G3850 — παραβολή (parabolḗ)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G3850
Original: παραβολή
Transliteration: parabolḗ
Pronunciation: par-ab-ol-ay
Part of Speech: Feminine noun
Root: from παραβάλλω (paraballō, G3846) — "to throw/set alongside, compare"; compound of παρά (para, "beside") + βάλλω (ballō, "to throw/cast")
Occurrences: 48 unique verses (50 tokens) in NT, across 4 books
First Occurrence: Matt 13:3 — "And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From παραβάλλω; a similitude ("parable"), i.e. (symbolically) a fictitious narrative (of common life conveying a moral), apothegm or adage. By extension, a comparison, figure, or type — something set alongside another for illustration or analogy.

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Domain 33 — Communication
Subdomain 33.003 — Discourse Types
Co-members: ἀλληγορέω (G238, "speak allegorically"), διήγησις (G1335, "narrative"), μῦθος (G3454, "myth/fable"), κεφάλαιον (G2774, "chief point")
Domain 58 — Nature, Class, Example
Subdomain 58.010 — Archetype, Corresponding Type (Antitype)
Co-members: ἀντίτυπος (G499, "antitype"), τύπος (G5179, "pattern/type"), σκιά (G4639, "shadow"), σῶμα (G4983, "body/substance"), συστοιχέω (G4960, "corresponds to")

Note: parabolē occupies two semantic domains — a spoken-discourse form (parables of Jesus) and a typological correspondence (Hebrews' use).

UBS Semantic Domains¶

[033] Communication
[058] Nature, Class, Example

The UBS coding confirms the same double profile already visible in the Louw-Nida data: παραβολή is both a discourse form and, in Hebrews, a typological correspondence.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
parable	21	43.8%
parables	15	31.2%
a parable	10	20.8%
a figure	2	4.2%
comparison	1	2.1%
proverb	1	2.1%

"Parable" forms dominate (96%); the minority renderings ("figure," "comparison," "proverb") preserve the broader Greek sense of setting-alongside.

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Mark	12	1.8
Luke	18	1.6
Matthew	16	1.5
Hebrews	2	0.7

Confined to the Synoptic Gospels (46 of 48) and Hebrews (2). Absent from John, Acts, Pauline epistles, general epistles, and Revelation. John prefers παροιμία (G3942, "proverb/dark saying"); Hebrews is the only NT book outside the Synoptics to use παραβολή, and does so typologically (Heb 9:9; 11:19).

Semantic Categories¶

1. Extended Narrative Comparison (Jesus' Parables)¶

The dominant Synoptic sense — an illustrative story drawn from ordinary life to teach kingdom truth. - Matt 13:3 — "he spake many things unto them in parables... Behold, a sower went forth to sow" - Matt 13:24 — "Another parable put he forth... The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed" - Luke 15:3 — "he spake this parable unto them" (introducing the lost sheep) - Mark 4:2 — "he taught them many things by parables"

2. Short Saying / Proverbial Comparison¶

A brief analogical saying rather than a developed narrative. - Mark 3:23 — "said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?" - Luke 4:23 — "Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself" - Luke 6:39 — "a parable... Can the blind lead the blind?" - Mark 4:30 — "with what comparison shall we compare it?" (parabolē rendered "comparison")

3. Object Lesson from Nature¶

Observation of the natural world as a prophetic signal. - Matt 24:32 / Mark 13:28 — "learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender..." - Luke 21:29 — "Behold the fig tree, and all the trees"

4. Veiled / Hidden Speech¶

Deliberate concealment that separates insiders from outsiders. - Matt 13:10-13 — "Why speakest thou unto them in parables?... because they seeing see not" - Mark 4:11 — "unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables" - Mark 4:34 — "without a parable spake he not unto them" - Matt 13:35 — "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret"

5. Typological Figure / Symbolic Correspondence (Hebrews)¶

A historical reality that functions as a figure pointing beyond itself. This use aligns with Louw-Nida subdomain 58.010 (Archetype/Antitype). - Heb 9:9 — "Which was a figure (parabolē) for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices" — the earthly sanctuary as figure of the present/coming reality - Heb 11:19 — "from whence also he received him in a figure (parabolē)" — Isaac's deliverance as figure of resurrection

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
λέγω (legō)	G3004	22x (46%)	"spake a parable, saying..." — introduces the parable
ἔπω (epō)	G2036	15x (31%)	"he said... this parable" — same speech-introducing frame
λαλέω (laleō)	G2980	7x (15%)	"spake unto them in parables" — mode of teaching
βασιλεία (basileia)	G932	7x (15%)	"the kingdom of heaven/God is like..." — kingdom parables
ἀκούω (akouō)	G191	8x (17%)	"hear / heard... the parable" — audience response
γινώσκω (ginōskō)	G1097	8x (17%)	"know / perceive... the parable" — understanding/incomprehension
ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos)	G444	6x (12%)	"a certain man" — narrative opener
ἀμπελών (ampelōn)	G290	4x (8%)	vineyard as parable setting
σπείρω (speirō)	G4687	4x (8%)	sower/sowing parables
συκῆ (sykē)	G4808	4x (8%)	fig-tree parable
μαθητής (mathētēs)	G3101	5x (10%)	disciples asking about the parable
ὄχλος (ochlos)	G3793	5x (10%)	crowd as parable audience

Word Family / Cognates¶

G3846 παραβάλλω (paraballō) — parent verb: "to cast/set alongside, compare, arrive" (Acts 20:15; Mark 4:30 variant)

Synonyms¶

G3942 παροιμία (paroimia) — the clearest functional synonym returned by search_relationships.py; John's preferred term for proverb/dark-saying discourse.

Additional raw candidates surfaced by search_relationships.py (G4592 σημεῖον, G854 ἀφανισμός, G1543 ἑκατοντάρχης, G1399 δούλη, G3666 ὁμοιόω, G1122 γραμματεύς, G3680 ὀνειδισμός). These overlap only loosely with παραβολή and are better handled as broad lexical-neighbor noise than as direct substitutes.

Antonyms¶

G3398 μικρός (mikros) — returned by search_relationships.py; best read as a size/scale contrast, not a normal genre-level opposite of παραβολή.
G531 ἀπαράβατος (aparabatos) — returned by the Greek antonym heuristic ([alpha-privative]); "inviolable/not transgressing," so it functions only as a heuristic contrast here rather than a standard lexical antonym.

Easily Confused Words (KJV shared translations)¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
παροιμία (paroimia)	G3942	"parable" (John 10:6)	paroimia = proverb/dark saying/figure; used in John instead of parabolē; emphasizes obscurity rather than comparison
ἀλληγορέω (allēgoreō)	G238	"allegory" (Gal 4:24)	Paul's term for allegorical interpretation of history; parabolē is the composition, allēgoreō the interpretive method
τύπος (typos)	G5179	"figure / pattern / ensample"	typos = mold/pattern stamped by event (Rom 5:14; 1 Cor 10:6); parabolē in Heb = the historical event functioning as figure
ἀντίτυπος (antitypos)	G499	"figure" (Heb 9:24; 1 Pet 3:21)	antitypos = the corresponding counterpart; parabolē = the figure itself
σκιά (skia)	G4639	figurative language (Heb 8:5; 10:1)	skia = shadow of coming reality; parabolē in Heb 9:9 operates in the same typological register
ὑπόδειγμα (hypodeigma)	G5262	"example / pattern" (Heb 8:5; 9:23)	hypodeigma = copy/specimen; parallel to parabolē in Hebrews' sanctuary theology

Domain 58.010 Neighbors (Archetype/Antitype)¶

Word	Strong's	Total vv	Primary KJV
ἀντίτυπος	G499	2	"the like figure" / "figures"
τύπος	G5179	4	"ensamples" / "pattern"
σκιά	G4639	7	"shadow"
σῶμα	G4983	116	"body"
συστοιχέω	G4960	1	"answereth to"

Hebrew Source (LXX background)¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	Co-occ	PMI	Score	Notes
מָשָׁל (māshāl)	H4912	28	8.99	30.28	Primary bridge — proverb, parable, byword, similitude
מָשַׁל (māshal)	H4911	7	8.37	17.40	Denominative verb "to use a proverb, compare"
חִידָה (chîdâh)	H2420	5	7.70	13.80	Riddle, dark saying (paired with mashal in Ps 78:2; Prov 1:6)
שְׁנִינָה (shᵉnînâh)	H8148	3	9.05	12.55	Byword, taunt
נָשָׂא (nāsâ')	H5375	9	3.41	7.86	"Take up" (a parable/proverb) — idiom nāsâ' māshāl

The LXX regularly translates māshāl with parabolē, carrying the word's full Hebrew range (proverb, riddle, taunt-song, prophetic oracle, comparison) into NT Greek. Matt 13:35's quotation of Ps 78:2 explicitly renders māshāl as parabolē.