μῑμ-έομαι G3401
To imitate, follow as a model; to pattern one's conduct after another's example
A middle-voice verb urging believers to reproduce in their own lives the conduct they observe in godly leaders. In 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9, Paul offers his own labor as the pattern to copy, while Hebrews 13:7 extends the call to imitating the faith of past shepherds. The negative counterpart in 3 John 1:11 warns against imitating evil, showing the word carries no inherent moral direction — it is the model chosen that determines the outcome. Across languages the translations converge on 'imitate' (Spanish imitad, German nachahmen), confirming a single, stable sense of deliberate behavioral replication.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To deliberately pattern one's behavior after another person's example, whether positively or negatively. Paul invokes this sense when he tells the Thessalonians to imitate his self-supporting labor (2 Thess 3:7, 9), and Hebrews 13:7 urges imitating the faith of departed leaders. In 3 John 1:11 the same verb warns against copying what is evil, showing the word is morally neutral — the object determines the ethical weight. Spanish imitad and German nachahmen both capture this single core meaning of conscious emulation. 4×
AR["أنْ-تَقْتَدوا", "اقْتَدُوا-بِـ", "تُقَلِّدْ"]·ben["অনুকরণ-কর", "অনুকরণ-করতে", "অনুকরণ-করা", "অনুকরণ-করো"]·DE["nachahmen"]·EN["imitate", "to-imitate"]·FR["nachahmen"]·heb["חַקּוּ", "לְחַקּוֹת", "תְחַקֶּה"]·HI["अनुकरण-करो", "अनुकरन-करन"]·ID["meniru", "tirulah"]·IT["mimeisthai", "mimeisthe", "mimou"]·jav["niru", "sumangga-kita-niru"]·KO["본받기를", "본받으라", "본받지"]·PT["imitai", "imitar", "imitardes", "imites"]·RU["подражай", "подражайте", "подражать"]·ES["imitad", "imitar", "imites"]·SW["ige", "igeni", "kutuiga", "mtuige"]·TR["taklit-edin", "taklit-et", "taklit-etmek", "taklit-etmeniz"]·urd["نقل-کرنا", "نقل-کرو", "پیروی-کرو"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μῑμ-έομαι, future -ήσομαι: aorist ἐμιμησάμην Refs 5th c.BC+perfect μεμίμημαι (see. below):—imitate, represent, portray, ἔργα Γιγάντων Refs 5th c.BC+; τινα Refs 6th c.BC+; μ.τινά τι one in a thing, Refs 5th c.BC+; τινὰ κατὰ τὰ αἰδοῖα uncertain in Refs 5th c.BC+; [ὀρθὴν πολιτείαν] ἐπὶ τὰ καλλίω, ἐπὶ τὰ αἰσχίονα μεμιμημένας, Refs imitate him in what is bad, Refs 5th c.BC+perfect participle…