ὁμοιάζω (homoiazō)
homoiazō
to resemble
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb homoiazo means to be like or to resemble something else. It is a rare word in the New Testament, appearing only twice in the Gospel of Mark and once in Matthew with variant manuscript readings. In Mark 14:70, it describes how Peter’s speech gave him away; his words resembled those of a Galilean, signaling his origin to onlookers.
Its meaning is straightforward: it indicates similarity without implying identity. The word shares its root with homoios, the common adjective for "like" or "similar," but functions as an active verb. This distinction helps clarify that while Peter’s dialect matched that of Jesus’ followers, he was not actually one of them in heart or allegiance.
Translators often render this term simply as "seemed" or "looked like." In Mark 14:70, the phrase suggests that outward appearance can be deceiving. The verb captures a moment where external traits mirror internal reality, yet fail to reflect true belonging.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word homoiazo describes a surface resemblance without true identity. In Mark 14:70, Peter’s speech revealed his origin as a Galilean, yet he was denying Jesus. This moment highlights how external traits can mirror internal reality while failing to reflect true belonging.
Outward appearances often deceive us and others. We may look like believers on the outside, but our hearts must align with Christ. This word invites honest self-examination. It reminds us that genuine faith goes deeper than mere similarity or public image.
May you seek a heart that truly belongs to Jesus, not just one that resembles His followers. Trust in His grace to shape your inner life, where true identity is found.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- resembles.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ὁμοιάζει.1×
Key Verses
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Mark 14:70
But he again denied it. After a little while again those who stood by said to Peter, “You truly are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.”
The word shows how Peter's Galilean speech exposed his origin even as he denied Jesus.