ὡς:— G5613
As, like (comparative); when, while (temporal); about (approximative); how! (exclamatory); as if; so as to; since
The Greek particle hos is one of the New Testament's most hardworking function words, appearing over 500 times with a semantic range strikingly parallel to its Hebrew counterpart ka'asher. At its core it draws comparisons — 'be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect' (Matt 5:48) — but it flexes readily into temporal, approximative, exclamatory, and even purposive territory. Its flexibility is mirrored across languages: French comme covers comparison and time, Spanish como spans comparison and exclamation, while German wie handles comparison, time, and exclamation alike. The particle's ability to hover between these functions is part of what makes Koine Greek so compact and expressive.
5. hypothetical comparison: as if — Hypothetical comparison: 'as if,' 'as though' — introducing an imagined or counterfactual scenario. Peter disclaims credit 'as if by our own power we had made him walk' (Acts 3:12), and plotters feign intention 'as though they would inquire more closely' (Acts 23:15). French comme si and Korean machi help distinguish this from factual comparison. 6×
AR["كَأنَّ","كَأنَّها","كَأَنَّ","كَأَنَّكُمْ","كَأَنَّهُمْ"]·ben["যেন","যেন-"]·DE["wie"]·EN["as","as-if","as-though"]·FR["comme-","ὡς"]·heb["כְּ-","כְּאִלּוּ"]·HI["कि","जैसे","भक्ति-से"]·ID["seolah-olah"]·IT["come","come-"]·jav["kados","kados-déné"]·KO["~처럼","마치","자체-의"]·PT["como-se"]·RU["будто","будто-","как","как-","как-бы"]·ES["como"]·SW["kama","kama-kwamba","kana-kwamba"]·TR["gibi","sanki"]·urd["جیسے","گویا"]
▼ 6 more senses below
Senses
1. comparative: as, like — Comparative: 'as,' 'like' — the dominant sense at roughly 78% of occurrences, drawing a likeness or manner parallel. 'Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven' (Matt 6:10) and 'be perfect as your Father is perfect' (Matt 5:48) are paradigmatic. Spanish como, French comme, and German wie all converge here with their default comparative meaning. 394×
AR["كَ","كَـ","كَما","كَمَا"]·ben["মতো","যেমন"]·DE["wie"]·EN["as","as-","like-"]·FR["comme"]·heb["כְּ","כְּ-","כְּ-הַ-","כְּמוֹ","כַּ-","כַּאֲשֶׁר"]·HI["जैसा","जैसे"]·ID["sebagai","sebagaimana","seperti"]·IT["come"]·jav["kados"]·KO["-처럼","~같이"]·PT["assim-como","como"]·RU["как"]·ES["como"]·SW["kama"]·TR["gibi","nasıl"]·urd["جیسا","جیسے"]
2. temporal: when, while — Temporal: 'when,' 'while' — introducing a time clause, especially in Luke-Acts narrative. 'When the days of his service were completed' (Luke 1:23) and 'when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting' (Luke 1:41). Korean ttae ('when') and Spanish cuando distinguish this sharply from the comparative como, confirming a genuine temporal sense. 70×
AR["حينَ","حِينَمَا","كَما","لَمَّا","لَمّا"]·ben["প্রভু","যখন","যেমন"]·DE["wie"]·EN["as","when"]·FR["comme"]·heb["כַּאֲשֶׁר"]·HI["जब","जैसा","जैसे"]·ID["Ketika","ketika"]·IT["come"]·jav["nalika"]·KO["-할-때","~처럼","같이","마치","처럼"]·PT["Quando","quando"]·RU["как","когда"]·ES["como","cuando"]·SW["alipofika","alipokaribia","alipokuja","alipokuwa","alipomaliza","aliposikia","ilipokuwa","kama","wakati","walipokamilisha","walipoondoka","zilipotimia"]·TR["gibi","nasıl","ne-zaman","ne-zaman-ki","olarak","olunca","zaman"]·urd["جب","جیسا","جیسے","جیسے-ہی"]
3. approximative: about — Approximative: 'about,' 'roughly' — used with numbers or quantities to express estimation. 'About two thousand' swine (Mark 5:13), 'about four thousand' men (Mark 8:9), and 'about twelve years old' (Luke 8:42). Spanish como retains ambiguity, but Korean yak and Hindi lagbhag unambiguously signal approximation. 18×
AR["تَقْرِيبًا","نَحوَ","نَحْوَ"]·ben["প্রায়"]·DE["wie"]·EN["about","as","in-about"]·FR["comme","comme-","ὡς"]·heb["כְּ","כְּ-"]·HI["चार-सौ","जैसे","बीच","लगभग"]·ID["kira-kira","sekitar"]·IT["come","come-"]·jav["kados","kinten-kinten","kirang-langkung","watara"]·KO["~처럼","같이","대략","마치","사람들-의","약"]·PT["a","cerca-de","como","de-cerca"]·RU["как","около","около-"]·ES["como"]·SW["kama","kama-","karibu","kwa"]·TR["-yaklaşık","gibi","yaklaşık"]·urd["تقریباً","جب","قریب","قریباً","پانچ-ہزار"]
Mark 5:13, Mark 8:9, Luke 1:56, Luke 8:42, John 1:39, John 4:6, John 6:10, John 6:19, John 11:18, John 19:14, John 19:39, John 21:8 (+6 more)
4. exclamatory: how! — Exclamatory: 'how!' — introducing an exclamation of degree or manner. 'How the women who had come with him from Galilee observed the tomb' (Luke 23:55) and 'how she had been healed immediately' (Luke 8:47). Spanish cuan/como and German wie serve double duty as exclamatory particles, confirming this reading across traditions. 17×
AR["كَـ","كَمَا","كَمْ","كَيفَ","كَيْفَ","مَا"]·ben["কত","কতই","কিভাবে","কীভাবে","কেমন","মত","যেন","যেমন","ὡς-কিভাবে"]·DE["wie"]·EN["How","how","how-"]·FR["comme","comme-","ὡς","Ὡς"]·heb["אֵיךְ","כְּ","כְּ-","כַּאֲשֶׁר","מַה-","מָה-"]·HI["कि","कैसे","जैसा","नहीं"]·ID["Betapa","bagaimana","betapa","seperti"]·IT["come","come-"]·jav["Sapinten","bilih","kados","kados-pundi","kadospundi","kepiye","sapinten"]·KO["-처럼","~처럼","같이","어떻게","어츌나","얼마나"]·PT["Como","Quão","como","quão"]·RU["-Богу","как","как-","прекрасны"]·ES["como","cuán","cómo"]·SW["Jinsi","jinsi","jinsi-","kama"]·TR["Ne-kadar","nasil","nasıl","ne"]·urd["جیسا","جیسے","کتنے","کیسا","کیسے"]
Mark 4:27, Luke 6:4, Luke 8:47, Luke 23:55, Luke 24:6, Luke 24:35, Acts 10:28, Acts 10:38, Acts 11:16, Acts 20:20, Rom 1:9, Rom 10:15 (+5 more)
6. purpose: so as to — Purpose: 'so as to,' 'in order to' — expressing intended result, typically with an infinitive. Jesus sent messengers ahead 'so as to prepare for him' (Luke 9:52), and Paul counts his life of no value 'so as to finish my course' (Acts 20:24). Spanish para and French pour confirm the purposive reading distinct from comparison. 2×
AR["كَمَا","لِـ"]·ben["যেন"]·DE["wie"]·EN["so-as"]·FR["comme","ὡς"]·heb["כְּמוֹ","לְ-"]·HI["ताकि"]·ID["sebagai","untuk"]·IT["come","come-"]·jav["supados"]·KO["-처럼","처럼"]·PT["como","para"]·RU["как","чтобы"]·ES["para"]·SW["ili","kama"]·TR["gibi","kadar"]·urd["تاکہ"]
7. temporal: since — Temporal starting-point: 'since,' 'from the time that' — marking a temporal origin. Only one occurrence: 'How long since this has been happening to him?' (Mark 9:21). Spanish desde que and French depuis que distinguish this backward-looking temporal sense from the simultaneous 'when' of sense 2. 1×
AR["مُنْذُ"]·ben["যখন-থেকে"]·DE["wie"]·EN["since"]·FR["comme"]·heb["מֵאָז"]·HI["जब-से"]·ID["sejak"]·IT["come"]·jav["wiwit"]·KO["-으로부터"]·PT["que"]·RU["как"]·ES["desde-que"]·SW["tangu"]·TR["ki"]·urd["جب-سے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ὡς:— Summary: __A as adverb of Manner. __A.Aa ὧς and ὥς (with accent), so, thus. __A.Ab ὡς (without accent) of the Relat. pronoun ὅς, as. __A.Ac ὡς Relat. and Interrog., how. __A.Ad ὡς temporal, when. __A.Ae ὡς Local, where, __B ὡς, as CONJUNCTION. __C,D various usages. adverb of Manner: __A.Aa ὥς, Demonstr., ={οὕτως}, so, thus, frequently in Refs 8th c.BC+; in Ionic dialect Prose, Refs 5th…