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OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB BLB AICNT OEB WEB WMB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE MOF JPS ASV DRA YLT DBY RV WBS KJB BB GNV CB TNT WYC SR-GNT UHB Related Parallel Interlinear Reference Dictionary Search
interlinearVerse INT GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUTH 1SA 2SA 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH EZRA NEH EST JOB PSA PRO ECC SNG ISA JER LAM EZE DAN HOS JOEL AMOS OBA YNA MIC NAH HAB ZEP HAG ZEC MAL YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs ROM 1COR 2COR GAL EPH PHP COL 1TH 2TH 1TIM 2TIM TIT PHM HEB YAC 1PET 2PET 1YHN 2YHN 3YHN YUD REV
OET (OET-LV) And he is the head of_the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, firstborn from the dead, in_order_that he may_become being_first, in all things
OET (OET-RV) He is the head of the body which is the assembly. He is the beginning, the first of the dead to come back to life, so that he would be the first in everything,
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος, τῆς ἐκκλησίας
he is the head ˱of˲_the body the assembly
Paul speaks of Jesus’ position over the church as if he were the head on the human body. As the head rules and directs the body, so Jesus rules and directs the church. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable expression or express the idea with a simile or in plain language. Alternate translation: “he rules and directs the church”
ἡ ἀρχή
the the beginning
The word beginning could refer to: (1) the origin of something; here, the origin of the church. Alternate translation: “the origin of the church” or “the one who started the church” (2) a position of power or authority. Alternate translation: “the ruler” or “the one with authority”
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν
firstborn from the dead
Paul describes Jesus’ resurrection from among the dead as if someone gave birth to him as her first child. This figure helps us to see that this new life was not like his old life, because he can never die again. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: “the first one to come back to new life” or “the first person to permanently rise from the dead”
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj
τῶν νεκρῶν
the dead
Paul is using the adjective dead as a noun in order to describe a group of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this with a noun phrase. Alternate translation: “the dead people”
Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων
in_order_that /may/_become in all_‹things› he being_first
This clause could identify: (1) the result of Jesus starting the church and coming back from the dead. Alternate translation: “with the result that he is first among all things” (2) the purpose of Jesus starting the church and coming back from the dead. Alternate translation: “in order that he might be first among all things”
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων
/may/_become in all_‹things› he being_first
Paul here describes Jesus as if he were first to do or be something. This does not refer to time or sequence, but rather it refers to importance. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea with a comparable expression or plainly. Alternate translation: “he himself might become the most important person in all creation” or “he himself might be greater than everything and anybody else”
1:18 head of the church: The Greek word kephalē (head) usually has the sense of authority over or chief when Paul uses it as a metaphor (see also 2:10, 19; 1 Cor 11:3-10; Eph 4:15; 5:23).
• which is his body: The metaphor of the church as Christ’s body expresses the essential unity of Christ and the church (see also Col 1:24; 2:19; 3:15; Eph 1:23; 2:16; 4:4, 12; 5:23, 30).
• supreme over all who rise from the dead (or the firstborn from the dead): See study note on Col 1:15.
OET (OET-LV) And he is the head of_the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, firstborn from the dead, in_order_that he may_become being_first, in all things
OET (OET-RV) He is the head of the body which is the assembly. He is the beginning, the first of the dead to come back to life, so that he would be the first in everything,
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the SR-GNT.