Colossians 2:8

Bible in Basic English (1941)

Take care that no one takes you away by force, through man's wisdom and deceit, going after the beliefs of men and the theories of the world, and not after Christ:

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Βλέπετε μή τις ὑμᾶς ἔσται ὁ συλαγωγῶν διὰ τῆς φιλοσοφίας καὶ κενῆς ἀπάτης, κατὰ τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, κατὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ οὐ κατὰ Χριστόν.

Transliteration

Blepete lest anyone you estai the sylagōgōn through the philosophias and empty apatēs, according to the paradosin of the anthrōpōn, according to the stoicheia of the kosmou, and not according to Christon.

Grammar Details

• *Blepete*: present active imperative, 2nd person plural - look/see/beware
• *estai*: future middle indicative, 3rd person singular - will be
• *sylagōgōn*: present active participle, nominative, masculine, singular - taking captive/carrying off as spoil
• *philosophias*: genitive, feminine, singular - philosophy/love of wisdom
• *apatēs*: genitive, feminine, singular - deception/deceit
• *paradosin*: accusative, feminine, singular - tradition/teaching handed down
• *anthrōpōn*: genitive, masculine, plural - men/human beings
• *stoicheia*: accusative, neuter, plural - elements/rudiments/principles
• *kosmou*: genitive, masculine, singular - world/universe/ordered system
• *Christon*: accusative, masculine, singular - Christ

Word Meanings

• *Blepete*: beware/watch out/take heed
• *sylagōgōn*: taking captive/carrying off as spoil/plundering
• *philosophias*: philosophy/love of wisdom/intellectual speculation
• *apatēs*: deception/deceit/trickery
• *paradosin*: tradition/teaching handed down/custom
• *stoicheia*: elements/rudiments/principles/elemental spirits
• *kosmou*: world/universe/ordered system/age

Referenced Verses

• 1 Tim 6:20 : 20 O Timothy, take good care of that which is given to you, turning away from the wrong and foolish talk and arguments of that knowledge which is falsely so named;
• Eph 5:6 : 6 Do not be turned from the right way by foolish words; for because of these things the punishment of God comes on those who do not put themselves under him.
• Col 2:20 : 20 If you were made free, by your death with Christ, from the rules of the world, why do you put yourselves under the authority of orders
• Rom 1:21-22 : 21 Because, having the knowledge of God, they did not give glory to God as God, and did not give praise, but their minds were full of foolish things, and their hearts, being without sense, were made dark. 22 Seeming to be wise, they were in fact foolish,
• Gal 4:3 : 3 So we, when we were young, were kept under the first rules of the world;
• Matt 7:15 : 15 Be on the watch for false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inside they are cruel wolves.
• Gal 4:9 : 9 But now that you have come to have knowledge of God, or more truly, God has knowledge of you, how is it that you go back again to the poor and feeble first things, desiring to be servants to them again?
• 1 Cor 3:18-19 : 18 Let no man have a false idea. If any man seems to himself to be wise among you, let him become foolish, so that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolish before God. As it is said in the holy Writings, He who takes the wise in their secret designs:
• Col 2:22 : 22 (Rules which are all to come to an end with their use) after the orders and teaching of men?
• Phil 3:2 : 2 Be on the watch against dogs, against the workers of evil, against those of the circumcision:
• Col 2:18 : 18 Let no man take your reward from you by consciously making little of himself and giving worship to angels; having his thoughts fixed on the things which he has seen, being foolishly lifted up in his natural mind,
• 2 Tim 3:13 : 13 Evil and false men will become worse and worse, using deceit and themselves overcome by deceit.
• Heb 13:9 : 9 Do not be turned away by different strange teachings, because it is good for your hearts to be made strong by grace, and not by meats, which were of no profit to those who took so much trouble over them.
• 1 Pet 1:18 : 18 Being conscious that you have been made free from that foolish way of life which was your heritage from your fathers, not through a payment of things like silver or gold which come to destruction,
• 2 Pet 3:17 : 17 For this reason, my loved ones, having knowledge of these things before they take place, take care that you are not turned away by the error of the uncontrolled, so falling from your true faith.
• 2 John 1:8 : 8 Keep watch over yourselves, so that you do not make our work of no effect, but may get your full reward.
• Eph 2:2 : 2 In which you were living in the past, after the ways of this present world, doing the pleasure of the lord of the power of the air, the spirit who is now working in those who go against the purpose of God;
• Matt 10:17 : 17 But be on the watch against men: for they will give you up to the Sanhedrins, and in their Synagogues they will give you blows;
• Matt 15:2-9 : 2 Why do your disciples go against the teaching of the fathers? for they take food with unwashed hands. 3 And in answer he said to them, Why do you, yourselves, go against the word of God on account of the teaching which has been handed down to you? 4 For God said, Give honour to your father and mother: and, He who says evil of father or mother will be put to death. 5 But you say, If a man says to his father or his mother, That by which you might have had profit from me is given to God; 6 There is no need for him to give honour to his father. And you have made the word of God without effect because of your teaching. 7 You false ones, well did Isaiah say of you, 8 These people give me honour with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 9 But their worship is to no purpose, while they give as their teaching the rules of men.
• Rom 16:17 : 17 Now, it is my desire, brothers, that you will take note of those who are causing division and trouble among you, quite against the teaching which was given to you: and keep away from them.
• Deut 6:12 : 12 Then take care that you keep your hearts true to the Lord, who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the prison-house.
• Song 2:15 : 15 Take for us the foxes, the little foxes, which do damage to the vines; our vines have young grapes.
• Jer 29:8 : 8 For this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said: Do not let yourselves be tricked by the prophets who are among you, and the readers of signs, and give no attention to their dreams which they may have;
• 1 Cor 1:19-23 : 19 As it says in the holy Writings, I will put an end to the wisdom of the wise, and will put on one side the designs of those who have knowledge. 20 Where is the wise? where is he who has knowledge of the law? where is the man of this world who has a love of discussion? has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For because, by the purpose of God, the world, with all its wisdom, had not the knowledge of God, it was God's pleasure, by so foolish a thing as preaching, to give salvation to those who had faith in him. 22 Seeing that the Jews make request for signs, and the Greeks are looking for knowledge: 23 But we give the good news of Christ on the cross, a hard thing to the Jews, and a foolish thing to the Gentiles;
• Matt 16:6 : 6 And Jesus said to them, Take care to have nothing to do with the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
• Mark 7:3-9 : 3 Now the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not take food without washing their hands with care, keeping the old rule which has been handed down to them: 4 And when they come from the market-place, they take no food till their hands are washed; and a number of other orders there are, which have been handed down to them to keep--washings of cups and pots and brass vessels. 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes put the question to him, Why do your disciples not keep the rules of the fathers, but take their bread with unwashed hands? 6 And he said, Well did Isaiah say of you, you false ones: These people give me honour with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 But their worship is to no purpose, while they give as their teaching the rules of men. 8 For, turning away from the law of God, you keep the rules of men. 9 And he said to them, Truly you put on one side the law of God, so that you may keep the rules which have been handed down to you. 10 For Moses said, Give honour to your father and mother, and, He who says evil of father or mother, let him have the punishment of death: 11 But you say, If a man says to his father or his mother, That by which you might have had profit from me is Corban, that is to say, Given to God, 12 You no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of no effect by your rule, which you have given: and a number of other such things you do.
• Acts 17:18 : 18 And some of those who were supporters of the theories of the Epicureans and the Stoics, had a meeting with him. And some said, What is this talker of foolish words saying? And others, He seems to be a preacher of strange gods: because he was preaching of Jesus and his coming back from the dead.
• Acts 17:32 : 32 Now on hearing about the coming back from death, some of them made sport of it, but others said, Let us go more fully into this another time.
• Eph 4:20 : 20 For this was not the teaching of Christ which was given to you;
• 1 Cor 15:35-36 : 35 But someone will say, How do the dead come back? and with what sort of body do they come? 36 Foolish man, it is necessary for the seed which you put into the earth to undergo death in order that it may come to life again:
• 2 Cor 10:5 : 5 Putting an end to reasonings, and every high thing which is lifted up against the knowledge of God, and causing every thought to come under the authority of Christ;
• Gal 1:14 : 14 And I went farther in the Jews' religion than a number of my generation among my countrymen, having a more burning interest in the beliefs handed down from my fathers.
• 2 Tim 2:17-18 : 17 And their words will be like poisoned wounds in the flesh: such are Hymenaeus and Philetus; 18 Men whose ideas are all false, who say that the coming back from the dead has even now taken place, overturning the faith of some.