noun · feminine
parabolas
Strong’sG3850
a parable, comparison
stem parabol-50 times in the New Testamentin 4 of 27 books6 of 10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
παραβολή most often means a comparison or illustration drawn from everyday life, used to teach a truth — the sense that gives us the parables of Jesus's teaching 134. Strong's describes this as a "similitude," a symbolic story about ordinary life that carries a moral, or an apothegm 2. Abbott-Smith notes that beyond the narrative parables proper, the word can also stand more broadly for a figure, illustration, or analogy 1, and LSJ likewise records its use for a type or symbol, as in references to earthly things standing for heavenly realities 3.
The word can also mean a proverb or byword, a traditional saying or maxim 123. Abbott-Smith notes this usage reflects a Hebrew word for a proverb or gnomic saying 1, and LSJ records that it can carry a negative sense, as when a nation becomes an object of scorn or a byword among other peoples 3.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
παραβολή, -ῆς, ἡ
(< παραβάλλω), [in LXX (cf. McNeile, Mt., 185): Nu 23:7, De 28:37, Ps 43 (44):14, Pr 1:6, Ez 12:22, al. (מָשָׁל), Si 47:17 (חִידָה), al. mutt. in Si, Wi 5:3;]
SYN.: παροιμία (v. Abbott, Essays, 82 ff.).
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G3850 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidpar-ab-ol-ay'
a similitude ("parable"), i.e. (symbolic) fictitious narrative (of common life conveying a moral), apothegm or adage
Fromfrom G3846;
King Jamescomparison, figure, parable, proverb.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
juxtaposition, comparison, τῶν βίων Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐν παραβολῇ by juxtaposition, Refs 4th c.BC+
2 comparison, illustration, analogy, τὴν π. ἀπρεπῆ πεποιῆσθαι Refs 5th c.BC+; π. δὲ τὰ Σωκρατικά (distinguished from λόγος, apologue) Refs 4th c.BC+
3 NT, parable, NT; type, Ep. Hebrew 9.9, 11.19.
4 by-word, proverb, LXX+NT; in bad sense, εἰς π. ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι LXX
5 objection to an argument, Refs 5th c.BC+
II moving side by side, ἐκ παραβολῆς [νεῶν] μάχεσθαι to fight a sea-fight broadside to broadside, Refs 2nd c.BC+
III sidelong direction, obliquity, διὰ πολλῶν ἑλιγμῶν καὶ π. Refs 1st c.AD+
IV venture, Refs 5th c.BC+
V Astron., conjunction, παραβολαὶ ἀλλήλων Refs 5th c.BC+: also falsa lectio for{περιβολή}, τοῦ ἡλίου Refs 2nd c.AD+
VI in Mathematics texts, division, opposed to multiplication, Refs 3rd c.AD+; quotient, Refssection produced by division of a line, Refs 2nd c.AD+
VII Geometry texts, application, π. τῶν χωρίων Refs 4th c.BC+; τὰ ἐκ τῆς π. γενηθέντα σημεῖα, of the foci of an ellipse or hyperbola, points found by application of an area to the axis, Refs 3rd c.BC+
VII.2 parabola, because the square on the ordinate is equal to a rectangle whose height is equal to the abscissa applied to the parameter, Refs
VIII ={παράβολον} (see. παράβολοςRefs 4th c.BC+
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | parabolas3×παραβολή | parabolais |
| object accusative | parabolan26×παραβολὴν | parabolain4×παραβολὰς |
| direct address vocative | parabolar | parabolair |
| of, belonging to genitive | parabolau3×παραβολῆς | parabolaiu |
| to, for dative | parabola2×παραβολῇ | parabolai12×παραβολαῖς |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
parabola is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
50 occurrences, every one of them listed
parabolas“parable”subjectnominative singular3×
Luke 8:9… mathētois autou tinas houtas atoiō tas parabolas.… His disciples asked Him what this parable meant.
Luke 8:11Atō de houtas tas parabolas; Tos sporos atō tos logos tou …… this is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of …
Hebrews 9:9“symbol”hotinas parabolas eis ton kairon ton enstēarēnton, kata …… an illustration for the present time, because the gifts and …
parabolan“parable”objectaccusative singular26×
Matthew 13:18Vis oun akouavar tan parabolan tou sperarantou.Consider, then, the parable of the sower:
Matthew 13:24Allosan parabolan paratithata autoi legarōntos; Homoiita tas basileias …Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like …
Matthew 13:31Allosan parabolan paratithata autoi legarōntos; Homoias atō tas …He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like …
Matthew 13:33Allosan parabolan lalata autoi; Homoias atō tas basileias …He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like …
Matthew 13:36… mathētois autou legarōntois; Diasafasar ni tan parabolan teiu zizanieiu tou agrou.… and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
Matthew 15:15… Petros legata auto; Frazasar ni tan parabolan houtan.Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
Matthew 21:33Allosan parabolan akouavar. Anthrōpos ate oikodespotos hotinos futeuata …Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted …
Matthew 24:32Apo de tau sukau mathavar tan parabolan; hotan ēdē tos klados autau geneteia …Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon …
Mark 4:13Kai legatō autoi; Ouk oidavē tan parabolan houtan, kai pōs pantain tain parabolain …… them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any …
Mark 7:17… eperōtale auton tois mathētois autou tan parabolan.… house, His disciples inquired about the parable.
Mark 12:12… gnōskala gar hoti pros autoin tan parabolan legata. kai afiēkarantois auton aperchala.… knew that He had spoken this parable against them. But fearing the crowd …
Mark 13:28Apo de tau sukau mathavar tan parabolan; hotan ēdē tos klados autau hapalos …Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon …
Luke 4:23… pros autoin; Pantōs legavi mi tan parabolan houtan; Iatror, therapeuasar siauton; hoseim akouana …… them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do …
Luke 5:36legate de kai parabolan pros autoin hoti Oudenos epiblēmem apo …He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece of …
Luke 6:39Legata de kai parabolan autoi; Mēti dunotō tuflos tuflon hodēgarō? …Jesus also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a …
Luke 12:16legata de parabolan pros autoin legarōntos; Anthrōpou tinou plousiou …Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich …
Luke 12:41… tos Petros; Kurior, pros nin tan parabolan houtan legasō ē kai pros pantoin?… said Peter, “are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else …
Luke 13:6Legate de houtan tan parabolan. Sukan echate tinos futeuorēntan en to …Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree …
Luke 14:7Legate de pros toin kalorēntoin parabolan, epecharōntos pōs tain prōtoklisiain eklegole, legarōntos …… of honor, He told them a parable:
Luke 15:3legata de pros autoin tan parabolan houtan legarōntos;Then Jesus told them this parable:
Luke 18:1Legate de parabolan autoi pros tem darō pantote proseuchorō …Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at …
Luke 18:9… dikaiois kai exouthenarōntoin toin loipoin tan parabolan houtan;… with contempt, He also told this parable:
Luke 19:11Akouarōntoiu de autoiu houteim prostitharantos legata parabolan dia tem engus arō Ierousalēm auton …… Jesus proceeded to tell them a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and …
Luke 20:9… de pros ton laon legarō tan parabolan houtan; Anthrōpos futeuata ampelōnon, kai ekdōeta …… proceeded to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented …
Luke 20:19… gar hoti pros autoin legata tan parabolan houtan.… realized that Jesus had spoken this parable against them, they sought to arrest …
Luke 21:29Kai legata parabolan autoi; Horavar tan sukan kai panteim …Then Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and …
parabolau“parable”of, belonging togenitive singular3×
Matthew 13:34… en parabolai toi ochloi, kai chōris parabolau oudenem lalate autoi;… tell them anything without using a parable.
Mark 4:34chōris de parabolau ouk lalate autoi, kata idian de …… tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to …
Luke 8:4… polan epiporeuorōntoiu pros auton legata dia parabolau;… after town, He told them this parable:
parabola“symbol”to, fordative singular2×
Mark 4:30… tou theou, ē en tina autan parabola tithaneia?… the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?
Hebrews 11:19“symbol”… tos theos; hothen auton kai en parabola komizeta.… reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.
parabolain“parables”objectaccusative plural4×
Matthew 13:53… geneta hote telata tos Iēsus tain parabolain houtain, metairata ekeithen.When Jesus had finished these parables, He withdrew from that place.
Matthew 21:45… tois archierevois kai tois Farisaiois tain parabolain autou gnōskala hoti peri autoiu legatō;… chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that Jesus was speaking …
Mark 4:10“parables”… peri auton sun toi dōdeka tain parabolain.… was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.
Mark 4:13… parabolan houtan, kai pōs pantain tain parabolain gnōskevi?… will you understand any of the parables?
parabolai“parables”to, fordative plural12×
Matthew 13:3kai lalata autoi polleim en parabolai legarōntos; Idou exerchata tos sperarōntos teu …… He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to …
Matthew 13:10… mathētois legala auto; Dia tinem en parabolai lalasō autoi?… You speak to the people in parables?”
Matthew 13:13dia houtem en parabolai autoi lalamō, hoti bleparōntois ouk blepalō …… why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see …
Matthew 13:34Houteim panteim lalata tos Iēsus en parabolai toi ochloi, kai chōris parabolau oudenem …… these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything …
Matthew 13:35… dia tou profētou legarōntou; Anoigami en parabolai tem stomem mu, ereugemi kruptorēnteim apo …… I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since …
Matthew 22:1… apokrinirantos tos Iēsus palin legata en parabolai autoi legarōntos;… again, Jesus spoke to them in parables:
Mark 3:23kai proskalerantos autoin en parabolai legate autoi; Pōs dunotō Satanos Satanon …… began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?
Mark 4:2kai didaskate autoin en parabolai polleim kai legate autoi en ta …… He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said,
Mark 4:11… theou; ekeinoi de toi exō en parabolai teim panteim genotō,… the outside everything is expressed in parables,
Mark 4:33Kai toioutai parabolai pollai lalate autoi ton logon, kathōs …With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them …
Mark 12:1Kai archeta autoi en parabolai lalarō; Ampelōnon anthrōpos futeuata, kai peritithata …… began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He …
Luke 8:10… tou theou, toi de loipoi en parabolai, hina bleparōntois mē blepaleiō kai akouarōntois …… but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may …