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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
parallelVerse 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
Col 1 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27 V28 V29
Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. This view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
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,
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
SR-GNT Καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος, τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ὅς ἐστιν ἡ ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων, ‡
(Kai autos estin haʸ kefalaʸ tou sōmatos, taʸs ekklaʸsias, hos estin haʸ arⱪaʸ, prōtotokos ek tōn nekrōn, hina genaʸtai en pasin autos prōteuōn,)
Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
ULT And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that he himself might become first among all things.
UST In regard to the church, that is, all believers, he rules over it as people’s heads rule over their bodies. He made it possible for the church to begin when he was the first person to live again after dying, never to die again. Because of these things about him, he is greater and more important than anything and anybody else.
BSB And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.
BLB And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, firstborn out from the dead, so that He might be holding preeminence in all things,
AICNT And he is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning,[fn] the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything,
1:18, beginning: Or ruler. The Greek word means (1) the commencement of something as an action, process, or state of being, beginning, (2) one with whom a process begins, beginning, (3) the first cause, the beginning, (4) a point at which two surfaces or lines meet, corner, (5) a basis for further understanding, beginning, (6) an authority figure who initiates activity or process, ruler, authority, or (7) the sphere of one's official activity, rule, office. (BDAG, ἀρχή)
OEB and he is the head of the church, which is his body. The firstborn from the dead, he is to the church the source of its life, that he, in all things, may stand first.
WEB He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.
MSG (15-20)We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.
NET He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things.
LSV And He is the head of the body—the Assembly—who is a beginning, a firstborn out of the dead, that He might become first in all [things] Himself,
FBV He is also the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the first and highest of those raised from the dead, so that he is supreme in everything.
TCNT He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in everything he may be preeminent.
T4T And God’s Son ranks above everything, because it is his Son who rules over his people [MET] as a person’s head controls his physical body, because his Son causes his people to live spiritually. God’s Son is the first one who became alive again, in order that he should become more important than anything and everyone.
LEB and he himself is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in everything,
BBE And he is the head of the body, the church: the starting point of all things, the first to come again from the dead; so that in all things he might have the chief place.
MOF No MOF COL book available
ASV And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
DRA And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he may hold the primacy:
YLT And himself is the head of the body — the assembly — who is a beginning, a first-born out of the dead, that he might become in all [things] — himself — first,
DBY And he is the head of the body, the assembly; who is [the] beginning, firstborn from among the dead, that he might have the first place in all things:
RV And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
WBS And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he may have the pre-eminence.
KJB And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
(And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. )
BB And he is the head of the body of the Churche: he is the begynnyng, the first borne of the dead, that in all thynges he myght haue the preeminence.
(And he is the head of the body of the Churche: he is the beginning, the first born of the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.)
GNV And hee is the head of the body of the Church: he is the beginning, and the first begotten of the dead, that in all thinges hee might haue the preeminence.
(And he is the head of the body of the Church: he is the beginning, and the first begotten of the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. )
CB And he is the heade of the body, namely, of the cogregacion: he is the begynnynge and first begotten from the deed, that in all thinges he mighte haue the preemynence.
(And he is the heade of the body, namely, of the cogregacion: he is the beginning and first begotten from the dead, that in all things he mighte have the preemynence.)
TNT And he is the heed of the body that is to wit of the congregacion: he is the begynnynge and fyrst begotten of the deed that in all thynges he might have the preeminence.
(And he is the heed of the body that is to wit of the congregation: he is the beginning and first begotten of the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence. )
WYC And he is heed of the bodi of the chirche; which is the bigynnyng and the firste bigetun of deede men, that he holde the firste dignyte in alle thingis.
(And he is heed of the body of the church; which is the beginning and the first begotten of deade men, that he hold the first dignyte in all things.)
LUT Und er ist das Haupt des Leibes, nämlich der Gemeinde; welcher ist der Anfang und der Erstgeborene von den Toten, auf daß, er in allen Dingen den Vorrang habe.
(And he is the Haupt the Leibes, namely the Gemeinde; which is the beginning and the Erstgeborene from the Toten, on daß, he in all Dingen the Vorrang habe.)
CLV Et ipse est caput corporis Ecclesiæ, qui est principium, primogenitus ex mortuis: ut sit in omnibus ipse primatum tenens:[fn]
(And himself it_is caput corporis Ecclesiæ, who it_is principium, primogenitus ex mortuis: as sit in omnibus himself primatum tenens:)
1.18 Caput corporis Ecclesiæ. Quia ita se habet ad Ecclesiam, sicut caput ad corpus. Et cum Ecclesia ab Abel cœpit, quomodo caput eorum? Bene, quia est principium Ecclesiæ, id est fundator. Qui est principium. Ecclesiæ secundum divinitatem, id est fundator Ecclesiæ, quia omnes justos, qui ab Abel usque ad ultimum justum generantur virtute divinitatis et misericordiæ suæ dono illuminavit. Secundum humanitatem etiam potest dici principium Ecclesiæ, quia super fidem humanitatis ejus fundata est. Et bene ipse est caput et principium, et rector, et fundator, quia ipse est primogenitus, etc. Primogenitus, etc. Sicut natus est ante omnia de Deo, ut omnia crearet, sic homo primus resurgit, ut restauret, ut semper sit primus et princeps.
1.18 Caput corporis Ecclesiæ. Quia ita se habet to Ecclesiam, like caput to corpus. And when/with Ecclesia away Abel cœpit, quomodo caput eorum? Bene, because it_is principium Ecclesiæ, id it_is fundator. Who it_is principium. Ecclesiæ after/second divinitatem, id it_is fundator Ecclesiæ, because everyone justos, who away Abel usque to ultimum justum generantur virtute divinitatis and misericordiæ suæ dono illuminavit. Secundum humanitatem also potest dici principium Ecclesiæ, because over faith humanitatis his fundata est. And bene himself it_is caput and principium, and rector, and fundator, because himself it_is primogenitus, etc. Primogenitus, etc. Sicut natus it_is before everything about Deo, as everything crearet, so human primus resurgit, as restauret, as semper sit primus and princeps.
UGNT καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος, τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ὅς ἐστιν ἡ ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων;
(kai autos estin haʸ kefalaʸ tou sōmatos, taʸs ekklaʸsias, hos estin haʸ arⱪaʸ, prōtotokos ek tōn nekrōn, hina genaʸtai en pasin autos prōteuōn?)
SBL-GNT καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας· ὅς ⸀ἐστιν ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων,
(kai autos estin haʸ kefalaʸ tou sōmatos taʸs ekklaʸsias; hos ⸀estin arⱪaʸ, prōtotokos ek tōn nekrōn, hina genaʸtai en pasin autos prōteuōn, )
TC-GNT Καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος, τῆς ἐκκλησίας· ὅς ἐστιν [fn]ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων·
(Kai autos estin haʸ kefalaʸ tou sōmatos, taʸs ekklaʸsias; hos estin arⱪaʸ, prōtotokos ek tōn nekrōn, hina genaʸtai en pasin autos prōteuōn;)
1:18 αρχη ¦ η αρχη WH
Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).
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.
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”