to make a breach" (2 Samuel 6:8; 1 Chronicles 13:11; 15:13); labhen, "to make brick" (Genesis 11:3); labhabh (denominative of lebhibhah), "to make cakes" (2 Samuel 13:6,8); malakh, "to make a king" (1 Samuel 8:22; 12:1); among obsolete and archaic words and phrases may be mentioned, "What makest thou in this place?" (Judges 18:3), the Revised Version (British and American) "doest"; "made" for "pretend" (2 Samuel 13:5-6), the Revised Version (British and American) "feign," "feigned"; "made as if" (Joshua 8:15; 9:4), so the Revised Version (British and American); "make for him" (Ezekiel 17:17), the Revised Version (British and American) "help him"; "make mention" (Jeremiah 4:16); "make mention of" (Genesis 40:14; Psalms 87:4); "make account" (Psalms 144:3); "make an end" (Judges 3:18; 15:17); "make an end" is also "to bring to nought," "to destroy" (Isaiah 38:12); "make riddance" (Leviticus 23:22), the Revised Version (British and American) "wholly reap." In 1 Macc 16:22, we have "to make him away" as translation of apolesai auton, the Revised Version (British and American) "destroy."

Maker is the translation of `asah (Job 4:17; Psalms 95:6), of yatsar (Isaiah 45:9,11; Habakkuk 2:18 twice), of charash, "graver" (Isaiah 45:16), of pa`al (Job 36:3; Isaiah 1:31, or po`al).

2. As Used in the New Testament:

In the New Testament the chief word for "make" is poieo, "to do," "make," etc. (Matthew 3:3; John 2:16; 5:15); of kathistemi, "to set down," "to appoint" (Matthew 24:45,47; Romans 5:19); of tithemi, "to set," "lay" (Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36); of diatithemi, "to set or lay throughout" (Acts 3:25; Hebrews 8:10; 10:16); of didomi, "to give" (2 Thessalonians 3:9; Revelation 3:9); of eimi, "to be" (Mark 12:42); of epiteleo "to complete" (Hebrews 8:5; Galatians 3:3, "make perfect," the Revised Version margin "make an end"); of Kataskeuazo, "to prepare thoroughly" (Hebrews 9:2, the Revised Version (British and American) "prepared"); of ktizo, "to make" "found" (Ephesians 2:15); of plerophoreo, "to bear "on fully" (2 Timothy 4:5, "make full proof of thy ministry," the Revised Version (British and American) "fulfil"); doxazo "to make honorable or glorious" (2 Corinthians 3:10); of peritrepo (eis manian), "to turn round to raving" (Acts 26:24, "doth make thee mad," the Revised Version (British and American) "is turning thee mad," margin "Greek: turneth thee to madness"); of emporeuomai, "to traffic," "cheat" (2 Peter 2:3 "make merchandise of you"); of eirenopoieo, "to make peace" (Colossians 1:20); of sumballo, "to throw together" (Luke 14:31; "to make war," the Revised Version (British and American) "goeth to encounter"); "made" is frequently the translation of ginomai, "to become," "begin to be" (Matthew 4:3; 9:16; Mark 2:21,27; John 1:3 (thrice),10, "The world was made through him," 1:14, "The word was made flesh," the Revised Version (British and American) "became flesh"; 2:9, water "made wine," the Revised Version (British and American) "now become wine," margin "that it had become"; 8:33, "made free"' Romans 1:3, Revised Vesion "born" Galatians 3:13, the Revised Version (British and American) "having become a curse for us"; Galatians 4:4, the Revised Version (British and American) "born of a woman," etc.; Philippians 2:7, "was made in the likeness of men," the Revised Version margin "Greek: becoming in"; 1 Peter 2:7, etc.).

In addition to the changes in the Revised Version (British and American) already noted may be mentioned, for "maketh collops" (Job 15:27) "gathered fat"; for "set us in the way of his steps" (Psalms 85:13), "make his footsteps a way to walk in"; for "did more grievously afflict her" (Isaiah 9:1), "hath made it glorious"; for "shall make him of quick understanding" (Isaiah 11:3), 'his delight shall be in"; for "make sluices and ponds for fish" (Isaiah 19:10), "they that work for hire," margin "or make dams "; for "ye that make mention of the Lord" (Isaiah 62:6), "ye that are Yahweh's remembrancers"; for "he shall confirm the covenant" (Daniel 9:27), "he shall make a firm covenant"; for "maketh my way perfect" (2 Samuel 22:33), "guideth the perfect in his way" (see margin); for "the desire of a man is his kindness" (Proverbs 19:22), "that which maketh a man to be desired"; for, "maketh intercession" (Romans 11:2), "pleadeth"; for hath made us accepted" (Ephesians 1:6), "freely bestowed on us," margin "wherewith he endued us";. for "made himself of no reputation" (Philippians 2:7), "emptied himself"; for "spoil you" (Colossians 2:8), "maketh spoil of you"; for "is the enemy of God" (James 4:4), "maketh himself"; for "worketh abomination or (maketh) a lie" (Revelation 21:27), "maketh (m" doeth") an abomination and a lie"; we have "become" for "made" (Matthew 4:3; Luke 3:5; 4:3), "became" (Romans 10:20; 1 Corinthians 15:45, bis); "becoming in" for "being made" (Philippians 2:7 margin).

W. L. Walker

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

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