μιμηταί-nom. pl. sing. μιμητής (imitator, one who mimics with another) and the obj. gen. shows who should be copied. μιμηταί comes from the verb μιμέομαι, which means to imitate, to mimic. The nominal ending identifies the agent (doer) of an act (Rogers and Rogers).
Comparison Texts:
1 Corinthians 4:16-παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς, μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε.
Philippians 3:17-Συνμιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, ἀδελφοί, καὶ σκοπεῖτε τοὺς οὕτω περιπατοῦντας καθὼς ἔχετε τύπον ἡμᾶς·
See Ephesians 5:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2:14; Hebrews 6:12.
Harold Hoehner (Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary):
The word μιμητής is a word used in classical times that means an “imitator, copier,”[1] as an actor who “impersonates”[2] or, in the bad sense, an “imposter.”[3] A word from the same root can mean a counterfeit. A good counterfeit is as close to the original as possible. The noun is not used in the LXX but the verb is found four times (Wis 4:2; 15:9; 4 Macc 9:23; 13:9) where people are called to imitate others but never called to imitate God. In the NT it occurs six times always in conjunction with γίνομαι, “to become,” and all uses are in Paul’s writings except one. Paul asks the believers to be imitators of him (1 Cor 4:16; 11:1; 1 Thess 1:6; 2 Thess 3:7, 9 [verb form]) as he is an imitator of Christ, and it is also used of believers imitating other believers (1 Thess 2:14; Heb 6:12).[4] Therefore, it suggests an imitation of a good role model. Only in this context Paul enjoins the believers to become imitators of God.[5] The genitive is an objective genitive. They are to become imitators of the God who in 4:32 dealt graciously in Christ by likewise acting graciously.
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