μιμοῦ
miméomai
imitate
To imitate, to emulate the actions, behaviors, or example of another. Primarily signifies taking another as a model and acting in a manner patterned after them, either in conduct, faith, teaching, or behavior. Can express general imitation, as well as the specific idea of following the example set, often with positive moral or communal overtones in the New Testament.
3 John 1:11 · Word #3
Lexicon G3401
| Lemma | μιμέομαι |
| Transliteration | miméomai |
| Strong's | G3401 |
| Definition | To imitate, to emulate the actions, behaviors, or example of another. Primarily signifies taking another as a model and acting in a manner patterned after them, either in conduct, faith, teaching, or behavior. Can express general imitation, as well as the specific idea of following the example set, often with positive moral or communal overtones in the New Testament. |
Morphology V PRS MID IMP 2P SG
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state of being |
| Tense | PRS — Present — Ongoing or repeated action |
| Voice | MID — Middle — The subject acts on itself or in its own interest |
| Mood | IMP — Imperative — A command or request |
| Person | 2P — 2nd person — The one spoken to ("you") |
| Number | SG — Singular — One |
Common Translation
| Phrase | imitate |
| Literal | imitate |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | μιμέομαι |
| Strong's | G3401 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G3401-03
Be imitating
| Morphological Notes | Verb; present tense (ongoing action), middle voice (self-involved), imperative mood (command), 2nd person singular. |
| Rendering Rationale | The present middle imperative, second person singular, calls for ongoing action: "be imitating." The middle voice highlights the subject’s personal engagement or self-involvement in modeling oneself after another. |
View full lexicon entry for G3401 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
be imitating
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Adjusted capitalization for P2; the participle form in Greek is best rendered in this context as 'be imitating' as an exhortation. P1 is already accurate apart from this. |