the Week of Proper 25 / Ordinary 30
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Bible Dictionaries
Builder, Maker, Artificer
Morrish Bible Dictionary
or The two words to be considered are τεκνίτης and δημιουργός, and principally in their signification in Hebrews 11:10 , where of Abraham it is said "he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." The words 'builder' and 'maker' are somewhat indefinite as applied to a city.
The word δημιουργός, 'a worker for the people,' hence 'a skilled workman,' (from δῆμος, 'a people,' and ἔργον, 'work') translated 'maker,' does not occur again in the N.T. nor is it found in the LXX except in 2 Maccabees 4:1 , where it is used symbolically for a 'worker' of evil. Outside of scripture it has been used for the 'Maker of the world,' and of almost everything else. We never speak of making a city: builder or constructor gives the true sense.
τεκνίτης(from τέχνη, 'art') translated 'builder,' occurs also in Acts 19:24,38 , for the 'artificers' (craftsmen, A.V.) who made the silver shrines of the temple at Ephesus; and in Revelation 18:22 , alluding to no artificer of any art being found in spiritual Babylon. This seems to give the key to the signification of τεκνίτης in Hebrews 11:10; the arts would embrace the planning of a city, descending to the bricklayers and masons, who also have to learn the art of their several employments.
The same word is used by the LXX in 1 Chronicles 22:15; 1 Chronicles 29:5 , for the artificers who worked with the masons in building the temple. Our word 'artificer' is now commonly confined in its application to workmen, but its meaning is 'one who uses art,' quite agreeing with the signification of τεκνίτης, 'one who does or handles a thing by the rules of art' (Liddell and Scott), which applies as much to the higher branches of the arts as to the lower. Delitzsch explains τεκνίτης as 'having laid down its plan;' and δημιουργός as 'having framed it accordingly,' that is, the city. Bengel has 'contriver and founder;' Alford, 'architect and master-builder'; J. N. Darby, 'artificer and constructor.'
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Morrish, George. Entry for 'Builder, Maker, Artificer'. Morrish Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/mbd/b/builder-maker-artificer.html. 1897.
