uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

βλέπετε, μή τις ὑμᾶς ἔσται ὁ συλαγωγῶν

/be/_watching_out lest anyone you_all will_be ¬which taking_captive

Connecting Statement:

Paul uses this clause to warn the Colossians against any person who wishes to take them captive. If your language does not use this form, you could simplify or restructure the clause so that it does not include both someone and the one. Alternate translation: “Beware lest anyone take you captive” or “Make sure that no one takes you captive”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ὑμᾶς & ὁ συλαγωγῶν

you_all & ¬which taking_captive

Paul speaks of those who are trying to deceive the Colossians as if they were capturing the Colossians as prisoners. He uses this language to portray the false teachers as enemies who do not care about the Colossians but only want to use them for their own benefit. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea in plain language. Alternate translation: “the one who convinces you to believe a lie”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / hendiadys

τῆς φιλοσοφίας καὶ κενῆς ἀπάτης

¬the philosophy and empty seduction

The words philosophy and empty deceit work together to express one idea: human philosophy that is empty of useful content and deceitful. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this idea in one phrase. Alternate translation: “empty, deceitful philosophy”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τῆς φιλοσοφίας καὶ κενῆς ἀπάτης

¬the philosophy and empty seduction

If your language does not use abstract nouns to express the ideas behind philosophy and deceit, you could express these ideas in another way. Alternate translation: “the empty and false way that godless people understand the world”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

κενῆς ἀπάτης

empty seduction

Paul speaks of deceitful philosophy as if it were a container that had nothing in it. He means that the deceitful philosophy has nothing important or meaningful to contribute. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable metaphor or express the idea in plain language. Alternate translation: “valueless deceit” or “deceit with no content”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων

the tradition ¬the ˱of˲_humans

The tradition of men refers to the ways in which humans behave that they learned from their families and pass on to their children. If your language does not use an abstract noun to express the idea of tradition, you could a phrase that refers to traditions that are passed on from parents to children. Alternate translation: “customary human thinking and behavior”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

τῶν ἀνθρώπων

¬the ˱of˲_humans

Although the word men is masculine, Paul is using it to refer to anyone, whether man or woman. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a non-gendered word or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: “of people” or “of humans”

Note 8 topic: translate-unknown

τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου

the principles ˱of˲_the world

The phrase elemental teaching could refer to: (1) basic human opinions about how the world works. Alternate translation: “human worldviews” (2) the spiritual powers of this world. Alternate translation: “spiritual beings that rule the world”