Of Christ (1 Peter 2:21; John 13:15); of pastors to their flocks (Philippians 3:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:9; 1 Timothy 4:12; 1 Peter 5:3); of the Jews as a warning (Hebrews 4:11); of the prophets as suffering affliction (James 5:10).

Noah Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language

1. (n.) One or a portion taken to show the character or quality of the whole; a sample; a specimen.

2. (n.) That which is to be followed or imitated as a model; a pattern or copy.

3. (n.) That which resembles or corresponds with something else; a precedent; a model.

4. (n.) That which is to be avoided; one selected for punishment and to serve as a warning; a warning.

5. (n.) An instance serving for illustration of a rule or precept, especially a problem to be solved, or a case to be determined, as an exercise in the application of the rules of any study or branch of science; as, in trigonometry and grammar, the principles and rules are illustrated by examples.

6. (v. t.) To set an example for; to give a precedent for; to exemplify; to give an instance of; to instance.