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H4637 · Hebrew · Old Testament
מַעֲשֶׂה
maasah
Noun, masculine
work/deed/act/thing made

Definition

A noun meaning work, deed, act, or something made. It derives from asah (to do/make) and covers the full range of human activity and divine creative work. It appears hundreds of times in Scripture describing God's mighty deeds, human works both righteous and wicked, and the works of creation.

Usage & Theological Significance

Maasah stands at the heart of the Bible's theology of work and deeds. God's maasah — his works — are the basis of worship in the Psalms. Creation itself is his maasah. Human deeds are weighed at judgment. Yet the tension between faith and works is resolved in the New Testament not by abolishing works but by establishing their right order: we are not saved by our works, but we are saved for good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). Works are the fruit and evidence of faith, not its root or cause. The believer's maasah flows from the grace of God at work within them.

Key Bible Verses

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psalm 92:4 For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD; I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
James 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

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