Topical Encyclopedia
The term "like" in the Bible is often used to draw comparisons, illustrate parables, and convey spiritual truths through similes and metaphors. It serves as a linguistic tool to help readers and listeners understand complex or abstract concepts by relating them to familiar experiences or objects.
Old Testament UsageIn the Old Testament, "like" is frequently used in poetic and prophetic literature to create vivid imagery. For example, in the Psalms, David often uses "like" to describe God's attributes or actions.
Psalm 103:13 states, "As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him." Here, the compassion of God is likened to the compassion of a father, providing a relatable image of divine love and care.
The prophets also employ "like" to communicate their messages. In
Isaiah 40:31 , it is written, "But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint." The comparison to eagles conveys the strength and endurance granted by God to those who trust in Him.
New Testament UsageIn the New Testament, Jesus frequently uses "like" in His parables to illustrate the Kingdom of Heaven. For instance, in
Matthew 13:31-32 , Jesus says, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." This comparison highlights the growth and expansive nature of God's Kingdom from humble beginnings.
The Apostle Paul also uses "like" to explain spiritual truths. In
1 Corinthians 13:12 , he writes, "For now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." Here, Paul uses the metaphor of a mirror to describe the partial understanding of spiritual realities in the present age compared to the complete understanding that will come in the future.
Theological ImplicationsThe use of "like" in the Bible underscores the importance of analogy in theological discourse. By comparing spiritual truths to everyday experiences, the biblical authors make divine concepts more accessible to human understanding. This method of teaching reflects the incarnational nature of God's revelation, where the infinite is communicated through the finite.
Practical ApplicationFor believers, the use of "like" in Scripture encourages meditation on the comparisons made and their deeper meanings. It invites readers to explore the richness of biblical imagery and to apply these insights to their spiritual lives. Understanding these comparisons can enhance one's appreciation of God's character, the nature of His Kingdom, and the realities of the Christian life.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
superl.) Having the same, or nearly the same, appearance, qualities, or characteristics; resembling; similar to; similar; alike; -- often with in and the particulars of the resemblance; as, they are like each other in features, complexion, and many traits of character.
2. (superl.) Equal, or nearly equal; as, fields of like extent.
3. (superl.) Having probability; affording probability; probable; likely.
4. (superl.) Inclined toward; disposed to; as, to feel like taking a walk.
5. (n.) That which is equal or similar to another; the counterpart; an exact resemblance; a copy.
6. (n.) A liking; a preference; inclination; -- usually in pl.; as, we all have likes and dislikes.
7. (a.) In a manner like that of; in a manner similar to; as, do not act like him.
8. (a.) In a like or similar manner.
9. (a.) Likely; probably.
10. (v.) To suit; to please; to be agreeable to.
11. (v.) To be pleased with in a moderate degree; to approve; to take satisfaction in; to enjoy.
12. (v.) To liken; to compare.
13. (v. i.) To be pleased; to choose.
14. (v. i.) To have an appearance or expression; to look; to seem to be (in a specified condition).
15. (v. i.) To come near; to avoid with difficulty; to escape narrowly; as, he liked to have been too late. Cf. Had like, under Like, a.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
LIKE; LIKEN; LIKENESS; LIKINGlik, lik'-n, lik'-nes, lik'-ing:
(1) As a noun, "like" in modern English is virtually obsolete, except in the phrase "and the like," which is not found in English Versions of the Bible. "The like," however, occurs in1 Kings 10:20 parallel2 Chronicles 9:192 Chronicles 1:12;Ezekiel 5:9;Ezekiel 18:10 (the Revised Version (British and American) "any one of these things"-the text is uncertain); 45:25:00;Joel 2:2; The Wisdom of Solomon 16:1 (the Revised Version (British and American) "creatures like those"); Sirach 7:12. "His like" is found inJob 41:33; Sirach 13:15; "their like" in Sirach 27:9. "And such like" (Galatians 5:21) is only slightly archaic, but "doeth not such like" (Ezekiel 18:14) is quite obsolete.
(2) As an adjective "like" is common in the King James Version in such combinations as "like manner" (frequently), "like weight" (Exodus 30:34), "like occupation" (Acts 19:25), etc. Modern English would in most cases replace "like" by "the same," as has been done in1 Thessalonians 2:14 the Revised Version (British and American) (compareRomans 15:5Philippians 2:2). So the Revised Version (British and American) has modernized the archaic "like precious faith" of2 Peter 1:1 by inserting "a" before "like." The King James Version's rendering of1 Peter 3:21, "the like figure whereunto," could not have been very clear at any time, and the Revised Version (British and American) has revised completely into "after a true likeness" (margin, "in the antitype").
(3) As an adverb "like" is used inJeremiah 38:9, "He is like to die";Jonah 1:4, "like to be broken." the Revised Version (British and American) could have used "likely" in these verses. Most common of all the uses of "like" is the quasi-prepositional construction in "He is like a man," etc. This is of course good modern English, but not so when "like" is enlarged (as it usually is in the English Versions of the Bible) into the forms "like to" (Daniel 7:5), "like unto" (very common), "like as" (Isaiah 26:17, etc.). These forms and the simple "like" are interchanged without much distinction, and the Revised Version (British and American) has attempted little systematizing beyond reducing the occurrences of "like as" (compareMatthew 12:13, and the American Standard Revised VersionIsaiah 13:4Jeremiah 23:29).
(4) The verb "like" has two distinct meanings, "be pleased with" and "give pleasure to." The latter sense occurs inDeuteronomy 23:16 (The King James Version, the English Revised Version), "in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best," and inEsther 8:8Amos 4:5 the King James Version; Sirach 33:13 (the American Standard Revised Version has "pleaseth" in the three Old Testament passages). The other use of "like" belongs also to modern English, although in a much weakened sense. On account of this weakening,1 Chronicles 28:4 the King James Version, "liked me to make me king" andRomans 1:28 the King James Version "did not like to retain God," have become in the Revised Version (British and American) "took pleasure in" and "refused to" (margin "did not approve"). It would have been better ifDeuteronomy 25:7, 8, "like not to take," had been modified also into "hath no wish to take." From this use of "like" is derived liking in the modern sense in The Wisdom of Solomon 16:21, tempered itself to every man's liking" (the Revised Version (British and American) "choice"). In 1 Esdras 4:39, "All men do well like of her works" is a further obsolete use.
(5) Liken and "make like" are common. To be noted only is that, inHebrews 7:3, "made like unto the Son of God," the sense really is "likened to," "presented by the writer with the qualities of." Likeness normally means "a copy of," but inPsalm 17:15 it means the actual form itself ("form" in the American Standard Revised Version, the English Revised Version margin); compareRomans 6:5;Romans 8:3Philippians 2:7, and perhapsActs 14:11. Closely allied with likeness" is an obsolete use of "liking" (quite distinct from that above) inJob 39:4 the King James Version the English Revised Version, "Their young ones are in good liking"Daniel 1:10, "see your faces worse liking." The meaning is "appearance," "appearing," and the American Standard Revised Version renders "their young ones become strong," "see your faces worse looking." Likewise varies in meaning from the simple conjunction "and" to a strong adverb, "in exactly the same way." the Revised Version (British and American) has made some attempt to distinguish the various forces (e.g. compare the King James Version with the Revised Version (British and American) inLuke 22:36;Luke 15:7;Luke 22:20). But complete consistency was not attainable, and in certain instances was neglected deliberately, in order to preserve the familiar wording, as inLuke 10:37, "Go, and do thou likewise."
Burton Scott Easton
Greek
3666. homoioo -- to makelike... to make
like. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: homoioo Phonetic Spelling:
(hom-oy-o'-o) Short Definition: I make
like, liken, compare Definition: I make
...5613. hos -- as,like as, even as, when, since, as long as
... as,like as, even as, when, since, as long as. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration:
hos Phonetic Spelling: (hoce) Short Definition: as,like as, how, while...
3664. homoios --like, resembling, the same as
...like, resembling, the same as. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: homoios
Phonetic Spelling: (hom'-oy-os) Short Definition:like, similar to Definition...
5616. hosei -- as if, as it were,like
... as if, as it were,like. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: hosei Phonetic
Spelling: (ho-si') Short Definition: as if, as it were,like, about Definition...
3663. homoiopathes -- oflike feelings or affections
... oflike feelings or affections. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: homoiopathes
Phonetic Spelling: (hom-oy-op-ath-ace') Short Definition: oflike...
871. aphomoioo -- to makelike
... to makelike. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: aphomoioo Phonetic Spelling:
(af-om-oy-o'-o) Short Definition: I assimilate, makelike to Definition: I...
407. andrizo -- to behavelike a man, to play the man
... to behavelike a man, to play the man. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: andrizo
Phonetic Spelling: (an-drid'-zom-ahee) Short Definition: I actlike a man...
3945. paromoiazo -- to belike
... to belike. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: paromoiazo Phonetic Spelling:
(par-om-oy-ad'-zo) Short Definition: I resemble Definition: I resemble, amlike....
3946. paromoios -- muchlike
... muchlike. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: paromoios Phonetic Spelling:
(par-om'-oy-os) Short Definition:like, similar Definition:like, similar....
1141. daimoniodes -- demon-like
... demon-like. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: daimoniodes Phonetic Spelling:
(dahee-mon-ee-o'-dace) Short Definition: demon-like Definition: demon-like...
Strong's Hebrew
1819. damah -- to belike, resemble... 1818, 1819. damah. 1820 . to be
like, resemble. Transliteration: damah Phonetic
Spelling: (daw-maw') Short Definition:
like. Word Origin a prim.
...3644. kemo --like, as, when
kemo or kamo. 3643, 3644. kemo or kamo. 3645 .like, as, when. Transliteration:
kemo or kamo Phonetic Spelling: (kem-o') Short Definition:like....
1821. demah -- to belike
... 1820, 1821. demah. 1822 . to belike. Transliteration: demah Phonetic Spelling:
(dem-aw') Short Definition:like. Word Origin (Aramaic...
4911. mashal -- to represent, belike
... 4910, 4911. mashal. 4911a . to represent, belike. Transliteration: mashal
Phonetic Spelling: (maw-shal') Short Definition:like....
8246. shaqad -- to be shapedlike almonds
... to be shapedlike almonds. Transliteration: shaqad Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-kad')
Short Definition: almond.... makelike unto, after the fashion of almonds....
4911a. mashal -- to represent, belike
... 4911, 4911a. mashal. 4911b . to represent, belike. Transliteration: mashal
Short Definition:like. Word Origin a prim. root Definition...
7739. shvah -- to becomelike
... 7738, 7739. shvah. 7739a . to becomelike. Transliteration: shvah Phonetic
Spelling: (shev-aw') Short Definition:like. makelike...
7739a. shevah -- to becomelike
... 7739, 7739a. shevah. 7739b . to becomelike. Transliteration: shevah
Short Definition:like. Word Origin (Aramaic) corresponding...
4320. Mikayah -- "Who islike Yah?" the name of several Israelites
... Mikayah. 4321 . "Who islike Yah?" the name of several Israelites. Transliteration:
Mikayah Phonetic Spelling: (me-kaw-yaw') Short Definition: Micaiah....
2636. chaspas -- scale-like
... 2635, 2636. chaspas. 2637 . scale-like. Transliteration: chaspas Phonetic
Spelling: (khas-pas') Short Definition: thing. Word Origin...
Library
With andLike Christ
... WITH ANDLIKE CHRIST. 'Now... Jesus! That is where they have got their boldness.
They arelike Him.'. As is the Master, so is the servant....
How to becomelike Christ
How to becomelike Christ. <. How to becomelike Christ Marcus Dods.
Produced by Jonathon Love Table of Contents. Title Page....
Like Precious Faith
... PETERLIKE PRECIOUS FAITH.... Them that have obtainedlike precious faith with us through
the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.'"2 Peter 1:1....
This Thy Stature isLike to a Palmtree, and Thy Breasts to...
... CHAPTER VII. 7. This thy stature islike to a palmtree, and thy breasts
to clusters of grapes. Thy stature, that is, thy whole soul...
Like the Beams that from the Sun
... PENTECOSTLike the beams that from the sun. tr., John Brownlie 7,7,7,3. I.Like
the beams that from the sun,. Pierce the blackness of the night,....
Like one of Us.
... XVII.Like One of Us....Like all other outgoing works of God, the preparation of
the body of Christ is a divine work common to the three Persons....
Meditations for one that isLike to Die.
... THE PRACTICE OF PIETY. MEDITATIONS FOR ONE THAT ISLIKE TO DIE. If thy
sickness belike to increase unto death, then meditate on...
Like Teacher,Like Scholar
...LIKE TEACHER,LIKE SCHOLAR....Like other teachers, He too had His favourite sayings,
the light of which He was wont to flash into many dark places....
Popular Science,Like that of Mr. ...
... Chapter 29 Popular science,like that of Mr.? Popular science,like that of
Mr. Blatchford, is in this matter as mild as old wives' tales....
Whether any Creature Can beLike God?
... THE PERFECTION OF GOD (THREE ARTICLES) Whether any creature can belike God?
Objection 1: It seems that no creature can belike God....
Thesaurus
Like (10728 Occurrences)... qualities, or characteristics; resembling; similar to; similar; alike; -- often
with in and the particulars of the resemblance; as, they are
like each other in
...Like-minded (5 Occurrences)
Like-minded. Likeminded,Like-minded. Liken . Noah Webster's Dictionary
(a.) Having alike disposition or purpose; of the same mind....
Bird-like (2 Occurrences)
Bird-like. Bird-catcher, Bird-like. Bird-net . Multi-Version
Concordance Bird-like (2 Occurrences). Isaiah 8:19 And...
Like-affected (1 Occurrence)
Like-affected.Like,Like-affected. Liked . Multi-Version Concordance
Like-affected (1 Occurrence). Acts 14:15 and saying...
King-like (1 Occurrence)
King-like. Kingdoms, King-like. Kingly . Multi-Version Concordance
King-like (1 Occurrence). Esther 8:15 And Mordecai...
Crystal-like (1 Occurrence)
Crystal-like. Crystal-clear, Crystal-like. Cub . Multi-Version Concordance
Crystal-like (1 Occurrence). Revelation 21:11 having the glory of God....
Forest-like (1 Occurrence)
Forest-like. Forestalling, Forest-like. Forests . Multi-Version
Concordance Forest-like (1 Occurrence). Ezekiel 31:3...
Demon-like (1 Occurrence)
Demon-like. Demonized, Demon-like. Demonology . Multi-Version
Concordance Demon-like (1 Occurrence). James 3:15 this...
Flake-like (1 Occurrence)
Flake-like. Flake, Flake-like. Flakes . Multi-Version Concordance
Flake-like (1 Occurrence). Exodus 16:14 When the dew...
Scale-like (1 Occurrence)
Scale-like. Scaled, Scale-like. Scales . Multi-Version Concordance
Scale-like (1 Occurrence). Exodus 16:14 And when...
Resources
What does God look like? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean to love like Jesus? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does Satan look like? What do demons look like? | GotQuestions.orgLike: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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