Brief Overview of παρόμοιος (Strong’s G3946: paromoios)

Strong’s G3946: A compound adjective combining παρά (beside) with ὅμοιος (like), meaning “similar, resembling closely.” Used in Mark 7:8 regarding religious traditions that parallel but deviate from divine commands. Emphasizes similarity that falls short of genuine equivalence, particularly in religious contexts.

U- Unveiling the Word

παρόμοιος describes things that closely resemble but are not identical to something else. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus uses it to describe human traditions that parallel but ultimately distort God’s commandments. The compound structure suggests placement alongside for comparison while implying difference. Early church fathers employed this term to discuss the relationship between divine truth and human tradition. Today, it helps identify practices that appear godly but deviate from authentic biblical faith.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: παρόμοιος, paromoios, /par-OM-oy-os/
• Detailed pronunciation: par (as in ‘par’) + OM (stressed) + oy (as in ‘boy’) + os
• Part of Speech: Adjective

Etymology:

• παρα- (para-): beside
• ὅμοιος (homoios): like, similar
• Combined to express close but incomplete similarity

D – Defining Meanings

• Similar to
• Resembling closely
• Like but not identical

For compound words:
παρα- adds the concept of being alongside to ὅμοιος’s meaning of likeness, creating the sense of parallel but distinct similarity

Translation Options:

• “Similar” – emphasizes general resemblance
• “Like unto” – captures parallel nature
• “Resembling” – stresses comparative aspect

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ὅμοιος (homoios) /HOM-oy-os/ – like, without qualification
• παραπλήσιος (paraplēsios) /par-a-PLAY-see-os/ – nearly like
• ἴσος (isos) /EE-sos/ – equal, implying exact equivalence

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As an adjective, παρόμοιος exhibits:

• Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Gender: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter
• Declension: 2nd

Examples:
παρόμοιος (masc. nom. sing.)
παρόμοια (neut. nom. pl.)
παρομοίῳ (dat. sing.)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes its use in comparative contexts. Thayer’s notes its implication of deviation. LSJ documents classical usage for approximate similarity. Vine’s highlights its use in religious critique. Moulton and Milligan note its common usage in comparison contexts.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“You leave the commandment of God and hold to human tradition. And many other [παρόμοιος] similar things you do” (Mark 7:8-9)

Additional References:
Mark 7:13

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

παρόμοιος represents similarity that falls short of true equivalence, particularly significant in distinguishing human traditions from divine commands.

D – Did You Know?

• The term appears in ancient discussions of mimicry versus authenticity
• It influenced early Christian critiques of false teaching
• The word helps distinguish between genuine and superficial religious practices

[Lexicon Summary]
A compound adjective combining παρά (beside) with ὅμοιος (like), meaning “similar, resembling closely.” Used in Mark 7:8 regarding religious traditions that parallel but deviate from divine commands. Emphasizes similarity that falls short of genuine equivalence, particularly in religious contexts.

Part of speech: Adjective

Tags: #adjective #similarity #tradition #mark #jesus_teaching #compound_word #biblical_greek #new_testament #religious_critique #authenticity​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​