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Regarding the Lord's Supper, described in Luke 22, verse 19 uses the verb do (ποιεῖτε). However poieo can have a boarder spectrum of meanings, including to "offer" (as in a sacrificial offering, cf. Exod. 29:38, Greek Septuagint).

That being said, why is it that we translate poieo as "do" and not something else?

Should we not look into the association between the verb, poieo and the subject of the sentence? Do what? Do this. What is this? Take bread, give thanks, break it...

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    I dont see any poieo in the Exodus verse you mentioned in the Rahlf's LXX. The word has only one meaning "do or make" and cannot mean "offer" or anything else. Refer to the lexicons like Thayer.
    – Michael16
    Commented Apr 26, 2022 at 12:55
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    “Now this is what you shall offer [Greek, poieseis] upon the altar: two lambs a year old day by day continually” (Exod. 29:28). I'd refer to Strong's lexicon to show that it can mean offer, as in sacrificial offering, as well.
    – Dan
    Commented Apr 26, 2022 at 16:23
  • Ah, it's Exod. 29:38, not 28, my bad
    – Dan
    Commented Apr 26, 2022 at 16:24
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    the main sense is still "do, perform" in this offering context. Words are translated based on context too. Since the context is about offering then the word is translated offer.
    – Michael16
    Commented Apr 26, 2022 at 17:12
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    1. The verb ποιέω Strong 4160 is a broad concept covering both 'make' and 'do' in the English language. The best way I have found of translating the breadth of concept is 'effect' or 'cause'. One is not specifying (make/do) how the thing is 'caused' or 'effected' only that it is so. 2. The Septuagint cannot be regarded as an inspired document. It is a translation.
    – Nigel J
    Commented Apr 26, 2022 at 17:34

1 Answer 1

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The context of Luke 22:19 is Passover Seder, not a food offering or sacrifice; but eating of the sacrifice. It cannot be translated as "offer" as in Exodus 29:38, which is an interpretative secondary contextual connotation. The tactual Greek words for offering are different. Poieo cannot be translated offering here.

The poieo word is used in the context of making, doing, preparing. Exodus 29 is about the preparation of consecration of the priest. “Now this is what you shall do H6213 עָשָׂה `asah to them to consecrate them". This same word is used in those verses where the common translations used "offer", but actually it is making or preparing of the things for offering. The NET Bible used "prepare" in those except for in v41 out of the seven occurrences. The literal translation would be "prepare or make" in Exo 29.

ποιέω (facio), (a) I make, manufacture, construct; (b) I do, act, cause; μετά τινος (Hebraistic idiom), on some one’s behalf, Lk. 1:72, Ac. 14:27, &c.; with an object indicating time, I spend, e.g. James 4:13: ὁδὸν ποιεῖν, Mk. 2:23 (5:50), which ought to mean to construct (pave) a road, is incorrectly used for ὁδὸν ποιεῖσθαι (cf. μνείαν ποιεῖσθαι, Eph. 1:16),
Souter, A. (1917). A Pocket Lexicon to the Greek New Testament (p. 208). Oxford: Clarendon Press.

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  • Upvote and accepted. Still, I'd like to continue the discussion. You say the context is the Passover Seder. Would you not rather say the context is Jesus' sacrifice on the cross? "This is my body..."
    – Dan
    Commented Apr 26, 2022 at 19:17
  • As looking forward to it...
    – Dan
    Commented Apr 26, 2022 at 19:18
  • It is the eating of sacrifice, Jesus is giving new meaning to it. His own sacrifice is in the next day.
    – Michael16
    Commented Apr 27, 2022 at 2:45
  • Shift your focus on the nature of Seder. TLV Bible uses offer for Thanksgiving in this verse but there is not sacrifice in the context. We eat the sacrifice with Thanksgiving.
    – Michael16
    Commented Apr 27, 2022 at 3:11
  • ποιεῖτε is from where the word "poesía" (poetry in spanish) come from. At the end of Luke 22:19 the Bible uses the word "αναμνησιν", is from the word "anamnesis" comes from. Anamnesis is a double negation: an => not, amnesis => amnesia => no memory. Anamnesis is no amnesia, break the amnesia.
    – Karl
    Commented Jul 20, 2023 at 17:25

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