Bible Lexicons

Berry's Synonyms of the New TestamentBerry's NT Synonyms

To Do

ποιέω, πράσσω.

These words are often used interchangeably, but in many cases a distinction can be drawn. ποιέω refers more to the object and end of an act, πράσσω rather to the means by which the object is attained. Hence, while ποιέω means to accomplish, πράσσω may mean nothing more than merely to busy one's self about. ποιέω often means to do a thing once for all, πράσσω, to do continually or repeatedly. From these distinctions it follows that ποιέω, being on the whole the higher word, is more often used of doing good, πράσσω more frequently of doing evil.