poiema

Poiema (Greek: ποίημα) is a noun meaning “a thing made” or “a work,” formed from the verb poiein, “to make,” with the noun-forming suffix -ma. In classical Greek, poiema referred broadly to any produced thing—an artifact, a creation, or a composition. In literary contexts it could denote a work of art or a piece of writing, sometimes a poem, though the term is not limited to poetry.

In Biblical Greek, poiema is the standard term for a work or workmanship of creation. It appears in passages such as Ephesians 2:10, where the Apostle Paul speaks of believers as God’s poiema, commonly translated as “workmanship” or “creation.” The sense emphasizes something crafted or shaped by a craftsman, rather than a process-focused creation.

Etymology and legacy: poiema derives from poiein, with the -ma suffix yielding a noun that names the result of an action. It is cognate with the English word “poem” through Latin poēma and the Greek root, and in some scholarly or theological writings the transliteration “poiema” is used to preserve the original Greek form. The everyday English term “poem” itself ultimately traces to the same Greek root, but poiema as a transliteration highlights the broader sense of a produced work.

Usage and nuance: across Greek literature, poiema describes concrete objects, artistic works, or literary creations, and in theology it underscores divine agency in formation—humans as God’s created work, designed for good works. See also Poiein, Poema, and related terms in New Testament Greek.