What has been made (4161) (poiema from poieo = to do or make) means what is made and refers to the product or workmanship, a work, or a work piece, workmanship. Poiema is used figuratively in its only other use in Ephesians 2:10-note. It denotes the result of work, what is produced as contrasted to poíēsis which is the act of making, the doing itself and not that which is made. He who does the making is poietes, the doer or poet (think of God as the poet and Creation and Men as His masterpieces!) See Related Discussion: Poiema in Ephesians 2:10 TDNT... In myths poiéō denotes the creative activity of deity. Zeus creates all things, including heaven and the gods. Poiema as you might imagine gives us our English word poem. God has written two poetic masterpieces so to speak, the first being the creation and the second being the re-creation of redeemed men as His workmanship (poiema), created in Christ Jesus for good works. (Eph 2:10-note). Poiema is used 27 times in the Septuagint (LXX) (Judges 13:12; 1Sa 8:8; 19:4; Ezra 9:13; 14" class="scriptRef">Neh 6:14; Ps 64:9; 92:4; 143:5; Ecclesiastes 1:14; 2:4, 11, 17" class="scriptRef">17" class="scriptRef">17; 3:11, 17, 22; 4:3, 4; 5:6; 7:13; 8:9, 14, 17; 9:7, 10; 11:5; 12:14; Is 29:16) The psalmist writes... Psalm 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Thy doings; I muse on the work (LXX = poiema) of Thy hands. Here are a few other uses in the Septuagint... Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all the works (LXX = poiema - referring to man's works) which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything (LXX = poiema - "all the things which He has made are beautiful") appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. Ecclesiastes 7:13 Consider the work (LXX = poiema) of God, For who is able to straighten what He has bent? Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every act (LXX = poiema) to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. Isaiah 29:16 (note this is the English translation of the Greek Septuagint and not the NAS translation as in the verses above) Shall ye not be counted as clay of the potter? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Thou didst not form me? or the work (LXX = poiema) to the maker, Thou hast not made me wisely? Harry Ironside (Ephesians Commentary) writes that... This is God's greatest poem: the epic of redemption 'Twas great to call a world from naught; 'Twas greater to redeem. The two wondrous poems of creation and redemption are celebrated in Revelation 4 and Revelation 5. In chapter 4 the enthroned and crowned saints worship Christ as Creator. In chapter 5 they adore Him as Redeemer. The very stars in the heaven are, Forever singing as they shine The hand that made us is divine.” Lenski concludes Men cannot charge God with hiding Himself from them and thus excuse their irreligion and their immorality. The Universe is God's Masterpiece John Piper writes that... Creation is God's poiema- Work of Art --What does He do to make Himself evident? He made the world. He created - like a potter, or a sculptor or a poet, except He created out of nothing. In verse 20, when it says that God is "understood through what has been made," the words "what has been made" stand for one Greek word (which you will all recognize), the word poiema. It's the word from which we get "poem." The universe and everything in it is God's work of art. What's the point of this word? The point is that in a poem there is manifest design and intention and wisdom and power. The wind might create a letter in the sand, but not a poem. That's the point. God acted. God planned. God designed. God crafted. He created and made. And in doing that, Paul says in v19, God made himself evident to all mankind. The universe is a poem about God. (Reference) SO THAT THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE: eis to einai (PAN) autous anapologetous: (Ro 2:1,15; Jn 15:22) (Acts 22:1) So that (eis) -- Vincent writes that the... sense is rather purpose. The revelation of God’s power and divinity is given, so that, if, after being enlightened, they fall into sin, they may be without defence. "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/romans_1.htm#made