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כְּמוֹ

𐤊𐤌𐤅

kᵉmôw

H3644 preposition

SILEX Entry

Definition

A comparative preposition meaning 'like, as, similar to,' used to introduce similes, analogies, or comparisons in narrative, poetry, and legal formulations. Used to indicate resemblance, manner, measure, or standard, frequently appearing before nouns or pronouns to mark the object of comparison. Occasionally functions adverbially to express 'in this way' or 'so.'

Semantic Range

like, as, according to, in comparison with, in the manner of, so, thus

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root כּ- (kaf prefix, also associated with כֵּן 'thus'), functioning as a standalone comparative particle rather than as a prefixed form. The base prepositional idea is 'as, like' (cf. Akkadian kī-, Ugaritic km), signifying comparison or similarity. This independent form is less frequent than the prefixed כּ-, but carries the same essential sense.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Biblical Hebrew, כְּמוֹ is used principally in poetry and archaic narrative to mark explicit rhetorical or poetic comparisons (e.g., 'like a lion,' 'as a strong man,' 'similar to the days of old'). It may appear as a more emphatic or extended form compared to the regular prepositional כְּ (k-), especially before pronominal suffixes or when emphasis is warranted. Occasionally, כְּמוֹ appears in legal or wisdom texts to set a standard or norm ('as... so...'). The English translation 'like' generally suffices, but in some contexts, 'as,' 'according to,' or 'in the manner of' may better capture nuances. In later biblical books and in post-biblical Hebrew, כְּמוֹ continues as the standard comparative preposition. Care must be taken not to confuse it with כֵּן ('thus, so, accordingly'), though there is some overlap in adverbial usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or כָּמוֹ; (compare כֵּן); a form of the prefix 'k-', but used separately as, thus, so; according to, (such) as (it were, well as), in comparison of, like (as, to, unto), thus, when, worth.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

כ (kᵉmôw) — to be like, to resemble, make a comparison

Root כ to be like, to resemble, make a comparison

Word Forms

19 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3644-07 כְּמוֹ kemo HR like like like 46
H3644-03 כָּמ֔וֹ/ךָ kamokha HR/Sp2ms like you like you like you 18
H3644-02 כָּמֹ֖/הוּ kamohu HR/Sp3ms like it like him like him 16
H3644-05 כָּמ֧וֹ/נִי kamoni HR/Sp1cs like me like me like me 11
H3644-12 כָמ֥וֹ/ךָ khamokha HR/Sp2ms as you like you like you 11
H3644-16 כְמוֹ khemo HR like like like 10
H3644-11 כָמֹ֗/הוּ khamohu HR/Sp3ms like it like him like it 6
H3644-14 כָמ֣וֹ/נִי khamoni HR/Sp1cs like me like me like me 6
H3644-01 כָּמ֖וֹ/הָ kamoha HR/Sp3fs according to it like her like her 3
H3644-15 כָמֹ֖/נוּ khamonu HR/Sp1cp like us like us like us 3

Occurrences in Scripture

142 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3644-18 Genesis 19:15 וּ/כְמוֹ֙ ukhemo HC/R as and like and like
H3644-15 Genesis 34:15 כָמֹ֔/נוּ khamonu HR/Sp1cp like us like us like us
H3644-03 Genesis 41:39 כָּמֽוֹ/ךָ kamokha HR/Sp2ms as you like you like you
H3644-05 Genesis 44:15 כָּמֹֽ/נִי kamoni HR/Sp1cs I like me like me
H3644-12 Genesis 44:18 כָמ֖וֹ/ךָ khamokha HR/Sp2ms you are like you like you
H3644-05 Exodus 9:14 כָּמֹ֖/נִי kamoni HR/Sp1cs like me like me like me
H3644-11 Exodus 9:18 כָמֹ֨/הוּ֙ khamohu HR/Sp3ms like it like him like it
H3644-11 Exodus 9:24 כָמֹ֨/הוּ֙ khamohu HR/Sp3ms like it like him like it
H3644-02 Exodus 10:14 כָּמֹ֔/הוּ kamohu HR/Sp3ms like it like him like him
H3644-02 Exodus 11:6 כָּמֹ֨/הוּ֙ kamohu HR/Sp3ms like it like him like it
H3644-19 Exodus 11:6 וְ/כָמֹ֖/הוּ vekhamohu HC/R/Sp3ms nor like it and like him and like it
H3644-07 Exodus 15:5 כְּמוֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-16 Exodus 15:8 כְמוֹ khemo HR like like like
H3644-13 Exodus 15:11 כָמֹ֤/כָה khamokhah HR/Sp2ms is like you like you like you
H3644-04 Exodus 15:11 כָּמֹ֖/כָה kamokhah HR/Sp2ms is like you like you like you
H3644-02 Exodus 30:32 כָּמֹ֑/הוּ kamohu HR/Sp3ms like it like him like it
H3644-02 Exodus 30:33 כָּמֹ֔/הוּ kamohu HR/Sp3ms like it like him like it
H3644-10 Exodus 30:38 כָמ֖וֹ/הָ khamoha HR/Sp3fs like it like her like it
H3644-03 Leviticus 19:18 כָּמ֑וֹ/ךָ kamokha HR/Sp2ms as yourself like you like you
H3644-03 Leviticus 19:34 כָּמ֔וֹ/ךָ kamokha HR/Sp2ms as yourself like you as yourself
H3644-02 Numbers 23:10 כָּמֹֽ/הוּ kamohu HR/Sp3ms like his like him like his
H3644-02 Deuteronomy 4:32 כָּמֹֽ/הוּ kamohu HR/Sp3ms like it like him like it
H3644-03 Deuteronomy 5:14 כָּמֽוֹ/ךָ kamokha HR/Sp2ms as you like you like you
H3644-06 Deuteronomy 5:26 כָּמֹ֖/נוּ kamonu HR/Sp1cp as we like us like us
H3644-02 Deuteronomy 7:26 כָּמֹ֑/הוּ kamohu HR/Sp3ms like it like him like it
H3644-05 Deuteronomy 18:15 כָּמֹ֔/נִי kamoni HR/Sp1cs like me like me like me
H3644-03 Deuteronomy 18:18 כָּמ֑וֹ/ךָ kamokha HR/Sp2ms like you like you like you
H3644-12 Deuteronomy 33:29 כָמ֗וֹ/ךָ khamokha HR/Sp2ms is like you like you like you
H3644-03 Judges 8:18 כָּמ֣וֹ/ךָ kamokha HR/Sp2ms As you like you like you
H3644-17 Judges 8:18 כְמוֹ/הֶ֔ם khemohem HR/Sp3mp so were they like them like them
H3644-14 Judges 9:48 כָמֽוֹ/נִי khamoni HR/Sp1cs as I like me like me
H3644-02 1 Samuel 10:24 כָּמֹ֖/הוּ kamohu HR/Sp3ms like him like him like him
H3644-01 1 Samuel 21:10 כָּמ֖וֹ/הָ kamoha HR/Sp3fs like it like her like it
H3644-12 1 Samuel 26:15 כָמ֨וֹ/ךָ֙ khamokha HR/Sp2ms is like you like you like you
H3644-03 2 Samuel 7:22 כָּמ֗וֹ/ךָ kamokha HR/Sp2ms like you like you like you
H3644-05 2 Samuel 9:8 כָּמֽוֹ/נִי kamoni HR/Sp1cs I like me like me
H3644-15 2 Samuel 18:3 כָמֹ֖/נוּ khamonu HR/Sp1cp like us like us like us
H3644-03 1 Kings 3:12 כָּמ֨וֹ/ךָ֙ kamokha HR/Sp2ms like you like you like you
H3644-03 1 Kings 3:12 כָּמֽוֹ/ךָ kamokha-2 HR/Sp2ms like you like you like you
H3644-12 1 Kings 3:13 כָמ֥וֹ/ךָ khamokha HR/Sp2ms like you like you like you
H3644-03 1 Kings 8:23 כָּמ֣וֹ/ךָ kamokha HR/Sp2ms like you like you like you
H3644-03 1 Kings 13:18 כָּמוֹ/ךָ֒ kamokha HR/Sp2ms like you like you like you
H3644-05 1 Kings 22:4 כָּמ֧וֹ/נִי kamoni HR/Sp1cs as I like me like me
H3644-12 1 Kings 22:4 כָמ֛וֹ/ךָ khamokha HR/Sp2ms as you like you like you
H3644-05 2 Kings 3:7 כָּמ֧וֹ/נִי kamoni HR/Sp1cs as I like me as I
H3644-12 2 Kings 3:7 כָמ֛וֹ/ךָ khamokha HR/Sp2ms as you like you as you
H3644-11 2 Kings 18:5 כָמֹ֗/הוּ khamohu HR/Sp3ms like him like him like him
H3644-19 2 Kings 23:25 וְ/כָמֹ/הוּ֩ vekhamohu HC/R/Sp3ms like him and like him and like him
H3644-02 2 Kings 23:25 כָּמֹֽ/הוּ kamohu HR/Sp3ms like him like him like him
H3644-15 Isaiah 14:10 כָמ֖וֹ/נוּ khamonu HR/Sp1cp as we like us like us
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