Lexical Summary homoioó: To make like, to liken, to compare Original Word: ὁμοιόω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance make like, compare, resemble. From homoios; to assimilate, i.e. Compare; passively, to become similar -- be (make) like, (in the) liken(-ess), resemble. see GREEK homoios NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom homoios Definition to make like NASB Translation become like (1), comparable (1), compare (4), compared (4), like (2), made like (1), picture (1), resembled (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3666: ὁμοιόωὁμοιόω, ὁμοίῳ: future ὁμοιώσω; passive, 1 aorist ὡμοιώθην, and without augment ὁμοιωθην (once Romans 9:29 L marginal reading T editions 2, 7 (but see WHs Appendix, p. 161); cf. Buttmann, 34 (30); Sturz, De dial. Maced. etc., p. 124; (cf.) Lob. ad Phryn., p. 153); 1 future ὁμοιωθήσομαι; (ὅμοιος); from (Homer and) Herodotus down; the Sept. especially for דָּמָה; a. to make like: τινα τίνι; passive to be or to become like to one: Matthew 6:8; Acts 14:11; Hebrews 2:17; ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, was made like, took the likeness of, (aorist of the time when the Messiah appeared), Matthew 13:24; Matthew 18:23; Matthew 22:2; ὁμοιωθήσεται (future of the time of the last judgment), Matthew 25:1; ὡς τί, to be made like and thus to become as a thing (i. e., a blending of two thoughts; cf. Fritzsche on Mark 4:31; Buttmann, § 133, 10; Winer's Grammar, § 65, 1 a.), Romans 9:29 (כְּ נִדְמָה, Ezekiel 32:2). b. to liken, compare: τινα τίνι, or τί τίνι, Matthew 7:24 (R G (see below)); Strong’s Greek 3666 appears fifteen times in the New Testament. It expresses the act of making a comparison or declaring likeness. In Scripture it functions in three principal spheres: (1) Christ’s parabolic teaching, (2) apostolic doctrinal explanation, and (3) narrative description of pagan misunderstanding. Together these uses underscore a divine method of revelation—truth is often conveyed by analogy so that hearers may grasp spiritual realities through familiar images. Synoptic Parables and the Kingdom Ten of the fifteen occurrences are spoken by Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels, nine of them introducing parables of the kingdom. Matthew 13:24; 18:23; 22:2; 25:1, Mark 4:30, and Luke 13:18-20 all begin with the same pattern: “The kingdom of heaven [or God] is like…”. Such phrasing frames every parable as an authoritative window into God’s rule. By announcing a comparison first, Jesus obligates the listener to ponder the correspondence between everyday life and eternal realities. Notably, Matthew 7:24 and 7:26 extend the formula beyond kingdom parables to personal discipleship: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24). The comparison presses the hearer toward obedient faith, revealing that likeness to wisdom or folly is determined by response to Christ’s words. Comparison in Ethical Instruction Matthew 6:8 warns against mechanical Gentile prayer: “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him”. The verb marks a moral boundary; disciples are not merely told what is wrong, they are told what not to resemble. Similarly, Luke 7:31 employs the future active—“To what, then, can I compare the men of this generation?”—inviting reflection on communal spiritual condition. In all such cases the comparison is both diagnostic and corrective. Christ and the Incarnation Hebrews 2:17 carries the verb into high Christology: “For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God”. Here likeness is not figurative but incarnational. The Son shares true humanity in order to represent humanity before God. The comparison language affirms both full deity (He “had to be made”) and full humanity (“like His brothers in every way”), guarding orthodox Christology and anchoring comfort for tempted believers (Hebrews 2:18). Apostolic Parallels and Warnings Romans 9:29 cites Isaiah to illustrate Israel’s preservation: “We would have become like Sodom, and we would have resembled Gomorrah”. The double comparison stresses the extremity of judgment averted solely by divine mercy. Paul’s use shows that prophetic analogies remain authoritative for New-Covenant exposition. Pagan Misinterpretation Acts 14:11 records the crowds at Lystra exclaiming, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Their use of the verb reveals a fallen instinct: humanity creates false likenesses of deity, whereas the gospel proclaims the true God who Himself took on human likeness. Luke contrasts misguided pagan comparison with the apostolic witness that redirects worship to the living God (Acts 14:15). Literary and Rhetorical Function 1. Attention-getting: The opening “is like” signals that a parable or moral lesson is commencing. Ministry Implications for Teaching and Preaching • Model Christ’s method. Analogies rooted in everyday experience help contemporary hearers grasp doctrine. Historical Background Jewish rabbis used mashal (parable) extensively, yet Jesus’ comparisons carry unique authority because He speaks as the King describing His own reign. Greco-Roman rhetoric also prized analogy, explaining the Lystrans’ quick assumption in Acts 14:11; the apostles, however, redirect rhetorical forms toward monotheistic truth. Theological and Devotional Reflections The verb’s spread from kingdom parables to incarnation theology and pastoral exhortation shows Scripture’s unified theme: God graciously makes Himself known. He accommodates finite understanding through comparison, then consummates revelation by becoming “like” us in the flesh. Believers are therefore called to reciprocal likeness—conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29), proclaimed through words and lives that make the invisible God visible to the world. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 6:8 V-ASP-2PGRK: μὴ οὖν ὁμοιωθῆτε αὐτοῖς οἶδεν NAS: So do not be like them; for your Father KJV: ye therefore like unto them: for INT: Not therefore be like to them knows Matthew 7:24 V-FIP-3S Matthew 7:26 V-FIP-3S Matthew 11:16 V-FIA-1S Matthew 13:24 V-AIP-3S Matthew 18:23 V-AIP-3S Matthew 22:2 V-AIP-3S Matthew 25:1 V-FIP-3S Mark 4:30 V-ASA-1P Luke 7:31 V-FIA-1S Luke 13:18 V-FIA-1S Luke 13:20 V-FIA-1S Acts 14:11 V-APP-NMP Romans 9:29 V-AIP-1P Hebrews 2:17 V-ANP Strong's Greek 3666 |
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