UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

Sense 1: humble attitude, humility, without arrogance

Semantic entry: 88.53

Semantic domains: Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior

Subdomains: Humility

Definition: the quality of humility

Notes: The rendering of ταπεινοφροσύνη in RV COL 2:18 · LV COL 2:18 · Read together COL 2:18 as ‘false humility’ is justified in terms of the context, but there is nothing in the word ταπεινοφροσύνη itself which means ‘false.’ It would be possible to render ταπεινοφροσύνη in RV COL 2:18 · LV COL 2:18 · Read together COL 2:18 as ‘subjection to,’ and one might render the entire expression as ‘in abject worship of angels.’ In other languages ‘false humility’ may be rendered as ‘just pretending to be humble’ or ‘appearing to be humble but really being proud.’