bild'-er (banah; oikodomeo, technites): "To build," "builder," ete, are in the Old Testament commonly the translation of banah, "to build," occurring very frequently; seeBUILD, BUILDING. The literal significance leads also to several figurative applications, especially to God as Divine Builder:
(1) as establishing, e.g. the nation (Ps 69:35;102:16;Jer 12:16), the throne of David (Ps 89:4), Jerusalem (Ps 147:2);
(2) in restoration--rebuilding (Isa 58:12;61:4;65:21;Jer 31:4,28;42:10;Eze 36:36;Am 9:11; compareAc 15:16);
(3) as establishing in prosperity (Job 22:23;1Sa 2:35;Jer 24:6; compareGe 16:2the Revised Version, margin, Hebrew, "be builded by her");
(4) the firm establishment of the Divine attributes (Ps 89:2);
(5) Divine opposition (La 3:5, "He hath builded against me"); compareJob 19:8;
(6) the choosing of a corner-stone which the builders rejected (Ps 118:22,23; quoted by Christ (Mt 21:42;Mr 12:10;Lu 20:17); by Peter (Ac 4:11;1Pe 2:7)).
In the New Testament Christians are represented as being:
(1) built by God (1Co 3:9,16) on Christ as the one foundation (Mt 16:18, on Jesus as the Christ;1Pe 2:5f; Ac 9:31the Revised Version, margin;Ro 15:20;1Co 3:10,12,14(epoikodomo);Eph 2:20);
(2) as being continuously and progressively built up in their faith and life (Ac 20:32;1Co 8:1the Revised Version, margin, "buildeth up";Ac 10:23margin, Greek "build up";Ac 14:4,17m;1Th 5:11; compareJude 1:20);
(3) they are "builded togethe r" (sunoikodomeo) in Christ (Eph 2:22;Col 2:7(epoikodomeo); compare1Co 3:9);
(4) "builded up" is used in a bad sense (1Co 8:10the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American), "emboldened," the Revised Version, margin "be builded up");
(6) inHeb 3:4God is represented as the Builder (establisher) of all things, the Revised Version, margin "established," and in 11:10 as the Builder (technites), of the New Jerusalem; inHeb 9:11for "building" the Revised Version (British and American) has "creation" (ktisis);
(7) in1Co 3:10-14;Ga 2:18, building represents constructing a system of teaching; Paul speaks of himself as "a wise master-builder" (sophos architekton).
W. L. Walker