3850. parabole

Lexicon

parabole: Parable, comparison, illustration, allegory

Original Word: παραβολή
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: parabole
Pronunciation: pah-rah-bo-LAY
Phonetic Spelling: (par-ab-ol-ay')
Definition: Parable, comparison, illustration, allegory
Meaning: (a) a comparison, (b) a parable, often of those uttered by our Lord, (c) a proverb, an adage.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

comparison, figure, parable, proverb.

From paraballo; a similitude ("parable"), i.e. (symbolic) fictitious narrative (of common life conveying a moral), apothegm or adage -- comparison, figure, parable, proverb.

see GREEK paraballo

HELPS Word-studies

3850 parabolḗ (from 3844 /pará, "close beside, with" and 906 /bállō, "to cast") – a parable; a teaching aid cast alongside the truth being taught. This casts additional light by using an arresting or familiar analogy, (which is often fictitious or metaphorical, but not necessarily).

[For extensive notes and commentary on Jesus' "Kingdom-parables" see 932 (basileía).]

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3850: παραβολή

παραβολή, παραβολῆς, ἡ (παραβάλλω, which see), the Sept. for מָשָׁל;

1. a placing of one thing by the side of another, juxtaposition, as of ships in battle, Polybius 15, 2, 13; Diodorus 14, 60.

2. metaphorically, a comparing, comparison of one thing with another, likeness, similitude (Plato, Isocrates, Polybius, Plutarch): universally, Matthew 24:32; Mark 13:28; an example by which a doctrine or precept is illustrated, Mark 3:23; Luke 14:7; a thing serving as a figure of something else, Hebrews 9:9; this meaning also very many interpreters give the word in Hebrews 11:19, but see 5 below; specifically, "a narrative, fictitious but agreeable to the laws and usages of human life, by which either the duties of men or the things of God, particularly the nature and history of God's kingdom, are figuratively portrayed" (cf. B. D., see under the words, Fable, Parable (and references there; add Aristotle, rhet. 2, 20, 2ff and Cope's notes)): Matthew 13:3, 10, 13, 24, 31, 33-35, 53; Matthew 21:33, 45; (); Mark 4:2, 10,(),f; (); ,(); Luke 8:4, 9-11; Luke 12:16, 41; Luke 13:6; Luke 14:7; Luke 15:3; Luke 18:1, 9; Luke 19:11; Luke 20:9, 19; Luke 21:29; with a genitive of the person or thing to which the contents of the parable refer (Winer's Grammar, § 30, 1 a.): τοῦ σπείροντος, Matthew 13:18; τῶν ζιζανίων, Matthew 13:36; τήν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν παραβολή τιθέναι (literally, to set forth the kingdom of God in a parable), to illustrate (the nature and history of) the kingdom of God by the use of a parable, Mark 4:30 L text T Tr text WH.

3. "a pithy and instructive saying, involving some likeness or comparison and having preceptive or admonitory force; an aphorism, a maxim": Luke 5:36; Luke 6:39; Matthew 15:15 (Proverbs 1:6; Ecclesiastes 1:17; Sir. 3:29(27); (25), etc.). Since sayings of this kind often pass into proverbs, παραβολή is

4. a proverb: Luke 4:23 (1 Samuel 10:12; Ezekiel 12:22; Ezekiel 18:2f).

5. an act by which one exposes himself or his possessions to danger, a venture, risk (in which sense the plural seems to be used by Plutarch, Aratus 22: διά πολλῶν ἑλιγμων καί παραβολῶν περαινοντες πρός τό τεῖχος (cf. Diodorus Siculus fragment book 30:9, 2; also variant in Thucydides 1, 131, 2 (and Poppo at the passage))); ἐν παραβολή, in risking him, i. e. at the very moment when he exposed his son to mortal peril (see παραβολεύομαι), Hebrews 11:19 (Hesychius ἐκ παραβολῆς. ἐκ παρακινδυνευματος); others with less probability explain it, in a figure, i. e. as a figure, either of the future general resurrection of all men, or of Christ offered up to God and raised again from the dead; others otherwise.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek verb παραβάλλω (paraballō), meaning "to throw alongside" or "to compare."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - מָשָׁל (mashal) • Strong's Hebrew 4912: A proverb, parable, or allegory. This Hebrew term is often used in the Old Testament to describe similar forms of teaching, such as the proverbs of Solomon or the allegorical stories found in the writings of the prophets.

Usage: The term παραβολή is used in the New Testament to describe the teaching method of Jesus, who frequently employed parables to convey deeper spiritual truths to His audience. Parables are found primarily in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke).

Context: The Greek term παραβολή (parabolē) is a significant concept in the New Testament, particularly in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Parables are short, allegorical stories that use everyday events and objects to convey spiritual and moral lessons. The use of parables was a common teaching method in Jewish tradition, and Jesus employed them to reveal truths about the Kingdom of God in a way that was accessible yet profound.

In the Gospels, Jesus uses parables to both reveal and conceal truths. For those open to His message, parables illuminate the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. For others, they serve as a form of judgment, obscuring the truth from those who are not receptive. This dual purpose is highlighted in Matthew 13:10-13 (BSB): "The disciples came to Him and asked, 'Why do You speak to the people in parables?' He replied, 'The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.'"

Parables often feature common elements such as seeds, soil, vineyards, and shepherds, making them relatable to the everyday experiences of Jesus' audience. Notable parables include the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9), the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37), and the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). Each parable carries a central message, often challenging listeners to reflect on their own lives and their relationship with God.

The interpretive nature of parables requires careful consideration of their context and the audience to whom they were originally addressed. While the surface story is simple, the underlying message often contains layers of meaning that invite deeper reflection and understanding.

Forms and Transliterations

παραβολαις παραβολαίς παραβολαῖς παραβολας παραβολάς παραβολὰς παραβολη παραβολή παραβολὴ παραβολῇ παραβολην παραβολήν παραβολὴν παραβολης παραβολής παραβολῆς παραβολών parabolais parabolaîs parabolas parabolás parabolàs parabole parabolē parabolḗ parabolḕ parabolêi parabolē̂i parabolen parabolēn parabolḗn parabolḕn paraboles parabolês parabolēs parabolē̂s

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 13:3 N-DFP
GRK: πολλὰ ἐν παραβολαῖς λέγων Ἰδοὺ
NAS: many things to them in parables, saying,
KJV: unto them in parables, saying, Behold,
INT: many things in parables saying Behold

Matthew 13:10 N-DFP
GRK: τί ἐν παραβολαῖς λαλεῖς αὐτοῖς
NAS: do You speak to them in parables?
KJV: unto them in parables?
INT: why in parables speak you to them

Matthew 13:13 N-DFP
GRK: τοῦτο ἐν παραβολαῖς αὐτοῖς λαλῶ
NAS: I speak to them in parables; because
KJV: in parables: because
INT: this in parables to them I speak

Matthew 13:18 N-AFS
GRK: ἀκούσατε τὴν παραβολὴν τοῦ σπείραντος
NAS: Hear then the parable of the sower.
KJV: ye therefore the parable of the sower.
INT: hear the parable of the having sown

Matthew 13:24 N-AFS
GRK: Ἄλλην παραβολὴν παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς
NAS: another parable to them, saying,
KJV: Another parable put he forth
INT: Another parable put he before them

Matthew 13:31 N-AFS
GRK: Ἄλλην παραβολὴν παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς
NAS: another parable to them, saying,
KJV: Another parable put he forth
INT: Another parable put he before them

Matthew 13:33 N-AFS
GRK: Ἄλλην παραβολὴν ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς
NAS: another parable to them, The kingdom
KJV: Another parable spake he unto them;
INT: Another parable spoke he to them

Matthew 13:34 N-DFP
GRK: Ἰησοῦς ἐν παραβολαῖς τοῖς ὄχλοις
NAS: to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak
KJV: in parables; and
INT: Jesus in parables to the crowds

Matthew 13:34 N-GFS
GRK: καὶ χωρὶς παραβολῆς οὐδὲν ἐλάλει
NAS: to them without a parable.
KJV: and without a parable spake he not
INT: and without a parable not he spoke

Matthew 13:35 N-DFP
GRK: Ἀνοίξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὸ στόμα
NAS: MY MOUTH IN PARABLES; I WILL UTTER
KJV: in parables; I will utter
INT: I will open in parables the mouth

Matthew 13:36 N-AFS
GRK: ἡμῖν τὴν παραβολὴν τῶν ζιζανίων
NAS: Explain to us the parable of the tares
KJV: unto us the parable of the tares
INT: to us the parable of the weeds

Matthew 13:53 N-AFP
GRK: Ἰησοῦς τὰς παραβολὰς ταύτας μετῆρεν
NAS: these parables, He departed
KJV: these parables, he departed
INT: Jesus the parables these he withdrew

Matthew 15:15 N-AFS
GRK: ἡμῖν τὴν παραβολήν ταύτην
NAS: to Him, Explain the parable to us.
KJV: unto us this parable.
INT: to us the parable this

Matthew 21:33 N-AFS
GRK: Ἄλλην παραβολὴν ἀκούσατε Ἄνθρωπος
NAS: to another parable. There was a landowner
KJV: another parable: There was
INT: Another parable hear A man

Matthew 21:45 N-AFP
GRK: Φαρισαῖοι τὰς παραβολὰς αὐτοῦ ἔγνωσαν
NAS: heard His parables, they understood
KJV: his parables, they perceived
INT: Pharisees the parables of him they knew

Matthew 22:1 N-DFP
GRK: εἶπεν ἐν παραβολαῖς αὐτοῖς λέγων
NAS: to them again in parables, saying,
KJV: again by parables, and said,
INT: spoke in parables to them saying

Matthew 24:32 N-AFS
GRK: μάθετε τὴν παραβολήν ὅταν ἤδη
NAS: learn the parable from the fig tree:
KJV: Now learn a parable of the fig tree;
INT: learn the parable When already

Mark 3:23 N-DFP
GRK: αὐτοὺς ἐν παραβολαῖς ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς
NAS: them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, How
KJV: unto them in parables, How can
INT: them in parables he said to them

Mark 4:2 N-DFP
GRK: αὐτοὺς ἐν παραβολαῖς πολλά καὶ
NAS: them many things in parables, and was saying
KJV: many things by parables, and said
INT: them in parables many things and

Mark 4:10 N-AFP
GRK: δώδεκα τὰς παραβολάς
NAS: [began] asking Him [about] the parables.
KJV: asked of him the parable.
INT: twelve [as to] the parable

Mark 4:11 N-DFP
GRK: ἔξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὰ πάντα
NAS: get everything in parables,
KJV: are done in parables:
INT: outside in parables the everything

Mark 4:13 N-AFS
GRK: οἴδατε τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην καὶ
NAS: this parable? How
KJV: not this parable? and how then
INT: Understand you the parable this and

Mark 4:13 N-AFP
GRK: πάσας τὰς παραβολὰς γνώσεσθε
NAS: will you understand all the parables?
KJV: will ye know all parables?
INT: all the parables will you understand

Mark 4:30 N-DFS
GRK: τίνι αὐτὴν παραβολῇ θῶμεν
NAS: by what parable shall we present
KJV: what comparison shall we compare
INT: what it parable shall we strengthen

Mark 4:33 N-DFP
GRK: Καὶ τοιαύταις παραβολαῖς πολλαῖς ἐλάλει
NAS: such parables He was speaking
KJV: such parables spake he
INT: And with such parables many he spoke

Strong's Greek 3850
50 Occurrences

παραβολαῖς — 12 Occ.
παραβολὰς — 4 Occ.
παραβολῇ — 5 Occ.
παραβολὴν — 26 Occ.
παραβολῆς — 3 Occ.