Colossians 1:18

Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

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,

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος, τῆς ἐκκλησίας: ὅς ἐστιν ἀρχή, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν· ἵνα γένηται ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων.

Transliteration

And he estin the kephalē of the sōmatos, of the ekklēsias: who estin archē, prōtotokos from the nekrōn; so that he might genētai in all things himself prōteuōn.

Grammar Details

• *estin*: present, active, indicative, 3rd person singular - is
• *kephalē*: nominative, feminine, singular - head
• *sōmatos*: genitive, neuter, singular - of body, possessive
• *ekklēsias*: genitive, feminine, singular - of church/assembly, apposition
• *archē*: nominative, feminine, singular - beginning/ruler
• *prōtotokos*: nominative, masculine, singular - firstborn
• *nekrōn*: genitive, masculine, plural - dead ones, source
• *genētai*: aorist, middle, subjunctive, 3rd person singular - might become
• *prōteuōn*: present, active, participle, nominative, masculine, singular - having first place

Word Meanings

• *kephalē*: head/ruler/source
• *sōmatos*: body/physical form
• *ekklēsias*: church/assembly/congregation
• *archē*: beginning/origin/ruler/first principle
• *prōtotokos*: firstborn/preeminent one
• *nekrōn*: dead ones/corpses
• *genētai*: might become/be/come to be
• *prōteuōn*: having first place/preeminent/holding supremacy

Referenced Verses

• Rev 1:5 : 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born out of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth; to him who did love us, and did bathe us from our sins in his blood,
• Eph 1:22-23 : 22 and all things He did put under his feet, and did give him -- head over all things to the assembly, 23 which is his body, the fulness of Him who is filling the all in all,
• Acts 26:23 : 23 that the Christ is to suffer, whether first by a rising from the dead, he is about to proclaim light to the people and to the nations.'
• 1 Cor 15:20-23 : 20 And now, Christ hath risen out of the dead -- the first-fruits of those sleeping he became, 21 for since through man `is' the death, also through man `is' a rising again of the dead, 22 for even as in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all shall be made alive, 23 and each in his proper order, a first-fruit Christ, afterwards those who are the Christ's, in his presence,
• 1 Cor 11:3 : 3 and I wish you to know that of every man the head is the Christ, and the head of a woman is the husband, and the head of Christ is God.
• Eph 4:15-16 : 15 and, being true in love, we may increase to Him `in' all things, who is the head -- the Christ; 16 from whom the whole body, being fitly joined together and united, through the supply of every joint, according to the working in the measure of each single part, the increase of the body doth make for the building up of itself in love.
• Matt 28:18 : 18 And having come near, Jesus spake to them, saying, `Given to me was all authority in heaven and on earth;
• John 1:27 : 27 of whom I am not worthy that I may loose the cord of his sandal.'
• John 3:29-31 : 29 he who is having the bride is bridegroom, and the friend of the bridegroom, who is standing and hearing him, with joy doth rejoice because of the voice of the bridegroom; this, then, my joy hath been fulfilled. 30 `Him it behoveth to increase, and me to become less; 31 he who from above is coming is above all; he who is from the earth, from the earth he is, and from the earth he speaketh; he who from the heaven is coming is above all.
• Ps 89:27 : 27 I also first-born do appoint him, Highest of the kings of the earth.
• Eph 5:23 : 23 because the husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ `is' head of the assembly, and he is saviour of the body,
• Col 1:24 : 24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and do fill up the things lacking of the tribulations of the Christ in my flesh for his body, which is the assembly,
• John 11:25-26 : 25 Jesus said to her, `I am the rising again, and the life; he who is believing in me, even if he may die, shall live; 26 and every one who is living and believing in me shall not die -- to the age;
• Rev 22:13 : 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega -- the Beginning and End -- the First and the Last.
• 1 Cor 15:25 : 25 for it behoveth him to reign till he may have put all the enemies under his feet --
• Heb 1:5-6 : 5 For to which of the messengers said He ever, `My Son thou art -- I to-day have begotten thee?' and again, `I will be to him for a father, and he shall be to Me for a son?' 6 and when again He may bring in the first-born to the world, He saith, `And let them bow before him -- all messengers of God;'
• Rev 1:8 : 8 `I am the Alpha and the Omega, beginning and end, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is coming -- the Almighty.'
• Rev 1:18 : 18 and he who is living, and I did become dead, and, lo, I am living to the ages of the ages. Amen! and I have the keys of the hades and of the death.
• Rev 3:14 : 14 `And to the messenger of the assembly of the Laodiceans write: These things saith the Amen, the witness -- the faithful and true -- the chief of the creation of God;
• Rev 5:9-9 : 9 and they sing a new song, saying, `Worthy art thou to take the scroll, and to open the seals of it, because thou wast slain, and didst redeem us to God in thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, 10 and didst make us to our God kings and priests, and we shall reign upon the earth.' 11 And I saw, and I heard the voice of many messengers round the throne, and the living creatures, and the elders -- and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands -- 12 saying with a great voice, `Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing!' 13 and every creature that is in the heaven, and in the earth, and under the earth, and the things that are upon the sea, and the all things in them, heard I saying, `To Him who is sitting upon the throne, and to the Lamb, `is' the blessing, and the honour, and the glory, and the might -- to the ages of the ages!'
• Rev 11:15 : 15 And the seventh messenger did sound, and there came great voices in the heaven, saying, `The kingdoms of the world did become `those' of our Lord and of His Christ, and he shall reign to the ages of the ages!'
• Rev 21:6 : 6 and He said to me, `It hath been done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End; I, to him who is thirsting, will give of the fountain of the water of the life freely;
• Rev 21:23-24 : 23 and the city hath no need of the sun, nor of the moon, that they may shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp of it `is' the Lamb; 24 and the nations of the saved in its light shall walk, and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it,
• 1 John 1:1 : 1 That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we did behold, and our hands did handle, concerning the Word of the Life --
• Eph 1:10 : 10 in regard to the dispensation of the fulness of the times, to bring into one the whole in the Christ, both the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth -- in him;
• Rom 8:29 : 29 because whom He did foreknow, He also did fore-appoint, conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be first-born among many brethren;
• Col 2:10-14 : 10 and ye are in him made full, who is the head of all principality and authority, 11 in whom also ye were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh in the circumcision of the Christ, 12 being buried with him in the baptism, in which also ye rose with `him' through the faith of the working of God, who did raise him out of the dead. 13 And you -- being dead in the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh -- He made alive together with him, having forgiven you all the trespasses, 14 having blotted out the handwriting in the ordinances that is against us, that was contrary to us, and he hath taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross;
• Isa 52:13 : 13 Lo, My servant doth act wisely, He is high, and hath been lifted up, And hath been very high.
• Matt 23:8 : 8 `And ye -- ye may not be called Rabbi, for one is your director -- the Christ, and all ye are brethren;
• John 3:34-35 : 34 for he whom God sent, the sayings of God he speaketh; for not by measure doth God give the Spirit; 35 the Father doth love the Son, and all things hath given into his hand;
• John 1:1 : 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;
• John 1:16 : 16 and out of his fulness did we all receive, and grace over-against grace;
• Song 5:10 : 10 My beloved `is' clear and ruddy, Conspicuous above a myriad!
• Ps 45:2-5 : 2 Thou hast been beautified above the sons of men, Grace hath been poured into thy lips, Therefore hath God blessed thee to the age. 3 Gird Thy sword upon the thigh, O mighty, Thy glory and Thy majesty! 4 As to Thy majesty -- prosper! -- ride! Because of truth, and meekness -- righteousness, And Thy right hand showeth Thee fearful things. 5 Thine arrows `are' sharp, -- Peoples fall under Thee -- In the heart of the enemies of the king.