COL 2:17 Interlinear View

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. ἅ
2. hos
3. which
4. that
5. 37390
6. R····NNP
7. which
8. which
9. -
10. Y64; R133438; R133440
11. 133443
1. ὁ
2. ho
3. -
4. -
5. 35880
6. R···3NMS
7. he
8. he
9. -
10. -
11. 133444
1. ἐστίν
2. eimi
3. is
4. -
5. 15100
6. VIPA3··S
7. is
8. is
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133445
1. σκιά
2. skia
3. +a shadow
4. -
5. 46390
6. N····NFS
7. ˓a˒ shadow
8. ˓a˒ shadow
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133446
1. τῶν
2. ho
3. of the things
4. -
5. 35880
6. R····GNP
7. ˱of˲ the ‹things›
8. ˱of˲ the ‹things›
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133447
1. μελλόντων
2. mellō
3. coming
4. coming
5. 31950
6. VPPA·GNP
7. coming
8. coming
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133448
1. τό
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····NNS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133449
1. δέ
2. de
3. but
4. but
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. but
8. but
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133450
1. σῶμα
2. sōma
3. substance is
4. -
5. 49830
6. N····NNS
7. substance ‹is›
8. substance ‹is›
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133451
1. τοῦ
2. ho
3. of the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GMS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133452
1. Χριστοῦ
2. χristos
3. chosen one messiah
4. messiah
5. 55470
6. N····GMS
7. chosen_one/messiah
8. Messiah
9. WN
10. Y64; Person=Jesus
11. 133453

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 2:16–19

Theme: Paul told the Colossians not to believe the teachings of those people who wanted them to obey their rules. They should trust only in Christ.

2:17a

These are a shadow of the things to come,

Do not listen to them, because all those laws are only like a shadow. They are nothing more than symbols of the good things that God promised us.
Do not heed those people, because those rules are merely symbols that God gave to his people long ago to tell them about the Messiah that he was going to send.
God gave the Jews these laws and holy days to show them in advance something about the Savior he planned to send to them.

a shadow of the things to come: This is a figure of speech. A person’s shadow shows something about what that person is like. In a similar way, the Jewish laws about food and the celebration of religious festivals helped the Jews to know, before he came, something about the Messiah, the Savior whom God had promised to send them.The Jewish holy days all had a spiritual significance for the Jewish people associated with the coming of the Messiah, God’s chosen Savior. The Passover represented the eternal salvation which the Messiah would make possible. Pentecost represented the time when God’s law would be in the hearts of people, through the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the Feast of Tabernacles represented the gathering in of people from all nations to God.

2:17b

but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.

It is Christ of whom all those laws are symbols.
Christ fulfills what God promised, and so those things are no longer necessary.

but the body that casts it belongs to Christ: This phrase continues the figure of speech from 2:17a. All the rules and customs were like a “shadow,” but Christ is like the body that makes the shadow.

General Comment about 2:17

If you need to explain this figure of speech in your translation, you could say something like:

These regulations are like a shadow that is cast by someone who is approaching; that is, they only represent the spiritual blessings that Christ himself has now given to you (adapted from SSA of 2:17).

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἅ ἐστιν σκιὰ τῶν μελλόντων, τὸ δὲ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ

which (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἅ ἐστίν σκιά τῶν μελλόντων τό δέ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ)

A shadow shows the shape and outline of a body, but it is not the body itself. In a similar way, the things listed in the previous verse show the shape and outline of the things coming, but the body that casts this shadow is Christ. He is the substance of the things coming. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [which are a foretaste of the things coming, but the full experience is of Christ] or [which hint at the things that were to come, but Christ is the one who came]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

σκιὰ τῶν μελλόντων

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἅ ἐστίν σκιά τῶν μελλόντων τό δέ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ)

Paul here uses the possession form to show that the shadow is cast by the things coming. If your language would not use the possessive form to express this idea, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [a shadow cast by the things coming]

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

τῶν μελλόντων

˱of˲_the_‹things› coming

The things coming primarily refers to things that will happen or be experienced in the future. They can be connected with both the first and the second coming of Christ, which is why the body is of Christ in this verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could clarify that coming refers to what Christ has blessed believers with at his first coming and what he will bless them with at his second coming. Alternate translation: [blessings that Christ brings]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τὸ & σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἅ ἐστίν σκιά τῶν μελλόντων τό δέ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ)

Paul uses the possessive form to identify Christ as the body that casts the “shadow.” If your language would not use the possessive form to express this idea, you could express the idea with a simple “being” verb. Alternate translation: [the body is Christ]

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. which
2. that
3. 37390
5. hos
6. R-····NNP
7. which
8. which
9. -
10. Y64; R133438; R133440
11. 133443
1. is
2. -
3. 15100
5. eimi
6. V-IPA3··S
7. is
8. is
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133445
1. +a shadow
2. -
3. 46390
5. skia
6. N-····NFS
7. ˓a˒ shadow
8. ˓a˒ shadow
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133446
1. of the things
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. R-····GNP
7. ˱of˲ the ‹things›
8. ˱of˲ the ‹things›
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133447
1. coming
2. coming
3. 31950
5. mellō
6. V-PPA·GNP
7. coming
8. coming
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133448
1. but
2. but
3. 11610
5. de
6. C-·······
7. but
8. but
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133450
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····NNS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133449
1. substance is
2. -
3. 49830
5. sōma
6. N-····NNS
7. substance ‹is›
8. substance ‹is›
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133451
1. of the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····GMS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y64
11. 133452
1. chosen one messiah
2. messiah
3. 55470
4. WN
5. χristos
6. N-····GMS
7. chosen_one/messiah
8. Messiah
9. WN
10. Y64; Person=Jesus
11. 133453

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.