Greek noun (feminine) · G3850
παραβολή
parabolepar-ab-ol-ay'
a placing beside, juxtaposition (Polyb., al.).; a comparing, comparison (Plat., Arist., al.).; a comparison, illustration, analogy, figure (Arist., al.)
50 uses in the Greek text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key
Concordance spelling: parabolḗ
Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's G3850is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.
- 4 of 27New Testament books
- 9spellings
- 3meanings
The definition in full
Strong's key (1890) · G3850
a similitude ("parable"), i.e. (symbolic) fictitious narrative (of common life conveying a moral), apothegm or adage
The King James renders it: comparison, figure, parable, proverb.
James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.
Summary
parabole is rendered "a placing beside, juxtaposition (Polyb., al.).; a comparing, comparison (Plat., Arist., al.).; a comparison, illustration, analogy, figure (Arist., al.)". It stands 50 times in the Greek text, across four books.
- Eighteen of the uses stand in Luke, more than in any other book.
- The lexicon lists three meanings for it, beginning with "a placing beside, juxtaposition (Polyb., al.).".
- Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Matthew 13:3And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
- The Greek text spells it nine different ways.
The first use
And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
Matthew 13:3παραβολαῖς
The first use, in the order of the New Testament's books.
Where the word stands
What the word means
The word carries three meanings: a placing beside, juxtaposition (Polyb., al.)., and a comparing, comparison (Plat., Arist., al.)., and a comparison, illustration, analogy, figure (Arist., al.).
Each meaning, and the words it is translated by
| Meaning | Tagged as | Where |
|---|---|---|
| a placing beside, juxtaposition (Polyb., al.). | Tagged as
| WhereMatthew 13:3And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. |
| a comparing, comparison (Plat., Arist., al.). | Tagged aslisted under the table | Wherein the ledger below |
| a comparison, illustration, analogy, figure (Arist., al.)Mat.24:32 | Tagged as
| WhereMatthew 13:3And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. |
The words built on the same word-part
Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.
| Word | Written | Meaning | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| παρά | para | from/with/beside | Uses192 |
| παραδίδωμι | paradidomi | to deliver | Uses119 |
| παρακαλέω | parakaleo | to plead/comfort | Uses108 |
| παραλαμβάνω | paralambano | to take | Uses49 |
| παραγίνομαι | paraginomai | to come | Uses36 |
| παραγγέλλω | parangello | to order | Uses31 |
| παράκλησις | paraklesis | encouragement | Uses29 |
| παράπτωμα | paraptoma | trespass | Uses19 |
| παρατίθημι | paratithemi | to set before | Uses19 |
| παράδοσις | paradosis | tradition | Uses13 |
| παραιτέομαι | paraiteomai | to refuse/excuse | Uses12 |
| παράγω | parago | to pass | Uses10 |
and 54 more on the stem.
The words it stands beside
All 50, in canonical order
Every use, in order
Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.
9 spellings and their grammar
STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.
How it is spelled
- παραβολὴν22
- παραβολαῖς12
- παραβολήν4
- παραβολὰς3
- παραβολῆς3
- παραβολή2
- παραβολῇ2
- παραβολάς1
- παραβολὴ1
The grammar of each form
- noun · accusative (object) · feminine singular26N-ASF
- noun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine plural12N-DPF
- noun · accusative (object) · feminine plural4N-APF
- noun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singular3N-GSF
- noun · nominative (subject) · feminine singular3N-NSF
- noun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine singular2N-DSF
Matthew
seventeen uses
And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
- παραβολαῖςparabolaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”
- παραβολαῖςparabolaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’
- παραβολαῖςparabolaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
Consider, then, the parable of the sower:
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field.
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable.
- παραβολαῖςparabolaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
- παραβολῆςparabolesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: a parable
So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
- παραβολαῖςparabolaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
When Jesus had finished these parables, He withdrew from that place.
- παραβολὰςparabolasnoun · accusative (object) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that Jesus was speaking about them.
- παραβολὰςparabolasnoun · accusative (object) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
Once again, Jesus spoke to them in parables:
- παραβολαῖςparabolaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near.
- παραβολήνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
Mark
thirteen uses
So Jesus called them together and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?
- παραβολαῖςparabolaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said,
- παραβολαῖςparabolaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.
- παραβολάςparabolasnoun · accusative (object) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables,
- παραβολαῖςparabolaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
- παραβολὰςparabolasnoun · accusative (object) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?
- παραβολῇparaboleanoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine singulartagged: parable
With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand.
- παραβολαῖςparabolaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.
- παραβολῆςparabolesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: parables
After Jesus had left the crowd and gone into the house, His disciples inquired about the parable.
- παραβολήνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.
- παραβολαῖςparabolaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
At this, the leaders sought to arrest Jesus, for they knew that He had spoken this parable against them. But fearing the crowd, they left Him and went away.
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near.
- παραβολήνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
Luke
eighteen uses
Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in Your hometown what we have heard that You did in Capernaum.’”
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: proverb
He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will tear the new garment as well, and the patch from the new will not match the old.
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: a parable
Jesus also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: a parable
While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, He told them this parable:
- παραβολῆςparabolesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: a parable
Then His disciples asked Him what this parable meant.
- παραβολήparabolenoun · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: parable
He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’
- παραβολαῖςparabolaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: parables
Now this is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.
- παραβολήparabolenoun · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: parable
Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance.
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: a parable
“Lord,” said Peter, “are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?”
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any.
- παραβολήνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, He told them a parable:
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: a parable
Then Jesus told them this parable:
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: a parable
To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
While the people were listening to this, Jesus proceeded to tell them a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and they thought the kingdom of God would appear imminently.
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: a parable
Then He proceeded to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to some tenants, and went away for a long time.
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
When the scribes and chief priests realized that Jesus had spoken this parable against them, they sought to arrest Him that very hour. But they were afraid of the people.
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: parable
Then Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees.
- παραβολὴνparabolennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: a parable
Hebrews
two uses
It is an illustration for the present time, because the gifts and sacrifices being offered were unable to cleanse the conscience of the worshiper.
- παραβολὴparabolenoun · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: a symbol
Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.
- παραβολῇparaboleanoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine singulartagged: a simile
Where it leads
How the numbers are counted
Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.
Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.
The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.
The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.
