# H6213 - asah **Strong's:** [H6213](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h6213/) · BLB lookup **Pronunciation:** aw-saw' **Part of speech:** verb **OT occurrences:** ~2632 (one of the most-used verbs in the Hebrew Bible) **Greek equivalent (LXX):** *poieō* (G4160), overwhelmingly ## Semantic range 1. **To make, fashion, produce**, the constructive sense 2. **To do, perform, accomplish**, the action sense 3. **To work, labor** in some contexts 4. **To prepare, arrange** in some contexts 5. **To deal / treat** (with someone) in idiomatic uses 6. **To execute / carry out** (commands, judgments) The verb's range is **vast**, it can describe nearly any kind of *making* or *doing*, divine or human. ## Theological force ### *Asah* and *bara*, paired creation verbs [Genesis 1](/codex/genesis-1/) uses two main verbs for creation: - ***bara*** ([H1254 - bara](/codex/h1254-bara/)), "to create", used only of God; emphasizes the *initiation of new being / divine-only act* - ***asah***, "to make / fashion / produce", used of both God and humans; emphasizes *the act of fashioning* Both verbs appear in [Genesis 1](/codex/genesis-1/)-2: - [Genesis 1:1](/codex/genesis-1-1/), God *bara* the heavens and the earth - [Genesis 1:7](/codex/genesis-1-7/), [16](/codex/genesis-1-16/), [25](/codex/genesis-1-25/), [26](/codex/genesis-1-26/), [31](/codex/genesis-1-31/); 2:2, 3, 4, 18, God *asah* the firmament, lights, animals, man - [Genesis 1:31](/codex/genesis-1-31/), "God saw all that He had *asah*-made" The pattern: *bara* signals creation-from-nothing / new-being-initiation; *asah* signals shaping / forming / producing. Together they describe the comprehensive creative act. The relationship is: - *bara* = the new-being aspect (only God) - *asah* = the fashioning aspect (God or humans) ### *Asah* of God's mighty deeds YHWH's *asah* describes His mighty acts in history: - **[Exodus 15:6](/codex/exodus-15-6/)**, "Your right hand, O LORD, shatters (literally *asah*-does) the enemy" - **[Deuteronomy 4:32-39](/codex/deuteronomy-4-32-39/); 11:3-7**, "*asah*-deeds" of God recounted - **[Psalm 86:10](/codex/psalms-86-10/); 98:1**, "wonderful things You have *asah*" - **[Psalm 105:5](/codex/psalms-105-5/); 106:21-22**, God's *asah* in Egypt - **[Psalm 111:2-7](/codex/psalms-111-2-7/)**, "great are the *ma'asei* (works) of the LORD" - **[Psalm 118:23-24](/codex/psalms-118-23-24/)**, "this is the LORD's *asah*-doing; it is marvelous in our eyes" - **[Psalm 139:14](/codex/psalms-139-14/)**, "*niph'la'im ma'aseikha*", "wonderful are Your works" The pattern: God's deeds-in-history are constantly remembered, recounted, celebrated. *Asah* of God = mighty saving / creating / judging acts. ### *Asah* in human moral context The verb is heavily used for human moral / ethical action: - "*Asah* good" / "*asah* evil", the moral binary - "*Asah* what is right in the LORD's sight", a recurrent OT-historical formula ([Deut 6:18](/codex/deuteronomy-6-18/); [1 Kgs 11:33](/codex/1-kings-11-33/); etc.) - "*Asah* covenant" / "*asah* sacrifice", covenantal-cultic actions - "*Asah* justice", [Genesis 18:19](/codex/genesis-18-19/), [25](/codex/genesis-18-25/); [Micah 6:8](/codex/micah-6-8/) The pattern: human action is morally accountable; *asah* operates within the framework of covenant and ethical evaluation. ### *Asah* and Christology In NT *poieō* uses: - [John 5:17](/codex/john-5-17/), "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working", Christ's *poieō* parallels Father's - [John 5:19](/codex/john-5-19/), "the Son… does only what He sees the Father *poiounta*" - [John 14:10-12](/codex/john-14-10-12/), Christ's works (*erga*) are the Father's - [Acts 2:22](/codex/acts-2-22/), "Jesus the Nazarene… attested by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God *epoiēsen* through Him" - [Acts 10:38](/codex/acts-10-38/), "He went about *poiōn* (doing) good and healing all who were oppressed" Christ's *poieō* mirrors and extends YHWH's *asah*. Christ does what God does; the works testify to His divine identity. ## Apologetic significance *Asah* anchors: 1. **The doctrine of creation**, God's intentional fashioning of reality (paired with *bara*) 2. **God's continuing providence**, *asah* in history continues divine creative-active engagement 3. **Christological proof**, Christ does what God does ([John 5:17-19](/codex/john-5-17-19/)); divine identity Christology 4. **Christian ethics / works**, *asah* / *poieō* ethics; faith without works is dead ([James 2:14-26](/codex/james-2-14-26/)) 5. **Eschatological consummation**, God will *asah* a new heaven and new earth ([Isaiah 65:17](/codex/isaiah-65-17/); 66:22) ## Notable verses ### Creation - **[Genesis 1:1](/codex/genesis-1-1/), [7](/codex/genesis-1-7/), [16](/codex/genesis-1-16/), [25](/codex/genesis-1-25/), [26](/codex/genesis-1-26/), [31](/codex/genesis-1-31/); 2:2-4, 18**, paired with *bara* - **[Genesis 6:6](/codex/genesis-6-6/)**, God grieved that He had *asah* humanity - **[Exodus 20:11](/codex/exodus-20-11/)**, Sabbath rationale: God *asah*-made heaven and earth ### Mighty deeds - **[Exodus 15:6](/codex/exodus-15-6/)**, "Your right hand shatters the enemy" - **[Deuteronomy 4:32-39](/codex/deuteronomy-4-32-39/); 11:3-7**, recital of God's *asah* - **[Psalm 86:10](/codex/psalms-86-10/); 105; 106; 111; 118:23-24; 139:14**, celebration ### Moral action - **[Genesis 18:19](/codex/genesis-18-19/), [25](/codex/genesis-18-25/)**, *asah* justice - **[1 Kings 8:46-50](/codex/1-kings-8-46-50/)**, *asah* prayer for forgiveness - **[2 Kings 17](/codex/2-kings-17/)-25**, kings *asah*-doing right or evil in the sight of the LORD - **[Micah 6:8](/codex/micah-6-8/)**, *asah* justice / *hesed* ### Covenant / cultic - **[Genesis 9:9-13](/codex/genesis-9-9-13/)**, God *asah*-establishes covenant - **[Exodus 24:5](/codex/exodus-24-5/)**, Israel *asah*-offers sacrifices - **[Numbers 28](/codex/numbers-28/)-29**, Levitical *asah* ### Christological NT *poieō* - **[John 5:17](/codex/john-5-17/), [19](/codex/john-5-19/), [36](/codex/john-5-36/); 14:10-12; 17:4**, Christ's works - **[Acts 2:22](/codex/acts-2-22/); 10:38**, God's *poieō* through Christ ## Patristic / scholarly note Patristic engagement: extensive across creation-doctrine and Christology. Modern conservative engagement: standard works on [Genesis 1](/codex/genesis-1/) (Wenham; Mathews; Walton; Waltke); biblical theology engagement. ## See also - [H1254 - bara](/codex/h1254-bara/), paired creation verb - H3335 - yatsar, to form / fashion - *G4160 - poieo*, Greek to make / do - [Genesis 1.1](/codex/genesis-1-1/), primary creation passage - [Genesis 1.27](/codex/genesis-1-27/), humanity created - [Origins and Cosmology](/codex/origins-and-cosmology/), synthesis hub - [Christology](/codex/christianity/), Christ's *poieō* parallels Father's ## Notes _Lexical workspace for asah._