Word Study for G2227 (ζωοποιέω)

zōopoiéō /dzo-op-oy-eh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom the same as ζῶον and ποιέω

Meaningto (re-)vitalize (literally or figuratively)

KJV usagemake alive, give life, quicken.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of zōopoiéō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word zōopoiéō, represented by G2227, means to (re-)vitalize, make alive, give life, or quicken. It appears 15 times across 11 unique verses in the Bible. The term is used both literally, in the context of raising the dead, and figuratively, to describe spiritual revitalization.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G2227 is primarily used to describe a divine action. God the Father is identified as he who quickeneth the dead Romans 4:17 and quickeneth all things 1 Timothy 6:13. This authority is shared with the Son, who also quickeneth whom he will John 5:21. The Holy Spirit is presented as the agent of this life-giving power, as "it is the spirit that quickeneth" John 6:63. This is contrasted with the "letter" which "killeth" 2 Corinthians 3:6. The concept extends to the resurrection, where Christ, the "last Adam," is a quickening spirit 1 Corinthians 15:45, and believers are promised that their mortal bodies will be quickened by the Spirit Romans 8:11.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning and application of giving life:

G1453 egeírō (to waken... rouse... raise...): This word is often used for the act of resurrection that precedes being quickened. He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies Romans 8:11.
G2198 záō (to live...): This describes the state of having life. The first Adam was made a living soul, whereas the last Adam became a quickening spirit 1 Corinthians 15:45.
G2222 zōḗ (life...): This is the noun for the vitality that G2227 imparts. The words Jesus speaks are spirit and they are life John 6:63.
G4151 pneûma (a current of air... a spirit...): The Spirit is the agent who performs the action of quickening. Christ was "quickened by the Spirit" 1 Peter 3:18.
G3498 nekrós (dead...): This describes the state upon which quickening acts. God is the one who quickeneth the dead Romans 4:17.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G2227 is significant, highlighting several core doctrines:

Divine Authority: The power to quicken belongs to God the Father and the Son, demonstrating their ultimate authority over life and death (John 5:21, 1 Timothy 6:13).
The Spirit's Role in Salvation: The Spirit is the active agent who gives life, contrasting with the law, which cannot (2 Corinthians 3:6, Galatians 3:21). It is the Spirit who will ultimately quicken the mortal bodies of believers Romans 8:11.
The Two Adams: The term is central to the contrast between the first Adam, who was made a "living soul," and Christ, the "last Adam," who is a "quickening spirit," able to impart life to others 1 Corinthians 15:45.
Resurrection Hope: The promise that "in Christ shall all be made alive" is a cornerstone of Christian hope, pointing to a future physical and spiritual revitalization 1 Corinthians 15:22.

Summary

In summary, G2227 is a powerful verb that conveys the divine act of imparting life. It moves beyond mere existence to signify a revitalization sourced in God himself. Whether describing the Father raising the dead, the Son granting life as he wills, or the Spirit revitalizing a believer, the word points to the foundational Christian belief that true life, both now and in the resurrection, is a direct gift from God.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 12 occurrences, inflected in 9 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Present Active Indicative 3rd Singular 3×
Present Active Participle Genitive Singular Masculine 2×
Aorist Active Infinitive 1×
Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Future Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Future Passive Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Active Participle Accusative Singular Neuter 1×
Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Neuter 1×
Present Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Neuter: Neuter grammatical gender.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 11 verses across 7 of the 27 books. Most frequent in 1 Corinthians (3 verses); never once in the other 20.

John

Romans

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Galatians

1 Timothy

1 Peter

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.