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Col 2 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23

OET interlinear COL 2:15

◄ ← COL 2:15 ↓ → ► ║ ©

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

    1. Greek word
    2. Greek lemma
    3. OET-LV words
    4. OET-RV words
    5. Strongs
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. OET Gloss
    8. VLT Gloss
    9. CAPS codes
    10. Confidence
    11. OET tags
    12. OET word #
    1. ἀπεκδυσάμενος
    2. apekduomai
    3. having disarmed
    4. disarmed
    5. 5540
    6. VPAM·NMS
    7. ˓having˒ disarmed
    8. ˓having˒ disarmed
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133409
    1. τάς
    2. ho
    3. the
    4. -
    5. 35880
    6. E····AFP
    7. the
    8. the
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133410
    1. ἀρχάς
    2. arχē
    3. rulers
    4. rulers
    5. 7460
    6. N····AFP
    7. rulers
    8. rulers
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133411
    1. καί
    2. kai
    3. and
    4. -
    5. 25320
    6. C·······
    7. and
    8. and
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133412
    1. τάς
    2. ho
    3. the
    4. -
    5. 35880
    6. E····AFP
    7. the
    8. the
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133413
    1. ἐξουσίας
    2. exousia
    3. authorities
    4. authorities
    5. 18490
    6. N····AFP
    7. authorities
    8. authorities
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133414
    1. καί
    2. kai
    3. -
    4. -
    5. 25320
    6. C·······
    7. and
    8. and
    9. -
    10. -
    11. 133415
    1. ἐδειγμάτισεν
    2. deigmatizō
    3. he exposed them
    4. exposed
    5. 11650
    6. VIAA3··S
    7. ˱he˲ exposed ‹them›
    8. ˱he˲ exposed ‹them›
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133416
    1. ἐν
    2. en
    3. in
    4. -
    5. 17220
    6. P·······
    7. in
    8. in
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133417
    1. παρρησίᾳ
    2. parrēsia
    3. public
    4. publicly
    5. 39540
    6. N····DFS
    7. public
    8. public
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133418
    1. θριαμβεύσας
    2. thriambeuō
    3. having triumphed
    4. -
    5. 23580
    6. VPAA·NMS
    7. ˓having˒ triumphed
    8. ˓having˒ triumphed
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133419
    1. αὐτούς
    2. autos
    3. over them
    4. -
    5. 8460
    6. R···3AMP
    7. ˱over˲ them
    8. ˱over˲ them
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133420
    1. ἐν
    2. en
    3. in
    4. -
    5. 17220
    6. P·······
    7. in
    8. in
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133421
    1. αὐτῷ
    2. autos
    3. him
    4. -
    5. 8460
    6. R···3DMS
    7. him
    8. him
    9. -
    10. Y64; R133408
    11. 133422

OET (OET-LV) having_disarmed the rulers and the authorities, he_exposed them in public, having_triumphed over_them in him.

OET (OET-RV) He had disarmed the rulers and authorities and publicly exposed them, because he had won the victory over them on the post.[fn]

2:15 The meaning of the Greek ‘ἐν αὐτῷ’ literally ‘in it/him’ isn’t clear here and leads to two common translations: a/ ‘on/in him’, or as we have chosen (interpreting the ‘it’ to be referring back to ‘σταυρῷ’ ‘execution post’ from the previous verse), ‘on the post’.

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:6–23: Behave as God’s people should behave and do not follow false teaching

Theme: Paul told the Colossians to behave correctly because they belong to Christ. They should not follow those who teach a false message. He also reminded them that God had accepted them completely because they belong to Christ.

In 1:13–2:5 Paul had reminded the Colossians what is true about Christ and had told them that God had always planned to make them his people. Beginning in 2:6, Paul urged them to continue to believe in Christ. He assured them that this was the same message that Epaphras and others had taught them. Therefore, they should continue to trust in Christ more and more and act in ways that honor God. They should not believe any other message.

Paragraph 2:8–15

Theme: Paul warned the Colossians to make sure that the false teachers did not deceive them with their deceptive Greek philosophies and ideas about the spirit world.

Paul stated his main point at the beginning of this paragraph: “See to it that no one takes you captive…” (2:8a). You need to make this main point clear in your translation.

2:15a

And having disarmed the powers and authorities,

And having disarmed the powers and authorities: The words powers and authorities are the same words that Paul used in 1:16d and 2:10b. See the notes about these verses. Paul was referring to spirit powers and authorities who were against God and who were controlling people. See also Ephesians 6:12.

disarmed: The Greek word apekdumai that the BSB translates disarmed means “to undress.” In this context it means that God took away the power from these “powers and authorities.”

2:15b

He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

He made a public spectacle of them: This means that God shamed the powers and authorities publicly, and he made it obvious to everyone that he had defeated them.

He: Scholars do not agree about who this pronoun “he” refers to:

  1. Most scholars say that it is God. It was God who “made a public spectacle of” the powers and authorities, in the same way that he “made you alive with Christ” (2:13c). This is how most English versions translate this verse. (BSB, NIV, RSV, GW, NCV, NLT, REB, SSA)

  2. Some scholars say that Christ is the subject of the verb “triumphing over” (and therefore of the verb “disarmed” in 2:15a). See GNT and CEV.

The first option is recommended (1). It is clear that God is the subject of all the main verbs in 2:13–14. If Paul had changed the subject of the verbs in 2:15 to Christ, he probably would have clarified this by using a noun (Christ) rather than a pronoun He.

triumphing over them: The Greek verb thriambeuō that the BSB translates as triumphing over means “to lead in a victory parade.” Paul may have been thinking about the way, after a great victory, a Roman general would lead his prisoners of war in a public procession through the streets of the city of Rome. This is how several English versions translate it (see 2:15 in GNT, CEV, NJB, REB). When Christ died on the cross, it showed openly that God had defeated Satan and all the evil powers. It was as if God had captured them and was parading them for everyone to see.

by the cross: The Greek word that the BSB translates as the cross is an ambiguous pronoun. It could mean “it” or “him.” It could refer to one of two things:

  1. It could refer to the cross. (BSB, NIV, GNT, CEV, KJV, NCV, NLT, NRSV, REB).

  2. It could refer to Christ. (RSV, GW, NJB, SSA).

The commentaries are equally divided about which of these two options they support, so both options are possible. The meaning is almost the same—God triumphed by Christ and his death on the cross.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἀπεκδυσάμενος & ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παρρησίᾳ & θριαμβεύσας

˓having˒_disarmed & ˱he˲_exposed_‹them› in public & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀπεκδυσάμενος τάς ἀρχάς καί τάς ἐξουσίας ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παρρησίᾳ θριαμβεύσας αὐτούς ἐν αὐτῷ)

Paul speaks of God’s victory over powerful spiritual beings in terms that fit with what a conqueror often did to his prisoners in Paul’s culture. He would make a public spectacle or example of them, “stripping” them of their clothes and forcing them to parade behind him in his “triumph.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express these ideas with a comparable metaphor, or express it plainly. Alternate translation: [having defeated … he showed everyone that he had conquered]

Note 2 topic: translate-unknown

τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀπεκδυσάμενος τάς ἀρχάς καί τάς ἐξουσίας ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παρρησίᾳ θριαμβεύσας αὐτούς ἐν αὐτῷ)

Just as in [1:16](../01/16.md) and [2:10](../02/10.md), the rulers and authorities could refer to: (1) powerful spiritual beings that rule this world. Alternate translation: [the spiritual powers, including those known as rulers and authorities] (2) anybody or anything that rules and has authority. Alternate translation: [those who rule with authority]

ἐν αὐτῷ

in in him

Alternate translation: [by the cross] or [through the cross]

TSN Tyndale Study Notes:

2:15 He shamed them publicly by his victory (literally he led [them] in triumphal procession): The Roman army would celebrate a great victory with a triumphal procession. The victorious Roman general would lead the humiliated captives from his campaign into the conquered city. The image vividly captures the glorious victory that God, through the cross of Christ, has won over all hostile spiritual powers (see also Eph 4:7-11).

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

    1. OET-LV words
    2. OET-RV words
    3. Strongs
    4. Greek word
    5. Greek lemma
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. OET Gloss
    8. VLT Gloss
    9. CAPS codes
    10. Confidence
    11. OET tags
    12. OET word #
    1. having disarmed
    2. disarmed
    3. 5540
    5. apekduomai
    6. V-PAM·NMS
    7. ˓having˒ disarmed
    8. ˓having˒ disarmed
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133409
    1. the
    2. -
    3. 35880
    5. ho
    6. E-····AFP
    7. the
    8. the
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133410
    1. rulers
    2. rulers
    3. 7460
    5. arχē
    6. N-····AFP
    7. rulers
    8. rulers
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133411
    1. and
    2. -
    3. 25320
    5. kai
    6. C-·······
    7. and
    8. and
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133412
    1. the
    2. -
    3. 35880
    5. ho
    6. E-····AFP
    7. the
    8. the
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133413
    1. authorities
    2. authorities
    3. 18490
    5. exousia
    6. N-····AFP
    7. authorities
    8. authorities
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133414
    1. he exposed them
    2. exposed
    3. 11650
    5. deigmatizō
    6. V-IAA3··S
    7. ˱he˲ exposed ‹them›
    8. ˱he˲ exposed ‹them›
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133416
    1. in
    2. -
    3. 17220
    5. en
    6. P-·······
    7. in
    8. in
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133417
    1. public
    2. publicly
    3. 39540
    5. parrēsia
    6. N-····DFS
    7. public
    8. public
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133418
    1. having triumphed
    2. -
    3. 23580
    5. thriambeuō
    6. V-PAA·NMS
    7. ˓having˒ triumphed
    8. ˓having˒ triumphed
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133419
    1. over them
    2. -
    3. 8460
    5. autos
    6. R-···3AMP
    7. ˱over˲ them
    8. ˱over˲ them
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133420
    1. in
    2. -
    3. 17220
    5. en
    6. P-·······
    7. in
    8. in
    9. -
    10. Y64
    11. 133421
    1. him
    2. -
    3. 8460
    5. autos
    6. R-···3DMS
    7. him
    8. him
    9. -
    10. Y64; R133408
    11. 133422

OET (OET-LV) having_disarmed the rulers and the authorities, he_exposed them in public, having_triumphed over_them in him.

OET (OET-RV) He had disarmed the rulers and authorities and publicly exposed them, because he had won the victory over them on the post.[fn]

2:15 The meaning of the Greek ‘ἐν αὐτῷ’ literally ‘in it/him’ isn’t clear here and leads to two common translations: a/ ‘on/in him’, or as we have chosen (interpreting the ‘it’ to be referring back to ‘σταυρῷ’ ‘execution post’ from the previous verse), ‘on the post’.

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

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◄ ← COL 2:15 ↑ → ► ║ ©