likeness

Definition

The term “likeness” refers to something or someone being the same as or similar to, or having similar characteristics to something or someone else.

• People were created in God’s “likeness,” that is, in his “image.” It means that they have qualities or characteristics that are “like” or “similar to” qualities that God has, such as the ability to think, feel, and communicate.
• To have “the likeness of” something or someone means to have characteristics that look like that thing or person.

Translation Suggestions

• In some contexts, the expression “the likeness of” could be translated as “what looked like” or “what appeared to be.”
• The expression “in the likeness of his death” could be translated as “sharing in the experience of his death” or “as if experiencing his death with him.”
• The expression “in the likeness of sinful flesh” could be translated as “being like a sinful human being” or to “be a human being.” Make sure the translation of this expression does not sound like Jesus was sinful.
• “In his own likeness” could also be translated as to “be like him” or “having many of the same qualities that he has.”
• The expression “the likeness of an image of perishable man, of birds, of four-footed beasts and of creeping things” could be translated as “idols made to look like perishable humans, or animals, such as birds, beasts, and small, crawling things.”

(See also: beast, flesh, image of God, image, perish)

Bible References

• Ezekiel 1:5
• Mark 8:24
• Matthew 17:2
• Matthew 18:3
• Psalms 73:5
• Revelation 1:12-13

Word Data

• Strong’s: H1823, H8403, H8544, G15030, G15040, G25090, G25310, G25960, G36640, G36650, G36660, G36670, G36680, G36690, G36970, G48330, G51080, G56130, G56150, G56160, G56180, G56190