Exploring the Meaning of Mimeomai in Greek

μιμέομαι means “to imitate.” It appears in two exhortations in 2 Thessalonians, once in Hebrews, and once in 3 John, each time calling for a patterned likeness to a person’s conduct or a moral course.

Occurrences

“For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn’t behave ourselves rebelliously among you,” (2 Thessalonians 3:7)

Here μιμέομαι is set inside an appeal to what the readers already “know.” The act of imitating is framed as something “you ought” to do, and its content is tied to an observed way of life: “we didn’t behave ourselves rebelliously among you.” In this setting, imitation is not abstract admiration but a practical copying of publicly visible behavior within a shared community (“among you”). The phrase places weight on example as social proof: their knowledge of the apostolic team’s conduct becomes a ground for ethical obligation.

“not because we don’t have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us.” (2 Thessalonians 3:9)

μιμέομαι is explicitly anchored to the purpose of becoming “an example.” The verse contrasts entitlement (“we don’t have the right”) with chosen restraint undertaken for the readers’ sake, and it names imitation as the intended result: “that you should imitate us.” The verb thus functions as the endpoint of a deliberate, model-setting way of acting. In this scene, imitation is invited by a crafted pattern; the speakers present themselves in a form meant to be copied, implying that their conduct is legible and transferable.

“Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7)

In Hebrews, μιμέομαι is placed within a sequence: “Remember,” then “considering,” then “imitate.” The leaders are defined by their role (“men who spoke to you the word of God”), but imitation is directed specifically to “their faith.” The call is not made in isolation from observation; the readers are to weigh “the results of their conduct” and, with that outcome in view, imitate. The verb therefore operates with discernment: the community is urged to reproduce what is seen to have a certain “result” in lived conduct, integrating memory of teaching with evaluation of a life’s trajectory.

“Beloved, don’t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn’t seen God.” (3 John 1:11)

Here μιμέομαι is framed by a direct moral contrast: “don’t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good.” The object of imitation is broadened beyond particular people to “that which is evil” and “that which is good,” placing the verb into the realm of moral patterning. The verse immediately interprets these paths in terms of doing: “He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn’t seen God.” In this setting, imitation is not merely copying an external form; it is aligned with habitual practice (“does good,” “does evil”) that reveals spiritual allegiance and perception.

Sense and Usage

Across these four passages, μιμέομαι consistently describes imitation as a directed, intentional act: it takes an object—either “us,” “their faith,” or a moral course (“that which is good”)—and calls the reader to shape life in that likeness. The verb is used in imperatival or obligation-laden contexts (“you ought,” “that you should,” “imitate,” “don’t imitate”), showing that imitation is treated as a matter of responsibility rather than optional interest.

In 2 Thessalonians, the object of imitation is the conduct of the writers within a shared setting. The repeated “us” ties imitation to relationships and firsthand observation. In 3:7, imitation is grounded in a negative description of the model—“we didn’t behave ourselves rebelliously among you”—so the pattern to be copied is defined partly by what it refuses. In 3:9, imitation is framed as the goal of an “example,” and the verse highlights the intentionality of exemplarity: the model is not accidental; it is chosen “to make ourselves an example to you.” Together these uses show μιμέομαι working in a community where conduct is instructive, and where leaders teach not only by speech but by embodied pattern.

Hebrews 13:7 narrows the focus of imitation to “faith,” yet it does not detach faith from behavior. The readers are told to consider “the results of their conduct,” and only then to imitate “their faith.” This places imitation at the intersection of inner commitment and outward life, with attention to outcomes. The sequence suggests that imitation is guided by reflection: memory of leaders (“Remember”) and evaluation of lived consequences (“considering the results”) provide the basis for deciding what is worthy of copying.

3 John 1:11 extends the scope by shifting from particular exemplary persons to moral patterns described as “evil” and “good.” The verb’s object is now a quality of action or a way of doing. The verse then explains these categories in terms of consistent practice (“He who does good… He who does evil…”). In this setting, imitation is presented as formative: what one chooses to copy becomes visible in what one repeatedly does. The exhortation also shows that imitation can be refused; μιμέομαι is something one can be commanded not to do, suggesting that patterns compete for reproduction within a community’s life.

Read together, these passages depict imitation as a mechanism of moral and communal formation. It transmits a way of life through example (“make ourselves an example”), through remembered instruction (“men who spoke to you the word of God”), and through conscious selection between rival models (“don’t imitate… but…”). The verb thus sits close to the everyday processes by which communities learn: observing conduct “among you,” remembering leaders, assessing outcomes, and choosing which patterns to reproduce.

Implied Imagery

The imagery carried by μιμέομαι in these verses is concrete and social: a recognizable pattern of conduct set “among you,” a leader’s life whose “results” can be considered, and two opposing moral paths—“evil” and “good”—held out as rival templates for action. Imitation appears as the act of taking what is seen in others or named as a moral course and tracing it into one’s own behavior, either by following a commendable example or by refusing a destructive one.

Sources: Lexical data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and the Translators Brief Lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (STEPBible, CC BY). Occurrence data from the Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament (STEPBible, CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).