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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
H3644-07 Isaiah 26:17 כְּמ֤וֹ kemo HR Like as like like
H3644-07 Isaiah 26:18 כְּמ֖וֹ kemo HR as it were like like
H3644-07 Isaiah 30:22 כְּמ֣וֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-05 Isaiah 38:19 כָּמ֣וֹ/נִי kamoni HR/Sp1cs as I like me like me
H3644-07 Isaiah 41:25 כְּמוֹ kemo HR as upon like like
H3644-18 Isaiah 41:25 וּ/כְמ֥וֹ ukhemo HC/R and as and like and like
H3644-14 Isaiah 44:7 כָמ֣וֹ/נִי khamoni HR/Sp1cs like me like me like me
H3644-05 Isaiah 46:9 כָּמֽוֹ/נִי kamoni HR/Sp1cs like me like me like me
H3644-07 Isaiah 51:6 כְּמוֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-03 Jeremiah 10:6 כָּמ֖וֹ/ךָ kamokha HR/Sp2ms like you like you like you
H3644-03 Jeremiah 10:7 כָּמֽוֹ/ךָ kamokha HR/Sp2ms like you like you like you
H3644-07 Jeremiah 13:21 כְּמ֖וֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-07 Jeremiah 15:18 כְּמ֣וֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-02 Jeremiah 30:7 כָּמֹ֑/הוּ kamohu HR/Sp3ms it like him like it
H3644-14 Jeremiah 49:19 כָמ֨וֹ/נִי֙ khamoni HR/Sp1cs is like me like me like me
H3644-16 Jeremiah 50:26 כְמוֹ khemo HR like like like
H3644-14 Jeremiah 50:44 כָמ֨וֹ/נִי֙ khamoni HR/Sp1cs is like me like me like me
H3644-11 Ezekiel 5:9 כָמֹ֖/הוּ khamohu HR/Sp3ms like-it like him like it
H3644-07 Ezekiel 16:57 כְּמ֗וֹ kemo HR as like like
H3644-07 Hosea 7:4 כְּמ֣וֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-07 Hosea 8:12 כְּמוֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-07 Hosea 13:7 כְּמוֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-02 Joel 2:2 כָּמֹ֗/הוּ kamohu HR/Sp3ms like it like him like him
H3644-03 Micah 7:18 כָּמ֗וֹ/ךָ kamokha HR/Sp2ms like you like you like you
H3644-07 Habakkuk 3:14 כְּמוֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-11 Haggai 2:3 כָמֹ֛/הוּ khamohu HR/Sp3ms like it like him like it
H3644-01 Zechariah 5:3 כָּמ֣וֹ/הָ kamoha HR/Sp3fs according to it like her like her
H3644-01 Zechariah 5:3 כָּמ֥וֹ/הָ kamoha-2 HR/Sp3fs according to it like her like her
H3644-07 Zechariah 9:15 כְּמוֹ kemo HR as like like
H3644-16 Zechariah 10:2 כְמוֹ khemo HR like like like
H3644-07 Zechariah 10:7 כְּמוֹ kemo HR as like as
H3644-07 Zechariah 10:8 כְּמ֥וֹ kemo HR as like as
H3644-07 Psalms 29:6 כְּמוֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-07 Psalms 29:6 כְּמ֣וֹ kemo-2 HR like like like
H3644-12 Psalms 35:10 כָ֫מ֥וֹ/ךָ khamokha HR/Sp2ms is like you like you is like you
H3644-12 Psalms 50:21 כָמ֑וֹ/ךָ khamokha HR/Sp2ms like you like you like you
H3644-07 Psalms 58:5 כְּמוֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-16 Psalms 58:8 כְמוֹ khemo HR like like like
H3644-07 Psalms 58:8 כְּמ֣וֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-07 Psalms 58:9 כְּמ֣וֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-07 Psalms 58:10 כְּמוֹ kemo HR as like like
H3644-07 Psalms 58:10 כְּמוֹ kemo-2 HR as like like
H3644-07 Psalms 61:7 כְּמוֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-07 Psalms 63:6 כְּמ֤וֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-12 Psalms 71:19 כָמֽוֹ/ךָ khamokha HR/Sp2ms is like You like you like you
H3644-16 Psalms 73:15 כְמ֑וֹ khemo HR thus like like
H3644-07 Psalms 78:13 כְּמוֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-07 Psalms 78:69 כְּמוֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-07 Psalms 79:5 כְּמוֹ kemo HR like like like
H3644-03 Psalms 86:8 כָּמ֖וֹ/ךָ kamokha HR/Sp2ms like you like you like you
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