OET interlinear COL 2:11

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

καὶ περιετμήθητε περιτομῇ ἀχειροποιήτῳ, ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει τοῦ σώματος τῆς σαρκός, ἐν τῇ περιτομῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ

also ˱you_all˲_/were/_circumcised ˱with˲_circumcision not_hand_made in the disarmament ˱of˲_the body ˱of˲_the flesh by the circumcision ˱of˲_the Messiah

Here Paul uses circumcision as an image to describe what happens to believers when they are united to the Messiah. In the metaphor, the circumcision is completed without hands, which means that God accomplishes it. What is “removed” or cut off is the body of flesh, which refers to the broken and sinful parts of the person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this idea with the language of analogy or express it plainly. Alternate translation: “you were also marked off by God as his own when he took away your body of flesh by the work of the Messiah”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἐν ᾧ καὶ περιετμήθητε

in whom also ˱you_all˲_/were/_circumcised

If your language does not use this passive form, you could translate this verb in active form, with God as the subject. Alternate translation: “in whom God also circumcised you”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει τοῦ σώματος τῆς σαρκός

in in the disarmament ˱of˲_the body ˱of˲_the flesh

If your language does not use an abstract noun to express the idea behind removal, you could express the idea with a verb such as “remove.” Alternate translation: “when he removed the body of flesh”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

ἐν τῇ περιτομῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ

in in the by the circumcision ˱of˲_the Messiah

Here, Paul uses the possessive form to connect circumcision with Christ. This does not refer to when Christ himself was circumcised or how he himself circumcises believers. Instead, the possessive form connects the extended metaphor of circumcision with Christ’s work: the circumcision that Paul speaks about is accomplished in what Christ has done. If your language does not use this form to express that idea, you could make the relationship between circumcision and Christ more explicit. Alternate translation: “in the circumcision accomplished by Christ” or “in the circumcision caused by Christ”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

τοῦ Χριστοῦ

˱of˲_the ˱of˲_the Messiah

Here Paul uses the word Christ to refer primarily to what Christ has accomplished. If your language does not use a person’s name to identify something that they have done, you could clarify that Paul is speaking of the “work” of Christ. Alternate translation: “that comes from what Christ did” or “that Christ’s work accomplished”