ὁμοίωσις

making like, likeness

Definition

ὁμοίωσις (omoiōsis) refers to the act or state of making something like something else, resulting in a likeness, resemblance, or similitude. It denotes a process of comparison or assimilation, where one thing is patterned after another. In its sole New Testament occurrence, James 3:9, it specifically describes the human act of likening or comparing people to the divine image, highlighting a deliberate verbal or conceptual parallel. The word carries the sense of an active 'making like' rather than a passive state of being similar.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the New Testament, in James 3:9. Here, it appears in the context of the misuse of the tongue: 'With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness (ὁμοίωσιν) of God.' The usage is accusative, objectifying the 'likeness' as the thing being produced or invoked by human speech. It describes the verbal act of comparing or equating people to God's image, underscoring the profound contradiction in using the same tongue for blessing God and cursing His image-bearers.

Etymology

Derived from the verb ὁμοιόω (homoióō, G3666), meaning 'to make like, to compare, to resemble.' The noun suffix '-σις' (-sis) indicates an action or process, thus ὁμοίωσις literally means 'a making like' or 'the process of likening.' It is related to the adjective ὅμοιος (homoios, G3664), meaning 'like' or 'similar.' The root concept is comparison and similarity, central to Greek philosophical and rhetorical discourse.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it directly engages with the doctrine of the image of God (imago Dei). In James 3:9, ὁμοίωσις is used to describe people as being 'made in the likeness of God,' echoing the language of Genesis 1:26-27. Understanding this Greek term enriches reading by emphasizing that human dignity is not a passive quality but an active, God-given resemblance that should govern our speech and conduct. It highlights the grave inconsistency of blessing God while cursing those who bear His likeness, making it a powerful word for ethics and anthropology.

In the Greco-Roman world, concepts of likeness and imitation (μίμησις, mimēsis) were important in philosophy, rhetoric, and art. The idea of patterning something after an ideal form was common. James uses this culturally understood concept to make a stark ethical point, grounding the abstract idea of 'likeness' in the concrete, biblical truth of humanity's creation. The original audience would have grasped the force of creating a 'likeness' through speech, but James redirects this to the supreme model—God Himself.

εἰκών (eikōn, G1504) — denotes an 'image' or 'representation,' often a more direct and substantive likeness (e.g., Christ as the image of God). ὁμοιότης (homoiótēs, G3665) — emphasizes the abstract quality or state of 'similarity' or 'likeness,' rather than the process of making similar.

Word Details

Scripture References