ὁμοι-όω G3666
To liken, compare, or make similar; in the passive, to be compared or to become like something.
At the heart of Jesus' parable introductions stands this comparison verb. 'The kingdom of heaven is likened to...' (Matt 13:24; 18:23; 22:2) employs the passive, while 'To what shall I liken this generation?' (Matt 11:16; Luke 7:31) uses the active voice rhetorically. Beyond mere illustration, the word can denote actual resemblance: Christ was 'made like' his brothers (Heb 2:17), and Paul warns believers not to 'be like' the nations (Matt 6:8). Spanish distinguishes neatly between 'es comparado' (is compared) and 'ser hecho semejante' (to be made like), illuminating how Greek voice shifts between rhetorical analogy and real transformation.
Senses
1. to be likened or compared — To be the subject of a comparison or parable (passive). Jesus introduces kingdom parables with this form: 'the kingdom of heaven is likened to a man who sowed good seed' (Matt 13:24), or a king settling accounts (Matt 18:23). Spanish 'es semejante / fue semejada' and German 'gleicht' consistently render this as passive comparison. The passive signals that the thing compared is being illuminated, not changed. 6×
AR["تُشَبَّهُ", "شُبِّهَت", "شُبِّهَتْ", "يُشَبَّهُ"]·ben["তুলনা-করা-হবে", "তুলনা-করা-হল", "তুলনা-হল", "তুলনীয়-হবে", "সাদৃশ্য-হল"]·DE["gleicht"]·EN["Is-likened", "has-become-like", "was-likened", "will-be-likened"]·FR["comparer"]·heb["דּוֹמָה", "יְדֻמֶּה", "נִמְשְׁלָה", "תִּדְמֶה"]·HI["तुलनअ-कि-गयि", "सदृश-होगा", "समअन-है", "समान-है", "समान-होगा"]·ID["Diserupakan", "Diumpamakan", "akan-disamakan", "akan-diserupakan", "diumpamakan"]·IT["paragonare"]·jav["Karatoning", "Kasami", "badhe-kasamekaken", "badhé-kaupamakaken", "kadamel-upami"]·KO["비교-되리라", "비유되리니", "비유되었다"]·PT["Comparado-foi", "Foi-comparado", "será-comparado"]·RU["Подобно", "Уподобилось", "уподобилось", "уподобится"]·ES["Es-comparado", "Es-semejante", "fue-semejada", "será-comparado", "será‒comparado"]·SW["Imefananishwa", "Umefanana", "ata-fanana-na", "itafananishwa", "umefanana"]·TR["Benzetildi", "benzetildi", "benzetilecek", "benzetilecektir"]·urd["مثل-دی-گئی", "مشابہ-ہو-گا", "مشابہ-ہو-گی", "مشابہ-ہوئی", "مشابہ-ہے"]
2. to compare or liken — To draw a comparison or analogy (active/deliberative). 'To what shall I liken this generation?' (Matt 11:16; Luke 7:31) and 'With what parable shall we compare it?' (Mark 4:30) employ this rhetorical sense. Spanish 'compararemos / comparare' and French 'comparer' show the active, intentional search for the right image. This is the teacher's tool for inviting listeners into fresh seeing. 5×
AR["أُشَبِّهُ", "أُشَبِّهُهَا", "نُشَبِّهُ"]·ben["তুলনা-করব"]·DE["gleichmachen", "gleicht"]·EN["may-we-compare", "shall-I-liken", "will-I-compare"]·FR["comparer"]·heb["אֲדַמֶּה", "נְדַמֶּה"]·HI["तुलन-करोओन", "तुलना-करूं", "तुलना-करें"]·ID["Aku-akan-mempersamakan", "akan-Aku-samakan", "kita-menyamakan"]·IT["paragonare"]·jav["Aku-badhé-ngibarataken", "Kula-badhé-ngibarataken", "bakal-ngibarataken", "upamèkaken"]·KO["비교하랴", "비교할까", "비기겠는냐", "비기리까"]·PT["compararei", "compararemos"]·RU["уподобим", "уподоблю"]·ES["compararemos", "compararé"]·SW["niifananishe", "nitaufananisha", "nitawafananisha", "tuulinganishe"]·TR["benzetelim", "benzeteyim"]·urd["تشبیہ-دوں", "مشابہ-دیں", "مشابہ-کروں"]
3. to become like or resemble — To become like or be made to resemble (resultative). Christ 'was made like his brothers in every way' (Heb 2:17), and without repentance Israel 'would have become like Sodom' (Rom 9:29). Spanish 'ser hecho semejante' and 'hubiéramos sido hechos semejantes' capture the real ontological shift. Unlike senses 1 and 2, this is not illustration but transformation, or at least the threat of it. 4×
AR["أَنْ-يُشَابِهَ", "تَتَشَبَّهوا", "تَشَبَّهوا", "شَابَهْنَا"]·ben["আমরা-সদৃশ-হতাম", "সদৃশ-হও", "সদৃশ-হওয়া", "সদৃশ-হয়ে"]·DE["gleichmachen", "gleicht"]·EN["be-like", "having-become-like", "to-be-made-like", "we-would-have-been-made-like"]·FR["comparer", "semblable"]·heb["הִדַּמוּ", "לְהִדַּמוֹת", "נִדְמִינוּ", "תִּדְמוּ"]·HI["सदृश-बनो", "सदृश-हो-गए-होते", "समान-होकर", "समान-होना"]·ID["dijadikan-serupa", "kita-menyerupai", "menjadi-sama", "menyerupai"]·IT["omoiōthēnai", "paragonare", "rendere-simile"]·jav["dados-sami", "kita-dipun-padosaken.", "mirip-kados", "nyamaa"]·KO["같아져서", "같아지기를", "같아지라", "닮았으리라"]·PT["ser-semelhante", "tendo-se-tornado-semelhantes", "teríamos-sido-semelhantes.", "vos-assemelheis"]·RU["уподобившись", "уподобиться", "уподобляйтесь"]·ES["hubiéramos-sido-hechos-semejantes", "os-asemejéis", "ser-hecho-semejante", "siendo-semejantes"]·SW["kufanana-nao", "tungefanana", "wafanane", "wakifanana-na"]·TR["benzerdik", "benzetilmeye", "benzeyin", "benzeşerek"]·urd["مشابہ-بننا", "مشابہ-ہو", "مُشابہ-ہو-کر", "ہم-بن-جاتے۔"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ὁμοι-όω, Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist ὡμοίωσα Refs 5th c.BC+:— middle, Refs 5th c.BC+:—mostly in passive, future ὁμοιωθήσομαι Refs 5th c.BC+, or in middle form ὁμοιώσομαι Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist ὡμοιώθην Refs 5th c.BC+; Epic dialect infinitive ὁμοιωθήμεναι (see. below): perfect ὡμοίωμαι Refs 5th c.BC+:—make like, ὁμοιώσασ᾽ ἐμοὶ εἴδωλον ἔμπνουν Refs 5th c.BC+; πρὸς τὰ παρόντα τὰς ὀργὰς τῶν πολλῶν ὁ.…