Like/as/about
ὡσείStrong’s G5616hōsei
Appears in 21 verses of the New Testament
In short
Hōsei is the Greek word usually translated “about”, “as” and “like”. It appears in 21 verses of the New Testament.
“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:”
Meaning
Usually translated “about”, “as” and “like”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.
How it's translated
- about 11
- as 5
- like 3
- as if 2
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- Luke 8
- Acts 6
- Matthew 3
- Mark 2
- Romans 1
- Hebrews 1
6 books in all.
Explore in Scripture
- Matthew 9:36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
- Matthew 14:21And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
- Mark 6:44And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
- Mark 9:26And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
- Luke 3:23And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
- Luke 9:14For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
Greek dictionary
ὡσεί hōsei · like/as/about
ὡσεί adv., (a) as if, .as it were, like as, like: Mat.3:16 9:36, Act.2:3 6:15, Rom.6:13, Heb.1:12; γίνεσθαι (φαίνεσθαι) ὡσεί, Mrk.9:26, Luk.22:44 ([WH] R, mg., om.), Luk.24:11; (b) in calculation, and with numbers, about: Mat.14:21, Luk.3:23 9:14, 28 22:41, 59 23:44, Act.2:41 10:3 19:7; ὡσεὶ λίθου βολήν, Luk.22:41.† (AS)
From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
How the English word “about” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.
ABOUT', adverb
- Near to in number or quantity.“There fell that day about three thousand men” Exodus 32:28
- Near to in quality or degree; as about as high, or as cold.
- Here and there; around; in one place and another.“Wandering about from house to house” 1 Timothy 5:13
- round, or the longest way, opposed to across, or the shortest way.“Why go ye about to kill me” John 7:19
Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.
Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.