Deed, Deeds - Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

Deed, Deeds

[ 1,,G2041, ergon ]
denotes a work" (Eng., "work" is etymologically akin), "deed, act." When used in the sense of a "deed or act," the idea of "working" is stressed, e.g., Romans 15:18; it frequently occurs in an ethical sense of human actions, good or bad, e.g., Matthew 23:3; Matthew 26:10; John 3:20-John 3:21; Romans 2:7, Romans 2:15; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:11, etc; sometimes in a less concrete sense, e.g., Titus 1:16; James 1:25 (RV, "that worketh," lit., "of work"). See LABOR, WORK.

[ 2,,G4234, praxis ]
denotes "a doing, transaction, a deed the action of which is looked upon as incomplete and in progress" (cp. prasso, "to practice"); in Matthew 16:27, RV, "deeds," for AV, "works;" in Luke 23:51, "deed;" in Luke 23:41, the verb is used [See Note
(2) below]; Acts 19:18; Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:9. In Romans 12:4 it denotes an "action," business, or function translated "office." See OFFICE, WORK.

Note: Contrast pragma, "that which has been done, an accomplished act," e.g., James 3:16, RV, "deed," AV, "work."

[ 3,,G4162, poiesis ]
"a doing" (akin to poieo, "to do"), is translated "deed" in James 1:25, AV, (RV, "doing").

Note: Cp. poiema, "a work done," Romans 1:20; Ephesians 2:10.

[ 4,,G2108, euergesia ]
See BENEFIT, No. 1.

Notes:

(1) Katergazomai, "to work out, bring about something, to perpetrate a deed," is used with the neuter demonstrative pronoun touto, "this," in 1 Corinthians 5:3, "hath (so) done this deed," AV; RV, "hath (so) wrought this thing."



(2) Prasso (See No. 2), is used in Luke 23:41, with the neuter plural of the relative pronoun, "of our deeds," lit., "(the things) which we practiced."



(3) In 2 Corinthians 12:12 the phrase "mighty deeds" (RV, "mighty works") translates dunameis, "powers" (marg.). See WORK.



(4) In Acts 24:2, diorthoma, "a straightening," with ginomai, "to become," is translated in the AV, "very worthy deeds are done," RV, "evils are corrected;" more lit., "reforms take place." For the variant reading katorthoma, See CORRECTION, No. 1.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words