COL 1:26 Parallel View

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Key: yellow:verbs, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT the mystery that had been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but now having been revealed to his saints,

UST God kept this message a secret, concealing it from people for a long time. But now he has made the message known to his people.

BSB the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.

BLB the mystery having been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but now having been manifested to His saints,

AICNT the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

OEB that truth which has been hidden from former ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to God’s people,

WEB the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints,

WMB the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his holy ones,

NET that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations, but has now been revealed to his saints.

LSV the secret that has been hid from the ages and from the generations, but now was revealed to His holy ones,

FBV This is the mystery that was hidden down through the ages and for many generations, but it's now been revealed to God's people.

TCNT the mystery that has been hidden for ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints.

T4T We did not know this message previously; that is, God concealed it from the people who lived in all the previous ages, but he has now revealed it to his people.

LEB the mystery which has been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but has now been revealed to his saints,

BBE The secret which has been kept from all times and generations, but has now been made clear to his saints,

MOF No MOF COL book available

ASV even the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,

DRA The mystery which hath been hidden from ages and generations, but now is manifested to his saints,

YLT the secret that hath been hid from the ages and from the generations, but now was manifested to his saints,

DBY the mystery which [has been] hidden from ages and from generations, but has now been made manifest to his saints;

RV even the mystery which hath been hid from all ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,

WBS even the mystery which hath been hid from all ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,

KJB Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
(Even the mystery which hath/has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:)

BB The misterie hyd sence the worlde began, and sence the begynnyng of generations: but nowe is opened to his saintes:
(The misterie hid since the world began, and since the beginning of generations: but now is opened to his saintes:)

GNV Which is the mysterie hid since the world began, and from all ages, but nowe is made manifest to his Saintes,
(Which is the mysterie hid since the world began, and from all ages, but now is made manifest to his Saintes,)

CB namely, that mystery which hath bene hyd sence the worlde beganne, and sence the begynnynge of tymes: but now is opened vnto his sayntes,
(namely, that mystery which hath/has been hid since the world began, and since the beginning of times: but now is opened unto his sayntes,)

TNT that mistery hid sence the worlde beganne and sence the begynnynge of generacions: but now is opened to his saynctes
(that mistery hid since the world began and since the beginning of generations: but now is opened to his saynctes)

WYC that Y fille the word of God, the priuyte, that was hid fro worldis and generaciouns. But now it is schewid to his seyntis,
(that I fille the word of God, the priuyte, that was hid from worldis and generations. But now it is showed to his seyntis,)

LUT nämlich das Geheimnis, das verborgen gewesen ist von der Welt her und von den Zeiten her, nun aber offenbaret ist seinen Heiligen,
(nämlich the Geheimnis, the verborgen been is from the world her and from the Zeiten her, now but offenbaret is his Heiligen,)

CLV mysterium, quod absconditum fuit a sæculis, et generationibus, nunc autem manifestatum est sanctis ejus,
(mysterium, that absconditum fuit a sæculis, and generationibus, now however manifestatum it_is sanctis eyus,)

UGNT τὸ μυστήριον τὸ ἀποκεκρυμμένον ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γενεῶν, νῦν δὲ ἐφανερώθη τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ,
(to mustaʸrion to apokekrummenon apo tōn aiōnōn kai apo tōn geneōn, nun de efanerōthaʸ tois hagiois autou,)

SBL-GNT τὸ μυστήριον τὸ ἀποκεκρυμμένον ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γενεῶν,— ⸀νῦν δὲ ἐφανερώθη τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ,
(to mustaʸrion to apokekrummenon apo tōn aiōnōn kai apo tōn geneōn,— ⸀nun de efanerōthaʸ tois hagiois autou,)

TC-GNT τὸ μυστήριον τὸ ἀποκεκρυμμένον ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γενεῶν· νυνὶ δὲ ἐφανερώθη τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ,
(to mustaʸrion to apokekrummenon apo tōn aiōnōn kai apo tōn geneōn; nuni de efanerōthaʸ tois hagiois autou,)

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

The Secret of the Good News

In Paul’s letters, the word secret (sometimes translated mystery) is applied to the Good News. Sometimes secret is used as an abbreviation for the Good News itself (2:2; 4:3; 1 Cor 2:1; Eph 1:9; 6:19). Frequently, as in Col 1:26, Paul claims that the secret had been hidden in the past but has now been revealed (see also Rom 16:25; 1 Cor 2:7; Eph 3:9). Paul does not mean by this that the Good News is a secret that has to be probed or that it is some kind of Gnostic idea only a few can discover. Rather, he adapts the term from Jewish apocalyptic teaching (the term apocalyptic is from a Greek word that means “uncovering” or “revelation”; the same word supplies the name for the book of Revelation). In the apocalyptic perspective, the plan God has mapped out for all of history already exists in his mind but is hidden from human eyes until God chooses to disclose it. For Paul, the secret plan has now been disclosed in Christ, and it is broadcast throughout the world by his apostles.

Through the Old Testament prophets, God foretold many elements of the Good News, but he kept some aspects of it hidden until he revealed them in the New Testament era. These include the full participation of Gentiles as fellow-heirs with Jews (Col 1:27; Eph 3:1-9); the indwelling of Christ in believers (Col 1:27; 2:2); and the union of Christ and the church, as illustrated by the union of husband and wife (Eph 5:32). Some elements of God’s plan are still hidden and await further revelation, such as the salvation of all Israel (Rom 11:25-27) and the transfiguration of Christians at the time of Christ’s return (1 Cor 15:51-53).

Passages for Further Study

Rom 11:25; 16:25; 1 Cor 2:1, 7; 15:51; Eph 1:9; 3:1-9; 5:32; 6:19; Col 1:26-27; 2:2; 4:3

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

τὸ μυστήριον τὸ ἀποκεκρυμμένον

the mystery ¬which /having_been/_hidden_away

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form, with God as the subject. Alternate translation: “the mystery that God had hidden”

Note 2 topic: translate-unknown

τὸ μυστήριον

the mystery

Here Paul calls “the word of God,” from 1:25, the mystery. This does not mean that it is hard to understand, but rather, it had not yet been revealed. Now, however, Paul says that it “has been revealed.” If your language would not use mystery to refer to something that has been revealed, you could replace mystery with a short descriptive phrase. Alternate translation: “the concealed message”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

τὸ ἀποκεκρυμμένον ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γενεῶν

the ¬which /having_been/_hidden_away from the ages and from the generations

This clause does not mean that the ages and the generations were unable to understand the “mystery.” Instead, from the ages and from the generations refer to the time during which the mystery was hidden. Those from whom the mystery was hidden are not expressed explicitly, but it is clear that they are those who were alive during those times. If your language would express explicitly those from whom the mystery was hidden, you could insert it into the sentence. Alternate translation: “that has been hidden from the people who lived during the ages and in the generations”

Note 4 topic: translate-unknown

ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γενεῶν

from the ages and from the generations

These phrases speak about the passage of time. The word ages refers to periods of time that are marked off by specific boundaries (often major events), while the word generations refers to time periods marked off by human birth and death. The mystery has been hidden during all these time periods up until the present time. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use equivalent expressions or short phrases. Alternate translation: “during all time periods, while people were born and died”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

νῦν

now

The word now does not refer to the time during which Paul wrote this letter. Instead, it contrasts with the ages and generations and refers to the time or “age” after the work of Jesus. If it would be helpful in your language, you could further identify what time now refers to. Alternate translation: “now that Jesus has come, it”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἐφανερώθη

/was/_revealed

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form, with God as the subject. Alternate translation: “God has revealed it”

Parallel COL 1:26